3.1.3.1 Development of Athletics Flashcards
Athletics as popular recreation:
- foot racing or pedestrianism
- originated - footman deliver messages for upper class (become competition between gentry(upper class)
- foot racers/pedestrains (working class) competed how many miles travel, upper class wager on who would win
- upper class = patron pedestrians (manager) looked after them & organised races provided prize money
Track and field competitions started as…
FESTIVALS
- events: hurdles, running, football
- hosted across natural/rural land
- occasional
- simple rules
- prize money to winners (lower class)
- wagers placed on who might win
Athletics in post industrial times:
- 1850: Olympian class was formed by the Wenlock Agricultural Reading society (WARS)
- the Wenlock games (wenlock is in Shropshire) were created by Dr William Penny Brookes
3 reasons Why was the Olympian class set up
-promote following in Lower class:
- moral, physical and intellectual improvements
- participation in outdoor recreation challenges
- prizes for success promote participation
Wenlock Olympian Games:
- 1st games invited athletes all over country
- includes: athletics, quoits, football, cricket, running, hurdles, penny farthing cycling
- celebration & pageantry key important part of games
- games= amateurs, no financial rewards to victors
Dr William Penny
- campaigned for more changes in society
- for physical education in school society/on school curriculum
Barron Pierre De Coubertin
- French educator
- establish Olympic Games
- inspired by Wenlock games, = create International Olympic commitee & reform Olympic Games in its first year in Athens (1896)
-in 1890 Barron took part in Wenlock Games
Olympic Oath for Athletes:
“in the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs
-changed from older times as drugs and doping was added into the oath
Modern Olympics
-underlying philosophy taking part in right spirt of sport = more important than winning
- combines amateurs and professionals:
- exciting competition
- increase ticket sales/spectator/media interest
- no money as reward
- olympic ideal = maintained
- traditionally amateur sports now professional
- high levels of income for Olympics from media rights & ticket prices
Athletics as a rational recreation
- non violent/respectable
- played nationally/regularly(urbanisation - cities = popular 25,000spectators)
- codification of rules/create NGBs(distances/ events/ races developed ACC)
- referees/officials (train started races and abide to rules)
- purpose built facilities
- skills/tactics based (lower class = professionals = money from events = train to improve)
ACC
- 1866 saw exclusion of working class by ACC
- Amateur Athletic Club
- working class banned -> trained and performed to win
- respectable sport with no betting
- promoted endeavour and fair play and courage
AAA
- 1888
- Amateur Athletic Association
- opened up sport to everyone removed exclusion of working class professionals
- any class compete as professionals and make money not just working class
Women in athletics
- un-ladylike -> dress code -> strenuous
- womens AAA was not founded until 1922 (couldn’t compete in Olympics until 1928 - even then weren’t allowed to compete in 800m)
British Athletes
- first Olympics after WW2 London 1948
- while rest of world found loop whole around strict amateur rules by paying athletes, British Athletes were left to manage as best they could
- Britain eventually set up trust funds:
- maintained ability to compete as amateurs whilst gaining financial rewards
- all payments made through NGBs to ensure they remained in control
- daily living expenses were allowed
- payment made after athlete retired
Trust funds:
-fund:
comprised of a variety of assets
provide benefits to an individual or organisation
allowed male & female athletes = travel world to events
-received appearance fees and winnings
- no trust funds anymore:
- paid directly to athletes or agents
- International AAA allowed this
- now International Athletics Association Federation
