By grounding our content in the philosophy of Olympism and the Olympic Ideals, we believe we can influence everyone we touch to play a role in creating a better world. By immersing leaders in the Olympic experience, specifically leveraging sport as a metaphor, we will give our participants a chance to feel and experience the Olympics every day, not every four years. We will interact with Olympians and Olympic Hopefuls, use techniques that our Olympic coaches, sports psychologists and scientists use with our elite athletes and understand the philosophy of Competition on the field of play and Cooperation at all other times.
We believe learning happens via a three part model:
DO : Some corporate universities talk about things. At Olympic University we DO things. By jumping in and trying, we give ourselves the advantage of understanding what it feels like to learn. We do things we may never have done before, or do routine things in ways that might take on new meaning.
REFLECT: Once you DO something if you don't spend time thinking about it in the context in which you are learning, all could be lost. At Olympic University we ask our participants to think about and REFLECT both individually and collectively about what they have learned, how they felt and how they can apply those lessons and feelings to their day to day lives. Reflection is something that begins at Olympic University and then continues well into when the participant gets home and back to work.
STORY TELL: Only until you have to explain not only what you've done, but also why you've done it, do you truly understand the impact the lesson has had. This kind of application is what we at Olympic University want our participants to leave with: stories about the programs they've attended, the athletes they have met and interacted with, and the connections they've made.
"Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity." (Olympic Charter 2004, Fundamental Principles, paragraph 1, 2)
THREE CORE VALUES OF THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT
Recently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has defined three core values, that are "the heart and soul of the Olympic Movement...They are meant to inspire us an individual and at the organizational level."
Excellence: This value stands for giving one's best, on the field of play or in the professional arena. It is not only about winning, but also about participating, making progress against personal goals, striving to be and to do our best in our daily lives and benefiting from the healthy combination of a strong body, mind and will.
Friendship: This value encourages us to consider sport as a tool for mutual understanding among individuals and people from all over the world. The Olympic Games inspire humanity to overcome political, economic, gender, racial or religious differences and forge friendships in spite of those differences.
Respect: This value incorporates respect for oneself, one's body, for others, for the rules and regulations, for sport and the environment. Related to sport, respect stands for fair play and for the fight against doping and any other unethical behavior.
Applied, these values form a comprehensive framework. The goal of this framework is to show how the values link to the movements mission, activities, guidelines and principles.
