TEACHING
KIDS TO BE "GOOD SPORTS"
by Dr. Darrell J. Burnett
"Sports
do not build character. They reveal it." - Heywood Hale Brown
Youth Sports: The Last Vestige of Sportsmanship
We're living in an age where the preservation of traditional values can no longer
be taken for granted. It seems we need to have reminders (books, movies,
newspaper articles, etc.) to maintain our awareness of the importance of
preserving the basic human values which are essential to the survival of a
community.
It's no different in the world of sports. The traditional value of
sportsmanship is being challenged from all sides: professional, college, high
school, and even in youth sports. There are some who say sportsmanship is
becoming a lost art and that unless we remind ourselves of the essentials of
sportsmanship and strive to maintain the basics of sportsmanship it will
gradually fade as other values have done in our society.
In the midst of all this, it seems doubly important that we recommit ourselves
to guiding our youth, reminding them what sportsmanship is all about, rewarding
them for showing good sportsmanship and showing, by our example, that
sportsmanship is still alive and valued in youth sports today.
Here's a 10-item checklist for kids to follow as they try to develop a habit of
good sportsmanship.
1. I abide by the rules of the game.
Part of good sportsmanship is knowing the rules of the game and playing by
them. If a player decides to play a given sport, it is the responsibility of
that player to learn not only how to play but how to play according to the
rules which have been established and standardized to allow competitive games
to be played in an orderly fashion. The more a player knows the rules the more
that player can enjoy the sport.
2. I try to avoid arguments.
Part of good sportsmanship is anger management. Arguing with officials, coaches
or opponents is often simply a misguided effort at "letting off
steam" in the heat of competition. A good sport knows that anger can get
in the way of a good performance. A good sport knows how to walk away from an
argument and to stay focused on the game at hand.
3. I share in the responsibilities of the
team.
Good sportsmanship implies that the player on a team is a team player. In other
words, the player understands that his or her behavior reflects on the team in
general. Moreover, a team player does not condone unsportsmanlike conduct from
teammates and reminds players that they all share in the responsibility of
promoting good sportsmanship.
4. I give everyone a chance to play
according to the rules.
In youth recreational sports the more talented players, if they are good
sports, will look out for and encourage the less talented players on the team,
cooperating with coaching plans to let everybody play. Unfortunately, some
coaches may become so preoccupied with winning at all costs that they never
play some players, regardless of the time and effort they put in at daily
practices, even when the score warrants clearing the bench.
5. I always play fair.
Honesty and integrity should be an integral part of sports. A player with good
sportsmanship does not want a hollow victory which comes as a result of
cheating ("dirty" fouls, ineligible players, performance enhancing
drugs, etc.)
6. I follow the directions of the coach.
A player with good sportsmanship listens to and follows the directions of the
coach, realizing that each player's decisions affect the rest of the team. If a
player has disagreements with the coach, the player discusses the disagreements
privately in a civil manner, away from the public eye.
7. I respect the other team's effort.
Whether the other team plays better, or whether they play worse, the player
with good sportsmanship does not use the occasion to put the other team down.
In the field of competition respect for opponents is central to good
sportsmanship. If an opponent out-performs a player that player accepts it,
learns from it, offers no excuses and moves on. If a player out-performs an
opponent, that player enjoys the victory, but does not gloat, does not
belittle, and does not minimize the opponent's effort.
8. I offer encouragement to teammates.
A sign of good sportsmanship is a player who praises teammates when they do
well and who comforts and encourages them when they make mistakes. Criticizing
teammates in the heat of battle simply distracts from the focus of working
together and gives the advantage to the opponent who develops a sense of
confidence when seeing signs of weakness or a lack of unity in the midst of the
competition.
9. I accept the judgment calls of the game
officials.
Part of the human condition is making mistakes. Arguing with an official over a
judgment call simply wastes energy. The player with good sportsmanship knows
that errors may be made, but the player also knows that a game is made up of
all the plays and calls from the beginning to the end of the game, not just the
call in dispute. The player with good sportsmanship may be upset, but that
player also has learned to focus his/her energies back on the game and on doing
the best he/she can do for the rest of the game.
10. I end the game smoothly.
When the game is over, pouting, threatening, cajoling have no place in the life
of the players with good sportsmanship, who emphasize the joy of participating,
regardless of outcome. They're not devoid of emotions but they know that their
efforts to end the competition smoothly, without antagonistic emotional
display, will help ensure that the games will continue in the future.
On a final note, a word of caution. We can't be so naive as to think that by
teaching and valuing sportsmanship in our youth we will ensure that they will
take these values with them into their young adult and adult sports lives.
However, if we don't expose them to the essentials of sportsmanship, and if we
don't guide them in developing a sense of good sportsmanship, we can all but
guarantee that they will fall prey to the young adult and adult world of sports
and athletics, with its continued tendency to minimize sportsmanship, and maximize
winning as the only real value in competitive athletics.
Sportsmanship Checklist for Kids
1. I abide by the rules of the game.
2. I try to avoid arguments.
3. I share in the responsibilities of the team.
4. I give everyone a chance to play according to the rules.
5. I always play fair.
6. I follow the directions of the coach.
7. I respect the other team's effort.
8. I offer encouragement to my teammates.
9. I accept the judgment calls of the game officials.
10. I end the game smoothly.
Sportsmanship is the ability to:
win without gloating
lose without complaining
treat your opponent with respect.
Sportsmanship Tips
If you make a mistake, don't pout or make
excuses. Learn from it, and be
ready to continue to play.
If a teammate makes a mistake, offer
encouragement, not criticism.
If you win, don't rub it in.
If you lose, don't make excuses.
Dr. Burnett is a clinical and sport psychologist, parent, national lecturer,
author, consultant and volunteer youth league coach who has been in private
practice for more than 20 years working with troubled youth and their families,
specializing in positive parenting. He is also an Institute for International
Sport Sports
Ethics Fellow. For a catalog describing all his materials call
(800).493.5943
Email: djburnet@pacbell.net. Website:
www.djburnett.com
