Young a hle es: passion o spo
Nú ia Puig Ba a a
Ins i u Nacional d'Educació Física de Ca alunya (INEFC)
The Cen e d’Es udis Olímpics (CEO-UAB) publishes wo ks aimed o acili a e hei scien i ic discussion. The inclusion
o his ex in his se ies does no limi u u e publica ion by i s au ho who ese es he in eg i y o his igh s. This
publica ion may no be ep oduced, nei he pa ially no o ally, wi hou he au ho ’s pe mission.
This ex co esponds wi h he lec u e p esen ed a he Second Wo ld Con e ence on Spo Sciences, Ba celona,
Oc obe 1991.
Re . WP031
Nú ia Puig Ba a a – Young a hle es: passion o spo
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To e e o his documen you can use he ollowing e e ence:
Puig Ba a a, Nú ia (1995): Young a hle es: passion o spo [online a icle]. Ba celona: Cen e d’Es udis Olímpics UAB.
[Consul ed: dd/mm/yy] <h p://olympics udies.uab.es/pd /wp031_eng.pd >
[Da e o publica ion: 1995]
Nú ia Puig Ba a a – Young a hle es: passion o spo
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INTRODUCTION
The ollowing ex co esponds wi h he lec u e ha I p esen ed as "in i ed lec u e" a he Second Wo ld
Con e ence on Spo Sciences held in Ba celona on Oc obe , 1991.
I has o me a e y especial meaning, since i is one o he i s s eps o a line o esea ch ha I am di ec ing a
INEF-Ca alonia, Ba celona, whose name is Emo ions in Spo : social and cul u al easons. I s objec i e is he
analysis o social and cul u al componen s o he emo ions exp essed abou spo . The a ea o he esea ch is
one o he mos inno a i e in mode n spo s sociology and connec s wi h he inc easing in e es on he
sociologic analysis o daily li e.
Since 1991 we ha e made g ea p og esses ei he om he heo ic and om he me hodic poin s o iew. A his
poin I hink i is impo an o men ion wha we ha e been doing du ing his pe iod:
PUIG, N., (1990): "La composan e passionnellle de la p a ique spo i e des jeunes". A ARNAUD, P. (1990) Le
mode ne en ques ion. Inno a ion e changemen s sociaux, Lyon, Associa ion F ancophone pou la Reche che
su les Ac i i és Physiques e Spo i es (AFRAPS), Cen e Jacques Ca ie .
SANCHEZ MARTIN, R.; SNACHEZ MARTIN, J., (1992): Emo ion and Spo i e Spec acle: An App oach o
he Social Cons uc ion o Emo ion, Ba celona, INEF-Ca alonia, Pos -g adua e esea ch epo . (Published in
Spanish)
MARTIN, M., (1993): Top-le el Spo swomen in Ca alonia, Ba celona, Gene ali a de Ca alunya, Di ecció
Gene al de l'espo , esea ch epo . (Published in Ca alan)
MORELL, S., (1993): Spo Passions and Lo e Passions. A P oposal o an Objec o S udy. Communica ion
p esen ed a he Wo ld Cong ess o Sciences o he Physical Ac i i y and Spo , G anada, Facul ad de Ciencias
de la Ac i idad Física y el Depo e, Uni e sidad de G anada, No embe . (Published in Spanish)
MORELL, S.; PUIG, N. (1994): Passions in Top-le el Spo , Communica ion p esen ed a he XIII Wo ld
Cong ess o Sociology, Biele eld, R.F.A.
MORELL, S., (1994): The Emo ional I ine a ies o Top-le el A hle es. Resea ch epo , Ba celona, Ins i u
Nacional d'Educació Física de Ca alunya. (Published in Ca alan)
MARTIN, M., (1994): Top-le el A hle es in Ca alonia. Communica ion p esen ed a he III Cong ess o he
AEISAD (Asociación Española de In es igación Social Aplicada al Depo e): The Challenges o Social Sciences
Applied o Spo , Ins i u o Uni e si a io del Depo e de Valladolid, Valladolid, Oc obe . (Published in Spanish)
Nú ia Puig Ba a a – Young a hle es: passion o spo
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MORELL, S., (1994): The S udy o Emo ion in Spo : A P oposal o he Sociologic Analysis. Communica ion
p esen ed a he III Cong ess o he AEISAD: The Challenges o Social Sciences Applied o Spo , Ins i u o
Uni e si a io del Depo e de Valladolid, Valladolid, Oc obe . (Published in Spanish)
KIRCHNER, E., (1994): The Emo ions in Ad en u e Spo s: An Analysis o he Con en s o he Speech o he
P ac o ione s h ough Compu e s. Communica ion p esen ed a he III Cong ess o he AEISAD: The
Challenges o Social Sciences Applied o Spo , Ins i u o Uni e si a io del Depo e de Valladolid, Valladolid,
Oc obe .
We will be glad o welcome anybody who migh be in e es ed in his a ea o esea ch o anybody who equi es
in o ma ion on wha we do.
We hank inally CEOE and especially i s Di ec o Miquel de Mo agas and he possibili y o including his lec u e
in he Collec ion Wo king Pape , whose sp eading ole has been p o ed so a .
Nú ia Puig Ba a a – Young a hle es: passion o spo
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PRESENTATION
In o de o make a p o ond s udy o he ac o s ha in luence he pa icipa ion in spo one mus begin wi h he
s udy o he oppo uni ies and obs acles as a whole ha ha e de e mined he pe sonal i ine a ies and inish wi h
he emo ions ha spo p o okes on e e ybody. Finally, he decision o aking pa in spo , o pa icipa ing in
mino o majo in ensi y, o gi ing up a spo s ca ee a he op a e explained acco ding o he emo ion ha spo
p o okes on a pe son. Anybody who wo ks wi hin he spo s a ea o anybody who p ac ises spo has
some imes ound him o he sel in si ua ions ha canno be unde s ood wi hou conside ing his emo ional
dimension b ough up while p ac ising spo . These si ua ions some imes help spo i e e iciency bu some imes
is igh he opposi e: wi hou p e ious announcemen he a hle e is in ol ed in an emo ional eeling ha s ops
him o he om a aining he pe o mance. Pa ice RAGNI, F ench aine , a i ms ha "he o en inds himsel
ace o ace wi h i acionali y in on o ce ain an ipe o mances" (1989:61) o his a hle es. Facing hem, once
physical, echnical, ac ic and medic p epa a ion ha e been posi i ely conside ed, he is obliged o accep ha
"wha eally wo ks when i comes o ob ain success is he a hle e's own subjec i i y and his subje i i y is e y
di icul o desc ibe.
In e ec , once his emo i e ing edien has been accep ed, i is necessa y o make a deepe s udy o i s na u e
(MAGUIRE, 1991). When we alk abou he emo ion kep back in spo , wha do we eally mean? Which kind o
men al p ocesses ake place in he a hle e's mind so as o p o oke emo ions o a highe le el? Is i a di e en
emo ion depending on e e ybody o is i also cha ac a ized by cul u al ac o s?
Ve y li le has been published on his subjec and i shows ha his emo ion is con adic o y and s ongly
de e mined by inne impulses, di icul o be made objec i e. I is no a simple ques ion o mo i a ions
(BROUSSE, 1989:15). The challenge wi h him o he sel , ob aining he pe o mance, he anxie y and dis ess
ha appea be o e he compe i ion p o oke he complex p ocess inside he pe son which can cause emo ion,
pleasu e. A he same ime, all his has go impo an social and cul u al de e minan s. (ELIAS AND DUNNING,
1986; MAGUIRE, 1991).
The objec i e o his con e ence is o p o ide se e al elemen s o e lec ion abou he na u e o he emo ion in
young a hle es om a sociologic poin o iew. The empi ical basis is he esul o a esea ch abou "The spo s
i ine a y o he young popula ion in Ba celona ci y" ca ied ou du ing he las ou yea s a he Ins i u Nacional
d'Educació Física de Ca alunya (in Ba celona).
We ha e used a eo ic pe spec i e based on phenomena. We wan ed o ind ou p ecisely he expe iences o
boys ans gi ls in p ac ising spo and he accoun ha hey make o hei own spo s i ine a y. Fo his eason,
he in es iga ion echnique ha we ha e used is he su ey in dep h.
28 su eys ha e been made on 14 boys and 14 gi ls di ided in o 2 g oups. One cons i u ed by op-le el a hle es
(olympic selec ions o na ional selec ions) an he o he cons i u ed by people mo e o less in con ac wi h spo
bu wi hou any op-le el o ien a ion. E e y su ey has aken app oxima ely 2 hou s. The analysis o he
con en s has combined he quan i a i e and he quali a i e app oaches ollowing he p ocedu es o Pie e
Pelleg ino and his eam a "Cen e de Reche che en A chi ec u e e A chi ec u ologie" (CRAAL) o he
Uni e si y o Gene e (PELLEGRINO e al., 1986)

Nú ia Puig Ba a a – Young a hle es: passion o spo
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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EMOTION IN SPORT: STATE OF THE MATTER
Fi s , i is necessa y o make a e ision on he exis ing li e a u e on emo ions in spo . This has enabled o ocus
on he especi ic objec i e o he emo ion in you h ul spo . Then, some cha ac e is ics o he emo ion in spo s
a e men ioned.
Ma io ABIS (1988) an icipa es a e en bigge expansion o spo due o i s capaci y o adap o he cul u al o ms
o he mode n wo ld and i s socializa ion powe . While he adi ional ways o in e cou se (neighbou hood, ci y
es i als...) a e e e y ime less p esen in social li e, spo is in oduced as an ac i i y ha a ou s encoun e . In
ha sense, Jan TOLLENER (1986) men ions bo h scena ies ha a ac young people he mos : he spo s
scena y and he pop music scena y. Bo h a ou communica ion beyond he wo d and using he body, ges u es.
In ac , a he exp essi e capaci y o con empo a y spo has no been s udied in dep h ye . Vincenzo
PADIGLIONE (1988) men ions he need o s udying he speci ic sense o his phenomenon ("il senso especi ico
di ques o g andioso enomeno con empo aneo"). He inds in spo a i ual dimension ha helps " he mix u e o
con adic o y elemen s, sac ed and p o ane, ha con e he oposi ions in o iden i ica ions" (Ibid; 11). Also
MAGUIRE (1991;32) hinks i is necessa y o make a deepe s udy o he sac ed and p o ane dimensions o
spo . This i ual dimension ca ies a d ama ic con ex ha con e s spo in o a "linguis ic me apho ", a way o
communica ing s onge han wo ds, because i uses ges u es, sc eams, mou emen s...
On his pa , Jean Paul CALLEDE (1987:105) conside s spo an especi ic uni e se whe e physic exploi -ei he
indi idual o collec i e- has go a sense pa icula ly impo an . ROJEK (1985:181) men ions he skills equi ed o
ob ain sa is ac ion a a leisu e ac i i y. The exploi -due o i s powe - is a sou ce o iden i y, seduc ion and
sociabili y.
The emo ion in spo has also go mime ic cha ac e is ics. The mime ic ac i i ies a e hose in which emo ions
and exci emen , which a e no accep ed in o he sphe es o social li e, can be exp essed. I deals wi h any
leisu e ac i i y (music, hea e, spo ...) ha a ou s he awakening o pleasan exci emen o ms; o ms,
howe e , ha a e socially ole a ed and egula ed. "The mime ic exci emen causes nei he social no pe sonal
dange and can ha e a ca ha ic e ec " (ELIAS & DUNNING; 1986:80; SAEKI; 1990:7). Thus, he sociology o
pleasu e, closely linked wi h he sociology o leisu e, shows ha in e cou se du ing a leisu e ac i i y is a socially
ole a ed beha iou (ROJEK, 1985:177). Any pleasan o m mus include discipline and con ol, o he wise is
ejec ed, hidden (Ibid:177); i ails in ul illing i s mime ic unc ion.
These ac i i ies canno be un ied om social li e as a whole. They a e ela ed o he o ms o con ol and sel -
con ol ound in o he a eas. I s cen ali y is p ecisely due o he unc ion ha hey exe wi hin his con ex . They
allow he exp ession o emo ions wi hou being a dange o he social o de . A e y in e es ing example is he
one ela ed o lo e. Lo e, socially accep ed, is egula ed h ough a ce ain example o ollow (one pe son
o e e , he ins i u ion o ma iage, he e osexual couples...). Any ansg ession o he es ablished ule - hough
hey a e well known- a e no accep ed i hey migh ep esen an upse ing o he es ablished o de . Lo e
passions, homosexual lo e... ha e no an easy social legi ima ion.
Nú ia Puig Ba a a – Young a hle es: passion o spo
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In con as wi h hese ac s, ha cha ac e ize " eal li e", lo e -and especially ha o he less legi ima e kind- plays
a decisi e ole amongs leisu e p oduc s (li e a u e, cinema, ha e) (ELIAS & DUNNING, 1986:72). I is
necessa y o ind a mime ic subs i u e o lo e, mo e han o any o he human ac i i y.
On he o he hand, mime ic ac i i ies a e exci ing, pleasan , o he wise hey would no accomplish he unc ion
ha is a ibu ed o hem. Thei "me i " is ha hey s imula e people's c ea i i y, he powe o e-de ine he
condi ions whe e hey a e de eloped, in en ed and e-in en ed (ROJEK, 1985:178).
Acco ding o ELIAS, he essen ial componen s o leisu e ac i i ies a e sociabili y, mobili y and imagina ion
(MAGUIRE: 1991,30). Wi hou such "capaci ies" hey would no ha e such a high deg ee o adhesion. Amongs
hem, spo has a p i ileged posi ion.
Spo has kep he emo i e capaci y o he medie al adi ional games a e being subdued o a ci ilizing
p ocess o egula ion and social legi ima ion. I has ob ained a cen al posi ion as mime ic ac i i y in hose
socie ies whe e i has been de eloped.
Howe e , he aspec s men ioned so a a e no enough o explain he o ali y o he emo ions in spo and hei
e ec s on he people who p ac ice i . They a e pleasan , hey p o oke a "pleasu able exci emen " bu hey a e
also "e iden " and "posi i e". They a e e iden because hey a e he i s esul s om a well guided empi ical
esea ch. They a e posi i e because hey do no show any con adic o y no nega i e dimension. Howe e , we
know ha pleasu e in all i s dimensions -physic, psychologic, sociologic... -is a mo e complica ed. ELIAS &
DUNNING (1986:82) obse e ha he eme gency o ensions is an essen ial ing edien o any kind o leisu e
aci i ies. When hey alk abou a oo ball ma ch hey say ha "i he one o he game becomes oo low, he
alue o ension as leisu e declines" (Ibid:89). And hey ge e en u he when hey a i m ha any leisu e ac i i y
mus ha e a climax, a culmina ing momen , ha p o ides all i s magni icence. Howe e , ension shall ne e
su pass wha is socially ole a ed, o he wise a se ious b eakdown is p o oked on1ce we change a mime ic e en
in o a non-mime ic one; ha is he se ious p oblem ha we ace nowadays abou hooliganism, which is
sp eading all o e Eu ope (1).
Tension and climax a e especially gene a ed wi hin spo s p ac ice associa ed o op le el; winning, ob aining a
eco d, being he bes ... a e incen i es ha help i s eme gency. This is well app ecia ed on he s a is ic ables
ob ained om he su eys. Then, we can alk abou he na u e o he you h ul emo ions in spo .
EMOTION IN SPORT AND TOP LEVEL SPORT IN YOUNG SPORT ITINERARIES
Spo associa ed o he op le el, ei he as a eal o imagina y p ac ice, is always a posi i e expe ience. I does
no happen he same wi h o he p ac ices in which pe cep ions a e changeable; and, in pa icula , ho e e e ed
1 (1) See, in ha sense, he impo an con ibui on on his subjec by ERIC DUNNING and his eam a he Si No man
Ches e Cen e o Foo ball Resea ch a he Uni e si y o Leices e , G ea B i ain.
Nú ia Puig Ba a a – Young a hle es: passion o spo
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o main enance, which, when hey unde go a s a is ic analysis, hey ha e a nega i e s a is ic esul acco ding o
he younges ages.
Table 1 shows he s a is ic meaning o he a ious concep ions o spo depending on he ages in he g oup o
he op le el a hle es. While age inc eases, spo as a main enance ac i i y loses impo ance and ano he
concep ions ela ed o op le el inc ease. This "main enance" has go a posi i e meaning be ween 10 and 12
yea s (+103.60) and a nega i e one be ween 19 and 25 (-100.37). Bu he "men al expe ience" and he
"c i icism" a e posi i ely signi ica i e be ween 19 and 25 yea s (+54.25 and +64.78 espec i ely); hey coincide
wi h he momen o g ea e de o ion o op le el spo . I is no a e, howe e , ha he o he indica o wi h
s a is ic meaning is ha o c i ical expe ience in spo . I is well known ha he mos c i ic a hle es a e hose ha
equi e he mos help o be able o a ain ce ain obje i es; ha is, hose ha ha e chosen op le el. O he
p e ious s udies also con i m his heo y (GARCIA FERRANDO, 1979; GARCIA FERRANDO & ORTI, 1978).
Table 1: The concep ion o spo acco ding o he age in he op le el g oup.
Age Exigence Top
Le el
Compe-
i on
Main e-
nance
Rela ion Co po al C i ical Physical My h
0-9 +12.28 -22.62 -1.94 +46.01 +1.13 -5.05 -4.85 -0.01 +5.76
10-12 +17.77 -11.04 +1.22 +103.60 +0.34 -3.91 -5.84 -20.31 +3.54
13-14 +8.49 -1.06 +7.82 +26.68 +6.46 -0.36 -20.22 -30.27 +1.00
15-18 -1.48 +10.85 +10.48 -2.57 +10.51 -0.18 -21.01 -11.06 -2.70
19-25 -22.72 +4.04 -15.03 -100.37 -18.49 +9.36 +54.25 +64.78 -1.84
+25 -0.01 +2.55 +0.18 -6.11 -0.63 -1.99 +8.96 -0.14 -1.22
O he simila conclusions can be d awn on he g oup o young a hle es du ing ee ime. Resul s a e e en
mo e in e es ing since he expe ience is no ela ed only o eal beha iou bu also o i s unc ion wi hin people's
imagina ion.
MAGUIRE (1991:29) insis s on he symbolic dimension o spo p ac ice. In ha sense, he main esul shown
on able 2 is he posi i e s a is ic meaning o he indica o s associa ed o op le el.
Table 2: Concep ion o spo acco ding o age wi hin he g oup o non-p o essionals.
Age Exigence Top
Le el
Compe-
i on
Main e-
nance
Rela ion Co po al C i ical Physical My h
0-9 +0.00 -8.45 +1.20 +9.33 +0.22 -2.24 -4.71 -7.14 +43.4
10-12 +0.03 -0.01 +7.44 -0.34 -1.31 -1.56 -2.31 -0.74 +0.02
13-14 +0.00 -0.31 +0.43 -2.91 +0.14 -0.47 -0.07 +1.05 -2.34
15-18 +0.07 +20.41 -0.06 -1.37 -1.56 +4.41 -1.12 -0.09 -2.60
19-25 -0.01 -2.39 -9.38 +0.15 +1.31 +1.02 +19.96 +3.40 -6.44
+25 -1.47 -1.41 -2.65 -0.43 +1.83 -0.92 +0.75 +4.15 -0.92
Nú ia Puig Ba a a – Young a hle es: passion o spo
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Be ween 15 and 18 spo unde s ood as op le el is signi ican (+20.41). This is he momen du ing which
compe i ion can be expe ienced, aspec encou aged wi h conc e e hopes wi h ega d o ic o y, pe o mances...
Be ween 0 and 9 he my hical concep ion domina es (+43.43) which means op le el om he poin o iew o
child en d eams. The dominance o c i ical discou se be ween 18 and 25 yea s (+19.96) has go a di e en
meaning om he o he g oup. Acco ding o he ob ained quali a i e wi nesses i seems ha al e na i e
p ac ises a e also included. I is no so much a c i icism o spo as o he ins i uion. I is well known ha he so
called p ac ises, in spi e o being p ac ised apa om he ins i uion, hey keep ha ing -i no in ensi ying- i s
ad en u e, isky and exp essi e na u e. They keep, in sho , he emo i e capaci y o op le el spo . The
main enance ac i i ies, on he o he side, a e only signi ican be ween 0 and 9 yea s old (+9.33).
Table 3 shows he impo ance o spo in ela ion o op le el, he concep ion o spo in ela ion o he p oblems
o abandonmen . The mos impo an esul consis s in pe cei ing how abandoning is associa ed o
main enance and no o o he selec ed indica o s. I is well known o which ex en op le el spo is a ha d and
demanding p ac ice. E en mo e i we conside ha i is p ac ised a admi ed uns able ages. I is no a e, hen,
ha abandonmen s a e ound due o he excessi e bu den ha can ep esen .
Howe e , i is su p ising o see ha du ing he speeches o he in e iewed people, abandonmen ela ed o op
le el (p ac ised o imagined) i is no s a is ically signi ica i e, i does no wo y anybody. Tha is, abandonmen is
clea ly less ela ed o he concep ion o op le el han i is o main enance; he le el o impo ance o he
abandonmen due o a ious easons is +15.96. Nei he i has a posi i e meaning wi h he "expe ienced"
concep ion whe e i is clea ly exp essed ha abandonmen does no exis (+5.97).
Table .3. Abandonmen acco ding o he concep ion o spo
Main enance Top-le el Expe ience
pe sonal abandonmen (-) 3.78 (+) 0.20 (+) 0.55
no abandonmen (-) 8.11 (-) 1.08 (+) 5.97
o he easons (+) 15.96 (+) 0.09 (-) 6.22
These da a con i m ha he na u e o he emo ions in spo is no simple, a leas in ela ion o he young
popula ion. F om he s a is ic analysis i can be seen ha op-le el con ains he mos a ac i e elemen s
(winning, op pe o mance, showing o ...) e en i i s p ac ice ep esen s su e ing.
In ac , he pleasu e o he ac i i y a i es a e a g ea e o . The in e es owa ds such dimension o spo is
also shown h ough he li le impo ance gi en o abandonmen .
The psychoanali ic hough emphasizes he con adic o y and pa adoxal dimension o he emo ion in spo .
Ma ie Hélène BROUSSE (1989) s a s om a discipline which consis s in "demons a ing how, pa adoxically,
he subjec o he unconcious (...) is no co ela ed wi h a sa is ac ion ha would be na u al (...). The ela ionship
be ween he subjec o he unconcious and he di e se o ms ha he goods o he wo ld o he domina ing