Sportsmanship

Here are some important principles to encourage in students/children:

• If you lose, don’t make up excuses – Accept it
• If you win, don’t rub it in – Win with grace
• Learn from mistakes and get back in the game
• Always do your best
• If someone else makes a mistake, remain encouraging and avoid criticizing
• Show respect for yourself, your team, and the officials of the game

Here are a few guidelines to follow for good sportsmanship:

Avoid Arguing:

Stay focused on the game instead of giving in to anger with teammates, coaches or referees. Always avoid using bad language and negative words.

Everyone Should Have a Chance to Play/Be a Team Player:

If you’re playing a team sport, do your best to get the whole team involved. Don’t try to be the star though this can be hard when your talent surpasses that of your teammates, and you know you could win the game by carrying the whole thing on your shoulders. But selfish game play ruins the fun for everyone else and doesn’t make you look good.

It is important to encourage even those players who are the least skilled to have fun playing in the game.

Play Fair:

Sounds simple, but you would be surprised how many people will cheat or play dirty to win. Remember, it’s just a game. Good sportsmen want to win because they followed the rules and played the best game they could. Never support any effort to win that attempts to go around the rules. Cheating is not acceptable.

Stay Positive/Encourage Teammates:

It is easy to get negative when things aren’t going your way. A man knows how to stay positive when the situations are against him and his team. Even if a teammate does not do well, keep positive. Criticizing him doesn’t accomplish anything besides making him feel worse than he already does. Instead, show him some encouragement, tell him to not to think much about it, offer him some advice and let him know some of the things that he is doing right.

Follow Directions:

Emphasize the importance of listening to coaches and referees and following their directions while on the field and involved in team activities.

Respect the Other Team:

Whether your team wins or loses, it’s important to show respect for the effort of the other team. If the other team wins, accept defeat, acknowledge their abilities, and move on. If your team wins, resist showing off — that’s what it means to be a gracious winner.

Respect the Decisions of Referees and Other Officials:

These people are charged with making difficult decisions about plays in the game. Good sportsmanship requires that you accept a call, even if you disagree with it.

Remember that it is only one call in a long game—get back into play and focus on the game.

End with a Handshake:

Good sportsmen enjoy sports and know how to end a game on a positive note, whether or not they won. Threats, anger, criticism and other negative expressions are not acceptable.

Reference/Citation/Source

• Sportsmanship
  https://www.managementstudyguide.com/personal-grooming-tips-for-women.htm
• Teaching Children Good Sportsmanship
  https://www.managementstudyguide.com/personal-grooming-tips-for-men.htm
• Be a Good Sport: A Guide to Sportsmanship
  https://www.anksimage.com/image-consultants/personal-grooming/7-basic-personal-grooming-tips/