Sportsmanship

by Bob Morse

I love the game of basketball, and love to play it and watch it, and to teach kids how to play the game up to their ever-evolving abilities. But I also see basketball--and all sports, really--as a terrific opportunity for kids to learn and appreciate and exercise some important life-long values and skills. So our purpose here is to help the kids have some fun while they are learning the game in a way that helps them to develop these values and skills:

• good sportsmanship and proper perspective as one way to "win" (no matter what the score is);
• being both a gracious winner and a gracious loser (learning how to accept and process a loss as just part of the flow rather than a traumatic failure);
• respecting everyone involved (opponents, teammates, officials and coaches); and
• identifying with a team, and working with a team toward common goals, with teammates of widely varying abilities and personalities.

I agree completely and enthusiastically with the Rec Department's emphasis on fun, sportsmanship and skills development above winning and competition. We all like to win, and athletic competition can be great fun, but competition without a classy attitude is not fun, and winning without class is downright obnoxious. I will discuss sportsmanship and good attitudes with the players, and will model proper perspectives and behaviors in our games and practices.

Parents, please discuss this with your kids:

Good sportsmanship is really just a matter of learning how to think of and treat your opponents, teammates, coaches and game officials with respect. And "respect" just means that you step a little bit outside of yourself to see that most other people are a lot like you: they're just trying to have some fun, doing the best they can, and they occasionally make mistakes or have a bad day--just like you. Nobody is perfect, and when you make a mistake you sure don't need anybody to tease you about it or get mad at you, or treat you like they think they are better or smarter than you. When you respect someone, you are being smart enough and mature enough to see that other people want and need to be treated with the same courtesy and kindness that you want and need for yourself. Don't think of your opponents as "enemies" just because they share your competitive spirit and love of the game. With your teammates, remember that not everyone has the same athletic ability or the same experience in the game. Every player has the right to play at his/her own level of ability, and a player's effort alone earns him/her the right to his teammates' respect and encouragement. And finally, remember that the game officials are all doing the best they can to make fair calls, but they will make mistakes sometimes. Get over it. Learn to accept officials' mistakes as part of the game, and show them the respect they deserve.

-- Bob Morse morse@globaldialog.com