As the host country of the 2012 Olympics, Great Britain is expected to set a standard both on and off the athletic field. They take their responsibility so seriously that director of sports Sir Clive Woodward (by the way, you know you’ve made it when you have a “Sir” preceding your name), compiled a list of 15 “bare minimum standards” he hopes will generate a feeling of team spirit among the athletes.
So what’s on this list, you ask? Let’s just say it’s much more Marry Poppins than it is Wayne Rooney.
The five ideals they’re trying to promote are performance, responsibility, unity, pride, and respect. Here are some of the specific items:
Under the heading of performance, they want athletes to practice good hygiene.
As part of responsibility, athletes are expected to keep their “accommodation” clean and tidy.
And as part of respect, athletes are expected to avoid using foul language and making excessive noise in the Village.
In other words, be the perfect roommate!
Hey, these are great ideals and it would be nice if all athletes followed the rules, but let’s be real: we’re talking about professional athletes here. You really think someone’s going to tell them to stop tweeting past midnight from their messy living quarters? Don’t plan on it.
*story reprinted from the Yardbarker Olympics blog*
