Abstract
This study examined the use of physical conditioning as a form of punishment in sport. Although physical conditioning exercises are often used to improve physical fitness, anecdotal reports suggest that they may also be used to ensure social control of athletes and their behaviour. To date, there is an absence of empirical research in sport examining the use of physical conditioning exercises as a form of punishment. A descriptive survey was created for the purposes of this study. A total of 335 female and male kinesiology and physical education students completed the survey; 45 different sports were represented. The participants’ highest level of sport participation were: international (6%), national (CIS) (17%), provincial (18%), club (45%), and intramural/houseleague (12.5%). Overall, 88% of the participants reportedly engaged in physical conditioning as punishment with the most common forms being: (i) continuous running, swimming, cycling, or skating (66%); and, (ii) weight lifting, chin-ups, push-ups, or sit-ups (41%). The most common reasons for incurring punishment were: being late, poor attitude, lack of effort, poor practice and poor competition performances. No gender differences existed in any of the analyses. Participants' reportedly experienced fatigue (84.5%), decreased enthusiasm (39%), irritability (37.5%), apathy (18%) as a result of experiencing conditioning as punishment. A Pearson chi-squared test indicated that as the level of competition increased, there was a significant (p=.01) decrease in the experience of punishment increased. The findings are interpreted through theories of power and social control. Recommendations for future research and applied interventions will be presented.
