MASS SPORTS AND RECREATION EVENTS AS EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENTS OF HEALTH-ORIENTED EDUCATION

Abstract

Effective health-oriented education in the area of sports and recreation events organization - is not a goal which is easy to achieve. The idea is certainly worthy of attention, since the benefits can be passed on to the organizer, sponsor and the entire society. The purpose of this paper is to present sports and recreation events as a means of promoting physical culture and health-oriented education. Motions, proposals, and preconditions (as described here) of effective educational intervention in the organization of events are based on 15-years-long secret (hidden) participatory observation of 141 different (in terms of their organizational specifics) street runs - both in Poland and in the neighbouring countries - Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Sports and recreation events can become an effective instrument of education for a healthy lifestyle only if they are widely available (easily accessible), if they draw media attention, are popular, cyclical (recurring), have a specific program and atmosphere. The organizers of events in the area of physical recreation should not encourage competition but rather educate for regular participation in health-oriented training, while active participation in sports and recreation event might fit in the pre-planned health capacity control. For sports and recreation events to become a carrier of socially desirable values such as health or healthy lifestyle, promoters should intentionally put emphasis on these values and place them above commercial or marketing strategies of sponsors.