March 4, 2003 will mark the thirteenth annual National Sportsmanship Day.  It is a day designed to discuss  issues related to sportsmanship and ethics in athletics and daily life, as well as to stimulate meaningful dialogue among schools administrators, coaches, teachers, and students.

Physical education should also play an important role in developing proper attitudes toward sports and physical activities.  One of the national content standards in physical education is that students demonstrate responsible personal and social behavior in physical activity settings (NASPE, 1995).  

Students have the opportunity to watch countless acts of cheating, taunting, yelling, cursing, and fighting during sports events on television and at the local gym or field.  As responsible physical educators, there are specific things that we should be doing to promote sportsmanship and ethics in our classes.  

According to  Burnett (2003), we as educators need to discuss sportsmanship with our students, reward students who practice good sportsmanship, and model good sportsmanship ourselves. In the article he offers a 10-item checklist for kids (and adults) to follow as they try to develop a habit of good sportsmanship. Here are a few:

1. I abide by the rules of the game. Cheating or a "win at all costs" attitude cannot be tolerated. Students should have a clear understanding of the rules in any given sport or activity and they should have the opportunity to discuss why rules are important and need to be followed.
2. I accept the judgment calls of the game officials. Few things are worse during games or physical activities that use rules than to hear constant complaining or arguing over the calls made by the officials. There are several ways to teach students to accept all calls made.  One is to let students take turns officiating small-sided games in order to see how difficult it is to please everyone. Another suggestion is to tie good sportsmanship in with student grades.
3. I end the game smoothly. When the game is over, players should accept the win or defeat with the proper attitude. Pouting, whining and threatening have no place in the life of a person with good sportsmanship.

Although sports is often associated with negative behaviors, physical education is an excellent medium to introduce proper behavior that hopefully will change the attitudes and actions of our youth.

Bart Cagle
Secondary Section Editor

This article , written by Dr. Maureen Weiss, focuses on understanding the determinants of physical activity behavior.  We all know the benefits gained from physical activity, but understanding why people choose to engage in or not engage in regular physical activity is just as important.  This article attempts to answer three questions: what motivates children and teenagers to continue and sustain physical activity levels, why is there such a drastic decline in physical activity during adolescence, and how can we stem the tide of declining physical activity levels?  

Results from research indicate 3 major reasons why adolescents participate in physical activity: perceptions of physical competence, enjoyment of physical activity, and social support from peers and adults.

For adolescents to stay motivated to be physically active, they must feel like they are capable of performing the physical tasks that are presented.  As physical educators, this implies that we must structure our class so that each student experiences some success in every task.  Individual goal-setting, non-competitve activities, and positive peer feedback are specific ways to increase student's self-perception toward success.

One of the strongest determinants of increasing and maintaining motivational levels of adolescents is the level of enjoyment gained from the activity.  As we plan lessons, we need to incorporate activities that fulfill objectives AND provide fun for the students.

One of the best ways to accomplish this is by giving students a choice regarding activities. Some students enjoy competition and some do not.  Some enjoy traditional sports, others like non-traditional activities.   

Social support from parents, peers, and teachers plays a significant role in motivating adolescents to be physically active.  We need to encourage parents to  participate in physical activities with their children.  In the classroom, teachers can develop a buddy system or encourage positive comments as a way to increase the social support that students need.

Remember, as teachers we can force students to do just about anything during a class.  But the real indication of the success or failure of our program is not the level of motor skill development or the fitness level of the students.  The real indication of success is whether the students have adopted a physically active lifestyle and are engaging a physical activity on their own (months and years after the class is over).  

Think about the teaching methods and activities that you use in physical education.  Ask yourself this question, "Will this activity increase or decrease the change that all students will develop a physically  activelifestyle?"

Check out the rest of the article for more details...

Obesity Cuts Life Span for Young Adults

Being obese at age 20 can cut up to 20 years off of a person's life, with the biggest impact on black men, according to another study that identifies the long-term risks associated with being overweight.

Obesity increases the risk for several life-threatening conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.  For more information, read the rest of the article ...

This website is produced by The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and contains several excellent links for physical educators.

The first is Fitness Fundamentals, which allows students to create a personal exercise program that's tailored to them.  It includes definitions and suggestions for all the health-related fitness components and explains the most common exercise principles.

The second is Exercised lately? , which contains 5 commercial messages from the Ad Council.  These messages encourage kids to get physically active or else.  If you have trouble downloading and viewing the videos, you can view the script, which includes the still pictures of the commercial with the text written below.

This link could be used as an advocacy activity for students.  After viewing the commercials, students could get into small groups and produce their own 30-second commercial designed to encourage kids to be physically active