sportsmanship

What'sinthisarticle?WhatIsSportsmanship?WinorLose,SportsmanshipHelpsYouGetThroughPracticingGoodSportsmanshipFairandFunSportsmanshipOfftheFieldIfyou'reintosports,you'veseenithappen.You'veprobablyevenexperiencedit:Footballplayersshakinghandsafterfourquartersofknockingeachotheraround.Tennisplayersleapingoverthenettoshakehandswiththeiropponentsafterahard-foughtmatch.Soccerplayersexchangingjerseysafteranintense90minutes.Evenboxerstouchingglovesatthebeginningofeachround,thenhuggingeachotherafterbeatingeachotherintoapulpfor12rounds.Itseemslikecompetitorsineveryevent,fromspellingbeestohockey,behavethisway.What'sgoingon?It'sallpartofsportsmanship,agreattraditioninsportsandcompetitionthatmeansplayingcleanandhandlingbothvictoryanddefeatwithgrace,style,anddignity.WhatIsSportsmanship?Sportsmanshipisdefinedas:playingfairfollowingtherulesofthegamerespectingthejudgmentofrefereesandofficialstreatingopponentswithrespectSomepeopledefinegoodsportsmanshipasthegoldenruleofsports—inotherwords,treatingthepeopleyouplaywithandagainstasyou'dliketobetreatedyourself.Youdemonstrategoodsportsmanshipwhenyoushowrespectforyourself,yourteammates,andyouropponents,forthecoachesonbothsides,andforthereferees,judges,andotherofficials.Butsportsmanshipisn'tjustreservedforthepeopleonthefield.Cheerleaders,fans,andparentsalsoneedtobeawareofhowtheybehaveduringcompetition.Sportsmanshipisastyleandanattitude,anditcanhaveapositiveinfluenceoneveryonearoundyou.WinorLose,SportsmanshipHelpsYouGetThroughInthelastfewyears,taunting,trash-talking,gloating,andcheapshotshavebecomealltoocommoninsports.You'veprobablyseenathleteswhotaketheirownsuccessestooseriously,too.Theycelebrateagoalwithaprolongedvictorydanceorconstantlybragabouttheirabilities.Thisistheexactoppositeofwhatsportsmanshipisallabout.Thiskindofbehaviormightmakeyoufeeltoughorintimidatingtoanopponent,butkeepinminditcanalsocauseyoutolosethematch.Plentyofgameshavebeenlosttopenaltiesgatheredfromunsportsmanlikeconduct.Everyonefeelsgreatwhentheywin,butitcanbejustashardtobeagoodsportwhenyou'vewonagameaswhenyou'velostone.Goodsportsmanshiptakesmaturityandcourage—whenyouworkreallyhardatasport,it'snoteasytoadmityoumadeabadplayorthatsomeonehasmoreskillsthanyou.Incompetition—asinlife—youmaynotalwayswinbutyoucanlearnsomethingfromlosing,too.It'sprettytoughtolose,soitdefinitelydoesn'thelpmattersifsomeonecontinuestauntingyouoryourteamafterthecompetitionisover.Sometimesit'shardtoswallowyourprideandwalkon.Butthere'salwaysthenextmatch.Whenyoudolose—anditwillhappen—don'ttakeitoutonyouropponent,blametheofficials,orblameyourteam.Takeitinstride.Whenyoulose,losewithclass.Beingproudofhowyouperformed,oratleastbeingawareofthingsyouneedtoimprovefornexttime,iskey.Whenitcomestolosing,goodsportsmanshipmeanscongratulatingthewinnerspromptlyandwillingly.Also,itmeansacceptingthegame'soutcomewithoutcomplaintandwithoutexcuses,evenifyousometimesmightsuspecttherefereesmadesomequestionablecalls.Whenyouwin,thetrickistobeagraciousandgenerouswinner.Goodsportsmanshipmeansacknowledgingvictorieswithouthumiliatingopponents,beingquietlyproudofsuccess,andlettingvictoriesspeakforthemselves.Evenifyouwinbyalandslide,goodsportsmanshipmeansstillfindingwaystocomplimentyouropponents.PracticingGoodSportsmanshipSowhatdoesittaketodemonstrategoodsportsmanshipinreal-lifesituations?Herearesomeexamplesofthingsyoucando:Learnasmuchasyoucanaboutyoursport.Playbyitsrules.Showupforpractice,workhard,andrealizethatonateam,everyonedeservesachancetoplay.Talkpolitelyandactcourteouslytowardeveryonebefore,during,andaftergamesandevents.Thatincludesyourteammates,youropponents,yourcoachesandtheircoaches,theofficialspresidingoverthegame,andevenspectators(whocansometimesbeloudabouttheiropinions).Staycool.Evenifothersarelosingtheirtempers,itdoesn'tmeanyouhaveto.Remindyourselfthatnomatterhowhardyou'vepracticedandplayed,itis,afterall,justagame.Avoidsettlingdisputeswithviolence.Ifyou'reinadifficultsituationorsomeone'sthreateningyou,seekhelpimmediatelyfromyourcoachorfromanofficial.Remember,too,thatifyourespondwithviolenceyoucouldgetpenalized,whichcouldhurtyourchancesofwinning.Cheeryourteammatesonwithpositivestatements—andavoidtrash-talking(废话)theotherteam.Acknowledgeandapplaudgoodplays,evenwhensomeoneontheotherteammakesthem.Whenofficialsmakeacall,acceptitgracefullyevenifitgoesagainstyou.Rememberthatrefereesmaynotberighteverytime—butthey'repeoplewhoaredoingtheirbest,justasyouare.Whetheryouwinorlose,congratulateyouropponentsonagamewellplayed.FairandFunGoodsportsmanshipmeansnothavingawinatanycostattitude.Mostathleteswhodon'thaveawinatanycostattitudearemorelikelytotalkabouthowmuchtheylovetheirsportandhowmuchpersonalsatisfactionandenjoymenttheygetfromparticipation.Mostpeoplewon'tgoontoplayprofessionalsports,andonlyafewwillwinscholarshipstoplayatcollege.Butmanyforgettohaveagoodtimeduringtheyearstheydoplaybecausethey'resofocusedonwinning.And,unfortunately,parentsandcoachessometimesputtoomuchpressureonathletes,emphasizingwinningatallcosts.Soalthoughit'sgreattobeachampion,it'sevenbettertohaveenjoyed