Introduction Investigating the fair play understanding of the leading personnel in physical education and sports activities within the military system offers a unique opportunity to merge military ethical values with sports culture. Currently, there is a lack of detailed studies in the literature examining the fair play understanding of military leaders in the Turkish Armed Forces and their contributions to sports activities. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the behaviours and fair play understanding of these military leaders in sporting activities. Methods and design This cross-sectional study involved 259 officers, non-commissioned officers, and specialist sergeants from the Türkiye Presidential Guard Regiment Command. The “Multidimensional Sportspersonship Scale” was utilized to assess the sportspersonship understanding of the personnel. Data were collected through online forms and analysed using SPSS software to examine correlations with demographic data. Results The results indicated that the fair play and sportspersonship understandings of military personnel leading physical education and sports activities were lower than those of civilians. Factors such as stress and the struggle for survival, particularly in battlefield scenarios, often conflict with the concept of sportspersonship. Military leaders, who are typically raised with a warrior mentality, tend to prioritize other values over sportspersonship in their training. These findings raise important questions about the role and importance of fair play and sportspersonship behaviours within the military system. This study provides empirical data on fair play in the military context, contributing to the literature and helping to fill the existing gap in this field. Conclusions Sportspersonship among military personnel appears to be primarily caused by hierarchical values and institutional discipline rather than active sports participation. Family socialization also affects fair-play attitudes. Military sports programs that include ethics-based education might be able to balance physical training with moral development.

An investigation of the fair play understanding of the leading personnel participating in physical education and sports activities in the military system: cross-sectional study

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2026年2月14日

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Ejder Güneş

摘要

Introduction

Investigating the fair play understanding of the leading personnel in physical education and sports activities within the military system offers a unique opportunity to merge military ethical values with sports culture. Currently, there is a lack of detailed studies in the literature examining the fair play understanding of military leaders in the Turkish Armed Forces and their contributions to sports activities. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the behaviours and fair play understanding of these military leaders in sporting activities.

Methods and design

This cross-sectional study involved 259 officers, non-commissioned officers, and specialist sergeants from the Türkiye Presidential Guard Regiment Command. The “Multidimensional Sportspersonship Scale” was utilized to assess the sportspersonship understanding of the personnel. Data were collected through online forms and analysed using SPSS software to examine correlations with demographic data.

Results

The results indicated that the fair play and sportspersonship understandings of military personnel leading physical education and sports activities were lower than those of civilians. Factors such as stress and the struggle for survival, particularly in battlefield scenarios, often conflict with the concept of sportspersonship. Military leaders, who are typically raised with a warrior mentality, tend to prioritize other values over sportspersonship in their training. These findings raise important questions about the role and importance of fair play and sportspersonship behaviours within the military system. This study provides empirical data on fair play in the military context, contributing to the literature and helping to fill the existing gap in this field.

Conclusions

Sportspersonship among military personnel appears to be primarily caused by hierarchical values and institutional discipline rather than active sports participation. Family socialization also affects fair-play attitudes. Military sports programs that include ethics-based education might be able to balance physical training with moral development.