Views on Sportsmanship

Imagine you are in a confined space with fixed boundaries. Suddenly, someone adds a set of rules, a rule enforcer, and every known feeling that fits within the range of human emotion. Where are you?

You are likely in one of two places: at home living with your parents, or at a sporting event.

Fortunately for you, the rule enforcer is always on your side when you’re at home. From personal experience, I can’t guarantee that will be the same in any of your competitions, games, or events. In fact, I can guarantee that they won’t be on your side from time to time. There is nothing predictable when it comes to sports. Perhaps that is a big reason why sports are so special. David can beat Goliath. The small guy can make the team. The Chiefs can win a Super bowl!! Any outcome is possible. This one characteristic of sports has caused humans to experience everything from complete joy and euphoria to utter disappointment and rage. You do not have complete control over the outcome of a game, but you do have complete control over yourself.

It seems sportsmanship is a vanishing value. You don’t need to look too far to see the evidence. Just this year I have seen professional athletes throw temper tantrums, punch opponents, and verbally belittle the competition. Fans and aspiring athletes then choose to emulate that behavior. They post nasty comments about a friend’s team off the field, and they throw dirt in your eye when they are on it. If you haven’t already experienced this already, you will eventually.

If you have any level of competitiveness close to mine, this could be a challenge for you. For the most part, I have done well to keep my emotions at an appropriate level. I have let my emotions get the best of me on a couple occasions. I regret every instance when it happened. For those brief moments, I put myself and my ego before the team, and I let my friends down. However, I always wanted to be a team player and earn the respect of my coaches, team mates, and community. That always seemed more important than a personal vendetta.

You need to understand that passion and intensity are good things. The very best athletes have both. It’s ok to feel a little angry or get a little frustrated. Those emotions can help push you to be a tougher competitor. Just remember to use those emotions to make yourself a better player, and make the game a better experience. Do not let those emotions ruin the game for you, your teammates, and the spectators.

Here are a few things that I have learned about sportsmanship and sports:

• Be a graceful loser: Take responsibility for the loss. Don’t place blame elsewhere. Yes, the ref could have blown a call, a team mate might have missed an assignment, or your coach could have made a mistake. Although it may not seem that way, not every game is determined by a single event. Every bad call is usually preceded by numerous mistakes, favorable calls, and lucky bounces that went your way. In most cases, the other team won fair and square with no foul play.

• Be a humble winner: I grew up hearing the phrase, “act like you been there”. There is no need to belittle a team or player after beating them. You need to remember what you felt like after every loss you experienced. As long as you keep your composure following a win or successful season, the odds are better that you will repeat your success over and over again.

• Treat opponents with respect: You should know that you need your opponent. After all, there would not be a game without them.

• Always take the high road: This can be tough. You will probably run into a horrible player that’ll do everything to get under your skin. Personally, players have bitten me, thrown dirt in my eyes, stomped me, called me nasty names, or elbowed me. I learned to smile when they did those things. They only stoop that low because YOU have already got under their skin and they don’t know how to respond.

•  Don’t be mouthy: Words have consequences. Poorly chosen words have the worst kind of consequences. There is nothing more foolish looking than an athlete who says something wildly outrageous and has to eat their words later. In order to save face, they usually end up saying more garbage hoping to mitigate any damage they did in previous comments, only to fall further from grace. Sadly, people no longer remember them for their talent or awards. They are only remembered as a classless and desperate goof.

• Don’t excuse poor sportsmanship: This happens a lot. We are quick to call out an opponent for being a bad sport. Yet, we turn our gaze when it is one of our teammates or favorite players. Poor sportsmanship is wrong, no matter who it is. Don’t rush to defend a guy on your favorite team who acts like a buffoon. Just because you oppose his behavior, does not mean you betray your team.

• Try your hardest: People generally are involved in sports to compete and improve. It is frustrating meeting somebody who just doesn't care about putting forth their best effort. Other participants have put a lot of time and effort into preparing. Be respectful of that and go out there and compete. If you aren’t going to put in the time or give it your best shot, don’t bother showing up.

In spite of the lack of sportsmanship on the field, court, or diamond, there still are a amazing group of athletes who understand what a sport is all about. If you would like to see a prime example of what it means to be a good sport, I invite you to check out this story.

Valuing good sportsmanship is in your best interest. Being a good sport will always lead to better success in sports, or any other part of life. One big reason we remember some of the greatest athletes is not only because of their amazing talent, but because of their classiness on and off the field. On the flip side, we usually remember the arrogant stars for their stupid antics rather than for their talent.

“In the end, it’s extra effort that separates a winner from second place. But winning takes a lot more than that too. It starts with complete command of the fundamentals. Then it takes desire, determination, discipline, and self-sacrifice. And finally, it takes a great deal of love, fairness, and respect for your fellow man. Put all these together, and even if you don’t win, how can you lose?”

                                                                                                                                

-Jesse Owens-

Here is a funny video about the many types of players you will likely meet. Enjoy! And remember... Stay classy!