Amateurism and professionalism

Question 1

what is an amateur

Answer 1

a person who plays sport for the love of it and recieves no financial gain

Question 2

what is a professional

Answer 2

a person who plays sport for financial gain

Question 3

what did the values of amateurism include in the late nineteenth century

Answer 3

• ‘manliness’, robustness, striving and physical endeavour
• appreciating the value of health and fitness
• appreciating the value of rule-regulated activity
• high moral integrity

Question 4

what are the characterisitcs of a ‘gentleman amateur’

Answer 4

• being a respected member of society with a public school background, high status in sport reflected by high status in society
• belonging to social elite, having wealth and free time
• playing a ‘range of sports’ using their natural talents
• playing sport to a high moral code

Question 5

what are the positive impacts of 19th century amateurism

Answer 5

• elite sport run by/dominated by upper and middle classes
• code of amateurism based on playing sport to clearly set rules - made by upper and middle classes (NGBs)
• code of ethics - playing to a high set of moral values
• belonging to social elite
• participation in sport seen as more important as winning and taking part viewed as character-building exercise (training frowned upon, seen as professionalism)
• all-rounder viewed with high regard
• amateurs were ‘elite performers’
• ‘new middle class’ admired cultural values of upper-class gentleman amateur

Question 6

what are the positive impacts of 19th century professionalism on sport development

Answer 6

• working class needed to be paid for time off work supporting factory teams - working class eventually played sport and recieved payment doing so
• early profs in walking and running races were paid based on results so standards of performance improved
• professionalism slowly developed at end of 19th century with full onset coinciding with the commercialisation and media coverage of sport in late 20th century

Question 7

what are the key feature of twentieth-century amateurs

Answer 7

• high status - in sport and society
• controllers of sport - middle and upper class controlled sport excluding working class from ‘amateur sports’
• top performers - top performers mostly came from middle or upper classes
• highly moral - had sufficient income and leisure time to play sport for love of it, revieving no payment - emphasised sportsmanship and fair play

Question 8

what are the key features of modern-day ‘amateurs’

Answer 8

• mostly lower status (profs now are higher status)
• some high-level performers are still not professionals (gymnasts)
• blurring of amateur and professional distinctions
• performan at top level in most sports open to all
• some amateurs recieve finance to pay for training expenses

Question 9

what are the positives of modern-day amateurism

Answer 9

• codes of amateurism still evident in British sport
• still viewed positively and promoted in a number of ways (e.g. shaking hands, fair play awards in football)
• sports like rugby union maintained amateurism until late 20th century and still have codes of conduct based on such principles (calling ref ‘sir’)

Question 10

from 20th century to modern-day

what factors are responsible for the growth of professional sport

Answer 10

• all classes can compete
• people are respected for their talents and efforts in reaching the top
• high rewards for professionas through media and sponsorship
• professionals have more time to train leading to high standards of performance
• celebrity staus, more media coverage and investment in sport led to increases in financial rewards
• positive role models act as motivators
• money invested enables events and sports to operate
• more spectators attent matches

Question 11

reasons for growth and development of Association Football

in terms of industrialisation and post-industrialisation

Answer 11

• urbanisation - large no. people gave captive audience, lack of space led to purpose built facilities
• more free time - available to watch and play sport, Sat afternoon at 3pm became tradition time for football matches
• more disposable income - money to pay entrance and transport to matches
• improved transport
• improved professionalism - more opportunities ti play professionally
• social class links - middle class influence gave it ‘respectability’
• increased organisation - 1863 ex-public schoolboys set up FA