Definition Essay on Sportsmanship Abstract Although it is very common to mention the term Sportsmanship during any sports event, very few individuals are actually familiar with the true definition of the word. For some it is the behavioral aspect shown by the participating teams or athletes while others it is more than just a routine behavior and is associated with the deep rooted respect of the opponent as well as the outcome of an event. Sportsmanship is known to be an aspiration which supports the argument that any sporting activity should be enjoyed without the worry of a desired outcome. Here the proper consideration of respect, fairness, ethics, and the demonstration of fellowship with the competitors are shown. In this regard, the term Sore Loser is referred to someone who refuses to accept defeat whereas Good Sport defines anyone being either a good loser or a good winner. Sportsmanship could also be conceptualized as a stable disposition or characteristic in which the participants of any sporting event behave differently as compared to what is expected from them especially in unwanted outcomes. In a more general sense, sportsmanship refers to different virtues like courage, fairness, persistence, self-control, and has also been closely linked with interpersonal concepts of the way of treating others as well as being treated fairly, respecting authority and opponents, and maintaining proper self-control when dealing with others. Sportsmanship can also be
Sports are played worldwide and are reflective of that particular areas cultural view. This has led to a wide variety of sports that are played. Due to this high level of diversity it has become extremely challenging to define what activities are considered a sport verse a recitation activity. Specialists in this field frequently debate this issue, discussing the criteria that should exist when evaluating a sport. The main goal is to make a list concise enough yet, at the same time detailed so it can be used in every sporting model.
In light of Jessica Statsky’s book ‘Children need to play, not compete’, she argued that, with the vivid increase of sporting competition lately in the United States, children have been exposed to the adults hard and rigorous training by devoted parents and coaches at their tender age making a game that is supposed to be fun and joy look hectic and strenuous to them due to the standard of training they are made to go through and also the belief that they must always win thereby making them lose the spirit of sportsmanship, and neither gaining satisfaction nor benefiting from them. In as much as sports are good for physical, mental and emotional growth, it should be organized in a manner that the youths will enjoy the game at the end of it rather than the fear of being hurt or defeated by the other competitors.
Many everyday encounters can test our values. In sports conflict is expected, and as skill level increases conflict becomes more prominent. This is even more evident to coaches, as they experience conflict from players, referees, and parents. In my experience, coaching many times I must hold back what I want to say and walk away. One specific encounter with two parents tested my values of respect, positivity, and self-worth. In this experience, two parents confronted me after a game about the substitutions going on on the field, as I was a youth coach learning how to run the bench I was appalled at this statement. In this instance, I related to the barber contemplating what to do, “ What do you gain by it? Nothing.” (pg.15A) I also connected with the idea of upholding a reputation, as I would not want to be viewed as anything less than a great coach, “Murderer or hero?” (pg.15C) My values of respect and positivity helped me walk away from this situation, which further revealed how my character is centered around integrity.
A more ethical approach to athletics is sportsmanship. Under a sportsmanship model, healthy competition is seen as a means of cultivating personal honour, virtue & character. It contributes to a community of respect & trust between competitors & in society. The goal in sportsmanship is not simply to win, but to pursue victory with honour by giving one’s best effort.
These aggressive attitudes and tendencies have been shown to have effects on one's judgement and the perception of their environment. An athlete with an over aggressive attitude who's judgement becomes clouded by aggression develops a disregard foe the opponent(s) that their aggression is being aimed at." I think the aggressiveness in sports - just making the play, charging past people or dominating somebody physically - really needs to be separated by athletes from appropriate off field behavior."(Tom Jackson, Univ. Arkansas psychology professor.)
Sabo tells his readers “I learned to be an animal. Coaches took notice of animals. Animals made first team. Being an animal meant being fanatically aggressive and ruthlessly competitive” (7). This shows that the interference of acknowledgment of ones emotions caused by the normalized pain of injuries and the tough love generated throughout the sport is unacceptable if you want to be seen. The dogmatic belief of “pain is more important than pleasure” (10) is continuously being passed down through generations of teams. Society is teaching boys to look at taking pain as a badge of honor and courage. “I learned that pain and injury are ‘part of the game” (6). Most people want to get into sports or activities to have fun, but there are others, like Sabo, who play a sport to win a reward. “Like a young child who learns to dance or sing for a piece of candy, I played for rewards and payoffs” (3). In high school, I remember the teenage boys who succeeded in football were well-known across the school, dated the girls they wanted, and were accepted for the tough guys they seemed to be. “Winning at sports meant winning friends and carving a place for myself within the male pecking order” (3).
Sport’s are an aspect of life that affect societies across the globe. Athletics affect everyone's life, whether that be playing the sport, watching games, or hearing about a sporting event. There is a big difference between playing an individual sport and players relying on their own athletic abilities versus a team sport when members of the team rely on their teammates to complete each individual's specific responsibility to reach the team's goal. Team sports bring people together in countless ways, and they teach many life skills for the athletes that participate in them. Some of these skills include communication, teamwork, discipline, work ethic, dedication, leadership, and numerous more that will help them in their personal and work
Theoretical practices of sportsmanship in sports provide adolescents with positive attitudes about fairness, honesty, and responsibility. Athletes learn to reflect these values of sportsmanship and apply it to their daily lives, once again providing positive psychosocial benefits to youth athletes. “From the perspective of sport psychology, the sphere of research that encompasses the key concepts of sportsmanship, ethics, and morality has been termed moral development in sport” (Goldstein & Iso-Ahola 2006, p. 19). Moral development is influenced by the sporting environment that the adolescent is exposed too. The adolescent’s psychological growth is dependent on “moral cognitions (thoughts of right and wrong),
As far as athletes on the field a great many lessons are often learned there and one of the biggest lessons is sportsmanship. For any sports played teamwork is often times essential for winning. It also allows for a person to become more confident in their own abilities allowing them to become more proud and not ashamed of what they can or cannot do. It allows players to build bonds among their teammates and while this maybe be one of the main creators of the “jocks hang out with jocks” stereotype it is only because athletes feel a connection to someone that is going through the same time of training and emotions that sports tend to create. Sportsmanship teaches a person the value of working together in groups and allows the player to learn how to adjust to situations that he or she may not agree with. The work ethic sportsmanship creates is also carried off the field as well into the school and more importantly the working environment, because we all know that in our lifetimes we are going to have to work with someone that we do not like or agree with. And having the ability to be able to work through a problem which sportsmanship can do allows for an easier job experience.
It’s important for a child to understand the positive impacts of competition despite a loss in a game. Adults go through competition everyday, from getting a job after a successful interview or missing it from an unsuccessful interview to promotion because of work well done or demotion at work. The basics of competition taught early helps a child succeed later in life. Team Sport equips a child to cope with competition in a friendly environment. Achieving a goal by being part of a team will help a child gain healthy competitive skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Sports also help a child cope well with both a loss and a win as part of life. Learning to positively handle both the winning and losing side of playing a sport combined with good sportsmanship is a characteristic that carries over from childhood to
Fair play can be defined as the upholding of fairness before, during and after, and directly relating to a game, match or event. You should always inform players of the consequences that will occur if they do not play fair or cheat. Cheating in sport should never be tolerated because it ruins the game for every one. Fair play can often be best promoted through a code of conduct that clearly defines the rules of the games and the do’s and don’ts. Equality in sport is the practice of fairness and the upholding of the rules also to ensure that all individuals are respected and have equal opportunities regardless of their sex, gender, religion, sexuality or ethnic background.
What is the social role of sport? To what extent does social structure influence the practice and experience of sport? Discuss in relation to two of the following: gender, class, ethnicity or Aboriginality, or region. Illustrate your answer with at least three examples from sporting contexts (local or international).
“Sports are for fun, but they also offer benefits and lessons that carry over into all aspects of life”. This well-known anonymous quotation conveys the message that sport is the game which has some rules and custom. It is not only for fun and entertainment, but there are also some benefits of playing sports and which gives some important lessons for life. Every kind of physical sports is healthy because it involves running, jumping, stretching, mind skills and much more. There are so many sports available in the world nowadays, but we can categorize them by the numbers of players, the three main categories are individual sport, dual sport and team sport.
observers that winning is more important than the game itself, and the nature of sports, that
Students are full of energy, all of which cannot be spent in studies only. The extra energy can lead students to do wrong or unwanted activities which are harmful not only for the health but studies of students as well. This is avoidable through sports. They are the outlets of surplus energy. Students who play sports have their mind occupied and are less likely to have their mind wander to wrongful things. A student learns that while playing, he has to play not for his own good but for the good and success of whole team. He or she is to keep in mind the success of his or her school. Sports help students lead a more corporate and mature life. Sports teach our students that the ups and downs are the inevitable aspects of life and should be taken in strides. Playing for a sports can help them experience hardships and allow them to face the trials, hardships and various rigors of daily life in the future. The very breath of sportsmanship is fair play. Sports are another name of honesty, integrity and loyalty for students. Thus a good sportsman can be the ideal citizen of the country.