A LETTER TO OUR ATHLETES

Dr. Wendy Carvalho-Ashby, NPAA Co-PresidentWe are proud of every athlete that steps on a competition stage, regardless of federation or category.  We know that each individual has a story, a personal goal and a reason for competing.  Almost every athlete that has entered a physique competition can tell you that they conquered something to reach their goal. For some individuals the struggle and hill they have climbed was so large it dented their character with an impact that forever changed them. For other individuals competition was just that, a competition, a game, a sport; it is a truth that some of our fellow sportsmen and sportswomen have experienced other life challenges that made walking on the stage a fun adventure or a celebration of life. The simple truth is that each individual has a personal story and it can only be summarized as that “personal”. 

As a retired competitor and now proud co-president of a physique and athletics federation, I want to shed some light on what I have noticed recently regarding athletic sportsmanship. I have seen great divides created in our industry and very little said about it. We believe in our community and the athletes that train, play and work in it.  We feel that in the recent climate of our industry it is a fiduciary duty of federation leaders to remind our athletes of what the true spirit of our sport is.

If we use the Olympic ideology to shed perspective, Pierre de Coubertin (founder of modern Olympic games) stated that the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well. The Olympic Games celebrate the spirit of sportsmanship. The Games are also a medium to spread the message of unity and peace.

In our sport should we not follow some sort of example, creed or code that pushes us to perform at the highest level but also guides us to conduct ourselves in the same manner? What is sportsmanship? By definition: Sportsmanship is conduct (as fairness, respect for one's opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport. The Olympic Creed mentions that the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle and that the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well. 

I think that with the technology that we have at our disposal it is very easy to unite with other athletes, and create support networks and friendships that last a lifetime in our sport. However, social media platforms have also been used to degrade the sportsmanlike behaviors that are exhibited on stage. Athletes, please remind yourselves that sportsmanship and character are directly affected by decisions made in the social media platform. Words hurt, comments are not anonymous and photos posted are visible. Please take some time to assess how your actions or words may affect the feelings of one of your peers. We are all peers in sport!

An incredible analysis by Dr. Alan Goldberg sports psychologist, brings to light an important aspect of our sport; “Your opponent is not the enemy”: Too many athletes mistakenly view the competition as the "enemy." As a consequence, they somehow get it in their head that they have to hate this person or team. Your opponent is NOT the enemy. He/she is your partner. The better they are, the more opportunity you will have to play to your potential. Think about it. How inspired do you get when you have to face a much weaker opponent? You DON'T! In fact, it's really tough to play well against inferior competition. Getting caught up in angry feelings about an opponent will most often distract you from the correct focus, tighten you up too much and get you performing badly. Don't waste your energy getting angry with an opponent so you can’t get "up" for the game. 99 out of 100 times this strategy will backfire and mentally take you out of the contest. 

As a federation we take responsibility and ownership for decisions we make. We clearly follow a set of guidelines for competition, judging and results management. It would be an error of judgement for any individual to assume that any decisions made are off the cuff or based on social media commentary. We follow guidelines, and pride ourselves on transparency and conflict resolution in our sport. When an athlete deserves a placing, a title, or recognition they will be awarded as such, this is our mandate.

It is important to conclude that every athlete that walked the stage (in fact any stage, at any show) deserves recognition, but only a few win. Those who step on the podium must realize that with a title comes a position of responsibility and what they do with it will define their character in our sport. I encourage new athletes in the spot-light to accept their positions with humble spirit and to set exceptional examples for all of the novice athletes who are training to “become them”.  As well for athletes who don’t achieve a goal that was set, to use their experience to grow and to accept their positions with grace. Some of the most amazing examples of sportsmanship have come from the history of our sport, and I believe our sport will continue to create “exceptional history” if we protect our core values and remind ourselves of what true sportsmanship is.

Sincerely,

Dr. Wendy Carvalho-Ashby

Co-President

Natural Physique & Athletics Association