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The Olympic Games

The origins of the Olympics

by Helen Gwynne-Kinsey

Suitable for Whole School (Sec)

Aims

To consider the history of the Olympic Games.

Preparation and materials

  • Have available the YouTube video ‘The ancient origins of the Olympics – Armand D’Angour’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 3.20 minutes long and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdHHus8IgYA
  • Optional: you may wish to play some traditional Ancient Greek music at the end of the assembly. An example is available at: https://youtu.be/elERNFoEf3Y (9.48 minutes long)

Assembly

  1. The Olympic Games are held every four years in different countries around the world. They are one of the most important international sports competitions in the world. Originally, there were just the Summer Olympics, but changes in the twentieth century led to the development of the Winter Olympics and the Paralympic Games.

    Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, were postponed. Discussions are still underway as to whether they will take place in 2021 and in what format. (Note: please check the latest information about this prior to the assembly. The details are correct at the time of publication.)

  2. The first Olympic Games were held in Ancient Greece.

    Show the YouTube video ‘The ancient origins of the Olympics – Armand D’Angour’ (3.20 minutes long).



  3. In Ancient Greece, the Olympic Games were regarded as a religious festival. Before the opening ceremony, all of the athletes, coaches and referees took an oath promising that they would follow the rules and compete fairly without cheating. In addition, the athletes prayed to the gods for victory. The festival itself was held in honour of Zeus, but the athletes also paid homage to the goddess Nike, the goddess of victory, strength and speed (good name for a brand of sports shoe too!).

  4. The Games were revived in 1896 by a French scholar and sportsman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who saw them as a way of bringing together the nations of the world through sport and promoting peace. He proposed the Olympic motto of citius, altius, fortius, which means ‘faster, higher, stronger’ in Latin.

  5. The Paralympic Games are also an integral part of the Olympics. This branch of the Olympic movement goes back to 1948 when a neurologist, Sir Ludwig Guttmann, held a sports competition at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for British veterans of the Second World War who had spinal cord injuries. Since then, it has grown to become the foremost sporting event in the calendar for its competitors, and its emphasis is placed firmly upon ability rather than disability.

Time for reflection

The International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee are committed to building a better world through sport. They aim to ensure that the spirit of fair play prevails, and to act against any form of discrimination that affects the Olympic movement. They also encourage and support the development of sport for all.

It is good to compete. When we take part in sports at school, county or national level, or even just in competition among friends, it is important to remember the ethos of the very first Olympic Games of Ancient Greece: to follow the rules and to compete fairly without cheating. The Bible also reflects this by telling us ‘. . . anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.’ (2 Timothy 2.5)

Prayer
Dear God,
We pray that our dealings with others will always be accompanied by respect and fairness.
Having ambition is important, but in our desire to be the fastest, highest and strongest,
Let us not forget that true success cannot be achieved at the expense of others.
Amen.

Song/music

As the students leave the room, you may wish to play some traditional Ancient Greek music. An example is available at: https://youtu.be/elERNFoEf3Y (9.48 minutes long)

Publication date: July 2021   (Vol.23 No.7)    Published by SPCK, London, UK.
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