Baron Pierre de Coubertin essays

Baron Pierre de Coubertin essays Every four years an international sports competition where athletes play in many different events, come together, and compete for the top standing in the world. In order to achieve this standing, athlete's train for years to reach their goal of being an Olympic Champion. Winning the gold is something that most believe is the more important aspect during the games. Many do not go know about the ancient times and how the Olympics became such a traditional event. The first Olympic Games were held in Greece in ancient times. They began in 776 B.C. and contests were held every four years in the summer. The first games lasted for only one day and there was one contest. It was a short, sprinted race, which only Greek men were allowed to participate in. Women were not allowed to partake in the games and were not permitted to watch or be anywhere near the gaming area. As the event became more popular there were more events incorporated into the Olympics such as swimming, boxing, and wrestling. But the ancient games were stopped by Emperor Theodosius in 393 A.D., when Greece was over ruled by Rome. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, an active young sportsman from Paris, had a heart for the education system in France. He practiced sports such as boxing, fencing, horse riding, and swimming, and by age 24, instead of choosing the military career his parents planned for him, Coubertin decided that his aim in life would be to rekindle the noble spirit of his home country by improving its mediocre education system. He thought part of this improvement should be through sports education because this was an important piece of the personal development of young people. He was inspired because he constantly reassured himself that "Education was the key to the future of society." And nothing would get in the way of this motivated youthful man. Coubertin was convinced that sport was "the springboard for moral energy", and it was this idea that l...