In a world injured by war, polarisation, aggressive neoliberal globalisation, opportunities to bring populations together in a rejoicing spirit are much needed. This has always been the beauty of the Olympic games, although sometimes marred by controversy and politics, the games are overwhelmingly a moment of celebration and admiration of human gifts across a spectrum of different disciplines. From a postmodern perspective, it’s also an opportunity for people to stop looking at separate screens but to unite around one screen for a change!
Something that I found particularly moving was the basketball match between Japan and France. Basketball has been morphed by big money to the point where its NBA-dominated industry reaches right down to AAU tournaments (a highly pressurised basketball circuit for young players), NIL deals (where young people start earning salaries while still in college) and even high school politics where students are paid to play in school teams and sometimes encouraged not to go to university at all. When a sport has been contorted by money to that extent, the original vision and spirit can be drowned out.
In such a frenzy of competition, the matter of player height becomes obsessive, as height is a clear individual advantage and strategic competitive edge in any team. The French team’s iconic Victor Wembanyama is staggering 2m24 tall. He can practically dunk standing up but still shoots like a guard, setting a precedent for a type of superhuman basketball physique. By contrast, the Japanese point guard, Yuki Kawamura, stands at 1m72. A difference of 52 centimetres is almost two feet.
And yet it was the smaller player who clearly stole the show. When Kawamura took his free throws, the crowd booed loudly, to destabilise him (not the greatest display of the Olympic spirit), but it didn’t work, as he raced up and down the court like a free electron, driving, shooting, stealing, dribbling and above all, believing in the team. The French have five NBA players, Japan has two. With the home advantage, France was expected to wipe the floor with Japan but only just scraped through after a nail-biting finish.
What was particularly powerful was that Japan lost their top scorer in the last quarter, who was dominating the field up until then, but despite that, still managed to get within seconds of a victory. However,a cruel twist of fate (or lucky break, depending on whose side you are on), meant that the French, by far the favourites, took the game into overtime and won.
The educational message was perhaps the most powerful one we keep receiving in high octane competitive sports, that despite the odds, with motivation and self belief, teamwork and spirit, almost anything is possible. The Japanese side showed the type of resilience and determination that is needed to exceed potential, no matter the outcome. As much as it might seem a cliché, it really is true that it’s not about winning, it’s about how you play the game.
In an educational system that is so obsessed with performance and results, in which some have a clear advantage over others, let’s not forget that lesson and keep congratulating our students for perseverance, bucking the trend and defying the odds. With belief in their capacity from teachers, mountains can be moved.
So it is that sports, that undervalued area of learning in a formal education, tells the story of the human condition in a unique fashion, uniting us across frontiers and keeping hope in a better world alive in the everlasting flame of the Olympic torch. Sport elucidates character. We have to keep fighting for a more open and inclusive end of high school assessment system where sports-related interpersonal and intrapersonal gifts, such as self-belief, team spirit, leadership and grit, are recognised. This way, we will graduate students not just for their test-taking ability, but for their character.
Photo by Luca Dugaro on Unsplash