Sportsmanship

Winning More than the Game

By Brent Pickens

Sportsmanship is demonstrated through polite and fair behavior while participating in a game or an athletic event. Its doing your best, no matter the outcome. In any form of competition, everyone desires to win, but when someone practices good sportsmanship, theyre always a winner. Sportsmanship is defined by many different words, but three of the most important are leadership, humility and integrity.

Leadership is not always about ordering others and having a strong will. More importantly, its about being able to pull a team together to focus on a shared goal. A leader does not ask their teammates to do anything that they arent willing to do themselves, and they know how to bring the best out in each player to make a stronger team. Leaders are respected by their teammates because of their passion, knowledge, commitment and spirit.

Humility is another key part of sportsmanship. Those who are often considered to be good sports are not recognized by bragging about their own superior abilities, but rather by the fact that they do not seek the spotlight. Boastful players are irritating to be around, and they can cause friction within a team. Good sportsmanship requires a certain amount of humility. Even if youre the best player on the field, its important to remember that youre not the only one out there. You might be the league leader or the MVP, but you did not achieve that alone. Good sportsmanship means acknowledging the role others have played in your journey and respecting them for the ways in which theyve contributed to your success.

Finally, integrity is crucial to displaying good sportsmanship. No one likes to lose. A win or loss can have a major impact on the teams overall season. Whether a team loses by a wide margin or by a single point, the loss still hurts. But one of the most important characteristics of good sportsmanship is being able to handle the loss. Some respond to a loss with anger, by refusing to acknowledge the other team or even by blaming their own teammates for the loss. However, a good sport will hold his or her head high with dignity, and recognize the skill of the other team. A good sport realizes that a loss doesnt diminish the skill of their team, and that winning and losing are a part of life. Sportsmanship is about being a good winner and a good loser.

In addition to learning sportsmanship from coaches, it can (and should) also be taught at home. Parents can teach their children that its okay to lose sometimes, as long as you tried your best. Kids can be shown how to display good sportsmanship and treat everyone fairly. If youre good sportsmanship is practiced, its okay to sometimes come up short on the winning side. Parents and coaches must be good role models for the kids who are entrusted to them. In the long run, children are more apt to follow your example than your command. If a child is pushed too hard by their parents to win at any cost, then chances are, good sportsmanship will be lost along the way. A good sport will always shake hands and congratulate the winner and then move on from the loss. Sportsmanship is the most important aspect of the game. Games can sometimes become intense, heated and personal. Thus, sportsmanship must be well-ingrained in order to be practiced in sticky situations.

Athletics is a passion shared by many people. Everyone can benefit from the lessons taught out on the field. These lessons can be applied to all areas of our lives such as the workplace, school and personal relationships. Leadership, humility and integrity are all disciplines that, when adhered to, can make great men and women. Practicing good sportsmanship makes great players and even greater people.