As the 2024 Olympics begins research shows links between watching and ambition

As the 2024 Olympic Games get underway new research from sports brand ASICS has shown a clear correlation between watching the Games as a child and having ambitions of participating, a promising finding for those who plan to use the Games as an intentional teaching tool in early childhood education and care (ECEC). 

The study revealed one in six children dreamt of going to the Olympic Games after watching Australia compete on the world stage, and two-thirds were motivated to try a new sport.

“Children learn mostly from behavioural models, meaning they tend to copy the behaviours of people they have affection to or admire,” CQUniversity lecturer and former sports psychologist for the Brazilian Olympic Committee Dr Alberto Filgueiras explained.

“It tends to start with parents and family watching the Olympics, showing their appreciation and positive attitudes towards the athletes. Then, children start copying in early ages until they also have emotional attachment to the event, which leads to the attempt of seeing themselves as part of the Olympics.”

While this is a phenomenon experienced across the globe, it is especially heightened in Australia, where sport is such a big part of the national identity.

Dr Filgueiras has lived in four different countries, worked with 200 client-athletes, from world champions to Olympic medallists, from 13 different nationalities, and has found Australians to be amongst the most proud of being a sports nation.

“Australians have created a strong bond with sports, it’s a part of the country’s identity,” he said.

“You can observe this phenomenon in schools, among families, when people are playing in their local fields or parks on the weekend. Even at barbecues, there is always someone holding a ball or throwing something around.”

Dr Filgueiras believes Australia has become a massive sports nation because families value sport participation and that has created an emotional and generational bond that is hard to break.

While finding Olympic talent is hard, at the end of the day, it is about quantity first, then quality.

“If you have a country such as Australia where most people practice sports, you increase the likelihood of finding sport talent,” he said.

While Australia is ranked 13th in medals per capita in the history of the Summer Olympics, the nation is number one for countries with more than 10 million people, something worth noting as we keep an eye on the medal tally. 

Learn more about Dr Filgueiras’ work here.