Play the Game: Day 1

Find the Play the Game 2011 website with more information, photos, video, program, etc. HERE.

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Heading to first plenary

Among the highlights (from my point of view) of Monday's opening session:

Doris Pack, a member of the European Parliament, welcomed participants. Ms Pack has been a leader in efforts to expand the role of the European Union in sport.

Researchers presented the results of the International Sports Press Survey 2011, and the need for further reseach. Among the (unsurprising) findings are the lack of women writers of sports stories (8%), the dominance of men among athletes featured (85%), and the dominance of football.

Hans Bruyninckx (photo Play the Game)

I particularly enjoyed a provocative talk by Hans Bruyninckx on "Obsession with rules vs. mistrust in being ruled" which highlights a problem close to my heart: the insistence by the undemocratic sports institutions that they are a power unto themselves, not subject to the rule of law of elected governments, while working hand in hand with autocratic regimes.

Richard Pound

Richard Pound of the IOC and founding president of WADA, then spoke on the fight against corruption... but his dollop of realism wasn't enough to respond to Bruyninckx's critique.

View Part 1 and Part 2.

Break dancing

Students from the university offered a break dance performance during the welcome reception. I must note the great work by the 85 students of the German Sports University who volunteered with great energy, efficiency, and friendliness during the conference. Many of them had volunteered at Gay Games VIII, and those who had arrived too late to do so expressed regret at missing this opportunity which has marked the student body.

(photo Play the Game)

In the evening, I attended the workshop on doping prevention, which was rather disappointing, but illustrative of some of the opportunities and challenges. Among the opportunities was an innovative pilot program for doping prevention among youth, and a talk by John Gleaves on integrating treatment as a key component in anti-doping efforts. More disappointing was a talk from a researcher from the German Sports University on a pedagogical program against "doping", which demonstrates the creep of the term "doping" to the use of sustances on the WADA list for any purpose whatsoever, including anorexia, body dysmorphia, or simply a desire to improve ones appearance. While efforts to improve children's self-confidence to better enable them to resist the appeal of dangerous substances are great, it seems dangerous to allow sports doping, and the invasive practices invovled in fighting it, to englobe such broad areas of non-sporting life.

View the session HERE.