Sport and Values: A Cross-Section of Opinions

An April 17-18 conference on Sport and Values has attracted experts from across the country to present research on the effect that sports can have on individuals and society. Some of the findings challenge traditional beliefs about the impact of sports while others reinforce commonly held attitudes about the benefits of such participation.

Researchers from Hamilton College, New Jersey City University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Seattle University, the University of Illinois, and other colleges will gather in the Mirenda Center for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development to share the results of their work.

Topics include:

• The Ethical Value of Benching

• The Effects of Praise on Motivation, Resilience and Character in Student-Athletes

• On the Nature of Sport

• Bio-Enhancement and the Future of Sports

• Sports, Values and Societal Change

• The Importance of Universal Pre- and Post-Season Concussion Testing Even in the Absence of an Acute Injury

Fr. Patrick Kelly, SJ, associate professor, Theology and Religious Studies, Seattle University, author of Catholic Perspectives on Sports: From Medieval to Modern Times, and W. Miller Brown, professor of Philosophy, Trinity College, author of many articles in the philosophy of sport and member of the editorial board of the Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, will be the keynote speakers. 

This event, the 41st Conference on Value Inquiry, is hosted by the Neumann University Philosophy Department and the Institute for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development. To register, visit www.neumann.edu/valueinquiry.  

For additional information, contact Dr. John Mizzoni, department head of Arts and Humanities, at 610-361-5496 or mizzonij@neumann.edu.