|
A simple query "sportsmanship" of a search engine brings
back 184,000 sites! So sportsmanship sometimes seems like the weather:
Everyone talks about it, but no one seems able to do anything.
Other times, being concerned about someone's behavior at a sporting
event makes you feel like the minister who's heard only by the choir
- all of whom nod their heads in agreement.
But occasionally someone really is doing something and sometimes
it even seems to help.
This month, we'll look at sportsmanship from all these perspectives.
We'll find horror stories as well as instances of positive sportsmanship.
We'll read exhortations to action. We'll discover lesson plans teachers
and coaches can use in efforts to make things better. We'll see
plans for cleaning up the abuses so common in high profile sports.
But among the 20 or more web sites reviewed, you'll unearth something
to use today. A case study, a statistic, an idea for calming bad
behavior. Whatever it may be, USE IT!
Sport is a learning environment, but a morally neutral one. The
lessons learned can be either good or bad. It is up to us - concerned
coaches and educators- to use the power of sports to teach ethical
behavior and respect for all aspects of competition. The resources
cited here can help us make the games fun, enjoyable and positive.
Mike Clark
Coaching & Sports Section Editor
|
