Kim Nygaard

March was National Sportsmanship Month, and I feel this would be a great time to reflect on and evaluate how we teach, model, and strive for this important character quality. What is sportsmanship? It's only one word, but seems to have many different meanings. Why do some children demonstrate good sportsmanship while others continue to demonstrate poor sportsmanship? Is good sportsmanship fading? Is good sportsmanship becoming a lost art? It seems to be a constant challenge to emphasize the importance of sportsmanship and good character when there are daily reminders in the papers and on TV about the negative character traits of many of our well-known athletes. It should come as no surprise with the money professional athletes are paid and the steep competition needed to reach that status, that some athletes will use unfair advantages to get ahead of the next athlete. How about the college athletes who have to fight to maintain very high standards of athletic excellence in order to have a chance in the professional world? Or, consider the high school athletes who are trying to receive a full ride scholarship to the college of their choice? Now, it's the youth sports that are showing struggles to maintain good sportsmanship.

I'm sure you will agree that we as PE professionals, teachers, parents, and coaches have a huge responsibility to guide and show the youth of today that sportsmanship is still alive and valued! Good sportsmanship needs to be rewarded, just as bad sportsmanship needs to be used as an opportunity to teach a lesson on the types of decisions we should not make. But then we need to take it a step farther and follow up with consequences for those choices. This is how we can keep good sportsmanship alive!

Not every child we teach will develop good sportsmanship. This may be difficult to achieve if parents, peers, and coaches demonstrate and reward poor sportsmanship. Rules that result in good sportsmanship should be easy to follow, but it often seems difficult to do so. I observed a good example this weekend at my son's basketball game. Hanging outside the gym door was a sign that read "No food or drinks in the gym." They had a table outside the door where the players could set their snacks and drinks. So, we set our drinks on the table. A mother came to me and asked why I had put my son's water on the table. I was quite surprised by her question and showed her the sign. I also remarked that there were drinking fountains in the gym. She told me there was "no way" she would let her son drink from those and proceeded to tuck the water bottle into her purse.

As I stood there I watched many parents doing the same thing - sneaking around and breaking the rule for their son. It was quite sad to see the players drinking their bottled water, and my son giving me a "thirsty" look. He went to the drinking fountain, but I remember feeling for a moment that perhaps I had done the wrong thing for my son, even though both my son and I knew I had made the right choice. Isn't it strange that doing the right thing and making the right choices sometimes goes against what others do? No wonder these little guys cave in to peer pressure when even their parents haven't modeled right choices, and are actually teaching their sons that you don't always have to follow the rules. It all starts somewhere, and this was just about water in the gym.

Teaching physical education can be very rewarding because we also teach children about character education. We can demonstrate what we know to be good sportsmanship, and hopefully the children will walk away with increased confidence and with something that we said or did making a lifelong impression on them.

Questions we need to ask ourselves:

• Have you ever known a child to be a good sport when he/she hasn't experienced losing?
• Have you ever known a child who is on a team sport, but doesn't play like a team member?
• Have you ever known a child who perseveres even though he/she loses every game?
• Have you ever seen a child/coach cheat to win rather than play by the rules, especially if they think they could "get away with it?"
• How about the child/coach always ready to argue when a call doesn't go their way?
• Have you ever seen children sitting out more than others because of the desire to win?

Sad to say, we probably have experienced all of these and more in our profession. My background includes very competitive athletics and even world championships, so I understand the desire to win.

I coached a 4th-5th grade basketball team at our school that lost every game for 2 years. I was "beside myself" on the inside, but continued to be very supportive on the outside. I watched the children play and work very hard. They had a great time, and we made practices challenging and fun. Their enthusiasm, and watching them play in the sand before the game, taught me to be a more understanding coach and to realize these "child-like" days only happen once. Sometimes we push children into growing up too fast by placing many demands on them before they are actually ready. We need to keep reminding ourselves of all the benefits children obtain from their involvement in athletics.

Good sportsmanship takes maturity and courage. It's always fun to win and do well, but losing can teach many lessons. I bring maturity into this discussion after watching young, immature soccer players (8-10 year olds) trash talk, taunt, and inflict cheap shots. Most likely, these are the children who will continue their poor sportsmanship even after they mature.

We all have observed athletes who have taken their own success too seriously. They feel the need to show off and celebrate a goal with a victory dance, or even brag about their own abilities and strengths. These examples are actually the complete opposite of good sportsmanship. How do children learn to become good sports when peers, parents, and coaches think their actions are cute or funny? When and how do children mature into good sports, and who is responsible for this growth? We've observed these "show-off moves" receive penalties for demonstrating poor sportsmanship conduct, with some teams losing a game because of this. Parents and coaches need to support referees' decisions in this area if we want to encourage athletes to develop into good sports.

Take a survey with your classes to see who they think the popular players are in today's world. Are they the players that win at no cost? How about the upcoming Olympics? This is a great opportunity for providing teachable moments. Ask the children if they only honor athletes from the United States. Why not discuss the small countries, and the less fortunate countries, that have worked so hard to compete at this level. Instead of always emphasizing the winning in each sport, why not use the Olympics as a springboard to teach about less common sports and ways to just enjoy the sport itself? You'll be amazed how much you can expand the minds of these little children, and increase their appreciation of sports and athletes from across the world.

This month is the Amazing Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska. I follow it with my classes every year, and was able to experience being a spectator one year. Check it out at www.iditarod.com. We as PE professionals have the power to give children a sense of what sportsmanship is by teaching it through a variety of activities and sports. I encourage you to emphasize this most important concept with all the teachable minds you come into contact with.

IDEAS

• PE Bucks…I give out play money for acts of kindness, respect, courage, perseverance, and self control, which all fall under good sportsmanship in "my book." Once a month I have them come shop at the PE Store stocked with sports items I have purchased, or that have been donated by the parents.
• Children who demonstrate good sportsmanship are featured in my monthly PE newspaper.
• Guide discussions on what's happening currently in sports to topics concerning good and bad sportsmanship.

I once had a mother tell me her son really wanted to play basketball, but had chosen not to play because he was afraid to miss a basket. My advice to her was to take him to a game, either high school or a professional game, and have him count how many baskets are NOT made. After some hesitation on her part, she finally took my advice and now her son plays basketball for his high school. This is a great example of a child getting involved in athletics after realizing it's not just about being the best or about always succeeding, and that even the professional athletes aren't perfect.

On a final note, I've been a very competitive athlete from a child into my adult years. I've competed on the state, national, and international levels. I've been part of a world champion team, broken records, and brought home a silver medal from the women's dragon boat team in 1992. Even though it's great to be a champion, it's even better having enjoyed the process of getting to the top (which wasn't always easy). I give credit to my parents, peers, and coaches, and most importantly to myself for always trying my best and playing by the rules; when I lost I didn't make excuses, and I respected decisions made even though at times I didn't agree with them. This is how I teach my kids, students in my classes, and players on my team. It's not always the winning that should be of importance, but the process you take to develop the children you teach or coach.

I know you have situations and experiences you could share with us. Please feel free to email me (kim_nygaard@msn.com ) and talk about your experiences. I'm sure I can learn from your experiences too. Be the best you can be, be the best for the children, and always demonstrate the best character traits and sportsmanship. If we all did our part, and thought about our actions and how to keep sportsmanship alive, the world would be filled with "Good Sports!"

resources

www.ABW.org - Athletes for a better world
www.packyplayfair.com - great info for lessons
Mama'sHealth.com - How to Teach Your Child to Be a Good Sport
Coaches Guide: What About SPORTSMANSHIP? Does the Coach Teach That?
More guides to good sportsmanship...

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