Introduction

Sport, in the Olympic tradition, is far more than a contest to find the fastest or the strongest. It is treated as a school for life - a way of shaping the whole person. This unit of the CBSE Class 11 Physical Education course introduces Olympism, the philosophy at the heart of the Olympic Movement, and shows how the Movement deliberately uses sport to teach human values, not merely to crown winners.

What this unit covers

Following the Olympic textbook's own order, you will study five things:

• Olympism and the Olympic values - what Olympism is, its fundamental principles, and the three core values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.
• Olympic Value Education (OVE) - the five educational themes taught through sport: Joy of Effort, Fair Play, Respect for Others, Pursuit of Excellence, and Balance between Body, Will and Mind.
• The ancient and modern Olympic Games - where they began, how the ancient Games ended, and how Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived them.
• The Olympic symbols - the creed, the rings, the flag, the motto, the emblems, the anthem, the flame and torch relay, the release of doves, the athletes' oath and the awards.
• The structure of the Olympic Movement - the IOC, the National Olympic Committees, the International Federations and the other members who together stage the Games.