O PREÇO DE UM SONHO: a realidade do esporte que não é mostrada pela mídia

Abstract

It’s not unusual for the crowd to get emotional when witnessing the coronation of an athlete, praising its effort as an act of heroism and bravery. But there is a difference between the life of athletes as shown in the media and their reality. This article discusses such differences, based on the findings of an academic research in which interviews were carried out with athletes and professionals of volleyball along with an analysis of the coverage by the Brazilian media of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Focused on the individual, it discusses the role the media plays in the shaping of an idealized image of athletes, through which they are raised to the status of a hero, a talented being equipped with superhuman abilities. Based on their experiences, athletes, doctors, coaches, and others sportrelated professionals point out and analyze the sacrifices that come with high-level competition – injuries, dropping out of school, and psychological pressure for results – as possible sources of problems on the way for a more humanistic upbringing of young Brazilian athletes. Keywords: hero, athlete, media image