the improtant of good sportsmanship

The Importance of Sportsmanship

On the heels of the unfortunate incident at Tempe High School last week, I thought it was appropriate to revisit the notion of sportsmanship. To our young Eagles who may not fully understand the concept… you know how Coach Gene always says “Do the little things right, and big things will happen”? Well, sportsmanship is one of those “little things” that leads to “big things” happening.

So what is Sportsmanship?

Sportsmanship is a great tradition in sports and competition that means playing clean and handling both victory and defeat with grace, style, and dignity. This is the reason why you guys line up after each game to shake the hands of your opponents at the end of each game… win or lose.

Sportsmanship includes playing fair, following the rules of the game, respecting the judgment of referees, and treating your opponents with respect. As a general rule of thumb, it makes sense to look at sportsmanship in a similar way that we view friendship… treat the people you play with and against as you would like to be treated yourself.

You demonstrate good sportsmanship when you show respect for yourself, your teammates, and your opponents, for the coaches on both sides, and for the referees, judges, and other officials.

But sportsmanship isn’t just reserved for the people on the field. Cheerleaders, fans, and parents also need to be aware of how they behave during competition. Sportsmanship is a style and an attitude, and it can have a positive influence on everyone around you.