[Goose]

Reducing athletic performance to biological determinism completely ignores core values of athletics: resilience, perseverance, and discipline.  Athletics makes us better people because it instills in us those important values that we carry on to everyday life.  We are not better people just because we win at athletics.

And Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton. I do not believe that participating in athletics necessarily has much to do with the core values referenced by the OP. It can instill those values, but the behavior of many very successful athletes demonstrates that it often does not do so, specifically with respect to discipline. Undoubtedly the core values of many people benefit from participating in athletics, but it is equally obvious that many do not. The biological determinism of some great athletes is so overpowering that they just don't need to acquire resilience, perseverance, and discipline. They do just fine without them.

[Goose]

Reducing athletic performance to biological determinism completely ignores core values of athletics: resilience, perseverance, and discipline.  Athletics makes us better people because it instills in us those important values that we carry on to everyday life.  We are not better people just because we win at athletics.

And Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton. I do not believe that participating in athletics necessarily has much to do with the core values referenced by the OP. It can instill those values, but the behavior of many very successful athletes demonstrates that it often does not do so, specifically with respect to discipline. Undoubtedly the core values of many people benefit from participating in athletics, but it is equally obvious that many do not. The biological determinism of some great athletes is so overpowering that they just don't need to acquire resilience, perseverance, and discipline. They do just fine without them.