Darbe atskleidžiamos Lietuvos olimpinės akademijos ištakos, analizuojami pagrindiniai veiklos bruožai, olimpinių žaidynių rezultatų mokslinis vertinimas, aptariamos moksleivių olimpinio švietimo problemos. Laikotarpis (10 metų) po Lietuvos tautinio olimpinio komiteto teisių sugrąžinimo Berlyne yra svarbus sporto istorijai, tampa nuoseklaus tyrinėjimo objektu. Įvertinus Olimpinės akademijos veiklą šiuo laikotarpiu, galima teigti, kad olimpinis švietimas, sporto mokslas atveria naujas galimybes. Olimpizmas, kaip svarbus kultūros reiškinys, didelis intelektualinis potencialas, ieško naujų veiklos būdų, teorinių ir praktinių išdėstytų problemų, temų, susijusių su žmogaus sveikata, fiziniu pajėgumu, sportininkų meistriškumo tobulinimu, sprendimo. Ateityje olimpinis švietimas turi būti artimai susijęs su olimpizmo vertybėmis, kurias būtina skleisti visiems Lietuvos gyventojams.

Straipsnyje apibendrinami XXVII olimpiados žaidynių, vykusių 2000 m. Sidnėjuje, Australijoje, rezultatai. Pasibaigę 2000 m., paskutiniaiXXamžiaus metai, nusinešė į istoriją didžiulę sporto šventę, kuri vyko tolimajame Sidnėjuje. Olimpinės žaidynės įnešė didelį indėlį į pasaulio tautų bendradarbiavimą, taikos stiprinimą, tikėjimą šviesesne pasaulio visuomenės ateitimi. Siame straipsnyje plačiai nagrinėjami 2000 m. Sidnėjaus olimpinių žaidynių socialiniai, politiniai, ekonominiai, organiza ciniai ir etiniai ypatumai. Pažymima, kad šie ypatumai turėjo svarbią reikšmę sportiniams rezultatams. Šiose žaidynėse dalyvavo rekordinis šalių (200) ir dalyvių (10500) skaičius. Buvo kovojama dėl 300 medalių komplektų, buvo pasiekta daug puikių rezultatų. Olimpinės žaidynės Sidnėjuje vėl sustiprino tarptautinio olimpinio sąjūdžio prestižą, sporto politinio veiksnio reikšmę. Jos pademonstravo didėjančią konkurenciją sportinėje arenoje.

Tarptautinis olimpinis sąjūdis, Tarptautinis olimpinis komitetas, Lietuvos tautinis olimpinis komitetas propaguoja šiuolaikinį olimpizmą ir vienija organizacijas, sportininkus ir kitus asmenis, kurie vadovaujasi Olimpine chartija. Olimpizmo koncepcijà suformulavo Pierre de Coubertinas (Pjeras de Kubertenas), įvardijęs ją kaip gyvenimo filosofiją, išaukštinančią ir sujungiančią į subalansuotą visumą kūno, proto ir dvasios komponentus. Dabartiniu metu olimpizmas siekia, kad sportas tarnautų harmoningam žmogaus ugdymui, prisidėtų prie kūrimo taikesnės visuomenės, kuri rūpintųsi žmogaus garbės ir orumo saugojimu. Šią koncepciją toliau plėtoja aštuntasis Tarptautinio olimpinio komiteto prezidentas dr. Jacques Rogge (Žakas Rogas), kuriam gegužės mėnesį viešnagės Lietuvoje metu buvo suteiktas Vilniaus universiteto ir Lietuvos kūno kultūros akademijos garbės daktaro vardas. Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentas Valdas Adamkus apdovanojo jį ordino „Už nuopelnus Lietuvai“ Didžiuoju kryžiumi. Šiandieninis tarptautinis olimpinis sąjūdis, kaip olimpinį švietimą koncentruojanti ašis, turi mokomuosius, moralinius, etinius ir tarptautinius tikslus, kurie praplečia olimpinių varžybų sąvokos supratimą ir ragina olimpizmą suvokti platesniu ir net globaliniu mastu. Humanistinė sporto pozicija suvaidino svarbų teigiamą vaidmenį pasaulio istorijoje, kurią per tūkstantmečius kūrė idėjų ir pasaulėjautos srautas iš antikinės Graikijos. Ateities olimpinis sportas ir mokymas turi remtis savirealizacijos principu, dvasingumo, patriotizmo, kultūros ir sporto integracija. Tai olimpizmo pagrindas, olimpinio sporto raidos orientyras.

Nowadays Olympism, Olympic sport and Olympic education in their natural development grew into the cultural life of independent Lithuania and become an essential source of physical and spiritual education of our nation. P. de Coubertin believed that all people and in all stages of their life are able to pursuit for sport excellence. While reviving Olympic Games he aspired for the supporters of Olympism to make the world a good place to live. Alongside to the fair play, idea of peace is crucial today, and it stimulates specific cultural understanding of other nations. P. de Coubertin also designed and presented conception of harmonious overall development of human being, with special emphasize on education, directed not only towards intellect, but also body. Thus, Olympic education means physical as well as mental education. It gives young people knowledge on the fact that doing sports during all oneÿs life is necessary complementation to the other activity areas, helping to develop and maintain sense of identity. Summarising scientific trends of Olympic education development in the world we maintain that Olympic movement, Olympic Games, Olympic education are crucial for development of harmonious human being, for the consolidation of sport and culture, science and health, good role models and respect to the Olympic principles. So, role of sport is extremely important in personality shaping, embedding truth and spirituality as eternal values, respecting moral culture, ethical norms, human dignity and creativity. Main objective of Olympic education is linking sport and culture.[...]

Olympism, Olympic sport and science of Olympic education in nowadays situation gradually grow into the cultural life on independent republic of Lithuania, become an important source of nation’s physical and spiritual strength education while naturally developing together with common national culture. Experiencing twenty years long activity of Lithuanian Olympic Academy - it is a real academe and we must draw wisdom from it. This experience encourages us to reflect who we are, were we are from, what consolidates us, where is our place in Lithuania and in the World. Activity trends of Olympic Academy are integrating into sport science, environment of Lithuanian sport society, nation’s scientific and cultural life that affirms the values of truth and spirituality including moral, cultural and ethical norms, respect for human’s individuality and his creativity. The needs and possibilities of the nation can be perceived only through the development and deepening of Olympism ideas. Olympic education integrates sport with culture, science, education and human’s welfare. Olympic education is acknowledged on international level and is being integrated into school programs. Lithuanian Olympic Academy has been spreading the Olympic spirit and Olympic ideas for 20 years already. Its activity reveals that we do live valuable creative and spiritual life. The most important in the future is to maintain and develop links between Olympic education and the World because new possibilities open in the brotherhood values world where the prestige and appreciation of the nation are important to enhance. Beautiful and majestic Lithuanian’s personality must be educated according to the program of Olympic education which we have to create and improve. We will be able to evaluate our future as long as we can reflect the experience of the past.

Purpose of the research was to analyze pupils‘ attitude towards Olympic movement and Olympic values. 114 respondents were analyzed (62 boys and 52 girls), the range was made in a convenient way. Pupils of Kaunas city and Kaunas district took part in the research. A questionnaire was used for the research which had been used in Belgium, Czech, Estonia, Finland, Germany and Hungary by researching the attitude towards Olympic movement and Olympic values (2002). The questionnaire consisted of 28 questions aimed to evaluate the pupils‘ level of the knowledge about Olympic movement, to evaluate Olympic ideals and „Fair play”, to analyze the pupils‘ attitude towards Olympic education. The research material was analyzed by applying methods of mathematical statistics. The reliability of differences between the results obtained was calculated according to the criterion of chi square (χ²) which is used to check hypotheses about the distribution of a variable in the population. The reliability level chosen is α=0,05. The difference between the results was taken as significant in case p<0,05. After performing the research, it became clear that 88,24% of respondents knew the first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens. One third of the respondents knew the first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896. 81,8% of the respondents think the modern Olympic Games are different from the Olympic Games to take place in the ancient times. Only 13,46% of the girls and 22,58% of the boys indicated they had heard of Pierre de Coubertin. 27,51% of the respondents indicated they had heard of Olympic ideals. More girls (79,92%) than boys (59%) indicated they knew what the symbol of five Olympic rings meant. 36,5% of the girls and 51,61% of the boys indicated they had heard of the Olympic spirit.[...]

It was established that one of the most important factors for successful Olympic Education program implementation in Lithuanian schools of general education is a positive change in pupils’ behaviour, which manifests itself in pupils’ higher activeness, acquisition of organizational skills, increased level of self-perception, expressed through perception of public spirit, nationality, moral behaviour in sport. Other factors to stimulate Olympic Education program implementation were as follows: program unites school community, appears perception of meaningfulness of Olympic Education program activities, share of good practice, growth of teachers’ self-evaluation. The results of the research disclosed the factors of negative influence on Olympic Education program implementation being weak pupils’ motivation for learning, dull family members’ participation in project activities, teachers’ worry about unknown activity, teachers’ distrust in own competence, as well as first wrong opinion about Olympic Education program.

The project of Olympic education program in Lithuania was started to be implemented at schools of general education with the initial intention of Olympic education aimed at pupils. Olympic education program for children and youth at schools of Lithuania commenced its activities in 2002 upon signing the agreement among the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania and Lithuanian Olympic Academy (2005–06–09, Nr. SVT-568). In 2005, the project was extended until 2010, later on until 2015. Teachers of preschool educational institutions later on (in year of 2006) voluntarily joined the Olympic education project. They developed individual Olympic education programs, acquired knowledge and practical skills. The Olympic education program for preschool children is not yet developed. Research aim was to analyze and assess experience in developing and implementing Olympic education programs (OEP) at preschool educational institutions of Lithuania as well as to reveal developmental and improvement potential. The research uses analysis of all individual programs (23) prepared by the preschool educational institutions, participating in the Olympic education project of Lithuania. The research sample comprised 21 teachers having filled out distributed questionnaires. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were applied in the analysis of obtained research results. SPSS Statistics 19.0 software package was used for the analysis of collected quantitative data. Statistical significance of differences was identified using the χ2 (chi square) test. The difference is statistically significant at p<0,05. Analysis of results revealed that each institution in the developmental process of the OEP program followed respective documents, literature sources, model samples of other programs, consulted specialists and other teachers. Development of individual OEP was facilitated by the description of procedures for school recognition as members of the project “Olympic Education of Children and Youth”. The program was designed for all types of Lithuanian educational institutions, due to which content of the program was not sufficiently clear and specific. Teachers admitted that development of the OEP program itself was not complicated, however, they had a shortage of literature pertaining to Olympic education and education of preschool children; it was rather difficult to anticipate human resources, agree on the assessment system and to specifically plan activities, which require financial resources. The majority of teachers agreed that sport facilities of the nstitution are suitable for implementation of OEP; however, condition of half of the outdoor sport fields is poor. Two thirds of teachers rated their experience in Olympic education as successful and believed having a sufficiently clear assessment system. Positive attributes in relation to Olympic education of preschool children have emerged: participation of preschool institution’s community alongside with the partners in activities of Olympic education has increased significantly, integration of children’s educational activities, diverse and entertaining methods and forms of education are employed, and attempts are made to ensure dispersion and continuity of OEP activities. However, the content of Olympic education is way too extensive, and there are no clear structure of content. Teachers of preschool educational institutions, attending the Olympic education project, are active and inquisitive. They wish for the general Olympic education program for preschool age children of Lithuania to be developed, have particular proposals on how to improve OEP and seek to share their experience at a cross-institutional level.

The article represents sport organizational problems, where the first one is the aspect of Olympic ideals. The birth of balanced individual as the social ideal (in Ancient Greece) and the issue of organization between individual and country as well as individual’s physical education as an integral part of spiritual development are also among discussed questions here. The policy of individual serving the country must be connected to physical education and the country itself may organize sport culture (macro-level) and physical education (micro-level) at the same time. Humanity of countries depends on the balance of these two levels. Where the general physical education takes over, humanity takes over, too. Sport in the XXth century gives high challenges for physical education as it is destroyed by dominating enterprises and commerce. However, countries did not disappear over it – and Olympic Games are the proof. They are interested to preserve the Olympic ideals. The article also analyses the main principles of how Lithuanian sport is being organized. In the paper it is emphasized that Lithuania has established solid structures to detach physical education from sport performance culture. That is to say, the same structures, with schools intervention, support each other.