"If you can react the same way to winning and losing, that is a big accomplishment. That quality is important because it stays with you the rest of your life." - Tennis great Chris Evert
Sadly, that quote was lost on Canadian hockey fans last night after the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins. We've come to expect that scale of sore losership in some corners of the world. But we were blindsided by the behavior of the Vancouver fans, which served as another reminder that good sportsmanship and better fansmanship 'manners a lot'!
Whether one is a player or a zealous spectator, the manner in which you behave in the wake of the win or loss is a true mark of social grace and civility. For it isn't in the victory that we learn about ourselves, but in the losses and defeats.
Last night's rioting had an uncomfortable familiarity to it - losing one's self and common sense in the blinding lights of the moment.
We should all take note of the bad behavior in Vancouver, and remember that the next time our team is victorious, or flames out. As esteemed basketball coach John Wooden said, 'things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." If you haven't yet seen the article at KidsHealth.org about teaching our kids how to be a good sport (which I blogged about last fall), check it out.
Unbridled enthusiasm should never include disrespecting or demeaning someone else or their property. Emily Post writes that if someone 'can't take sports with grace and good temper, then don't go in for them'. Winners - don't gloat; Losers - don't sulk! Afterall, it really DOES 'Manner A lot'.
Showing posts with label sportsmanship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sportsmanship. Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Be A Good Sport
"It is your response to winning and losing that makes you a winner or a loser" - Harry Sheehy, Dartmouth Athletic Director & former coach, Williams College.
As Fall sports wind down, from the soccer and football fields to the volleyball and tennis courts, there are ample opportunities to drive home the importance of being a good sport right now. The discussion of being a gracious winner has been a recurring topic in our home as of late, as our beloved Oregon Ducks paddle ever closer to a chance at a national championship.
Our culture embraces winners, and certainly no one wants to lose. But just as we use sports to embolden our youth and teach them life lessons, so too should we emphasize the value of their behavior AFTER the last whistle has been blown. Recently two of our children witnessed first hand how easily one can be perceived as being a sore loser, without ever uttering a word. Following the last month's USC-Oregon game at the LA Coliseum, as we walked back to the car (our allegiance clearly visible on our apparel) past herds of post-game Trojan tailgaters, across Exposition Park, and back onto the campus, only one USC fan congratulated us on our win. Just ONE!
As collegiate football fanatics, we've had the pleasure of attending games in venues steeped in tradition and graciousness, such as Williams Brice Stadium - home of the South Carolina Gamecocks, where winners and losers alike congratulate the opponent and thank them for a good game. Period. As the late, legendary Coach John Wooden said, "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."
There's an article at KidsHealth.org about teaching our kids how to be a good sport, including telling your opponents "Good Game", regardless of who won. Check it out, then print it out and share with your children before their last soccer, football or volleyball game has been played. And as they line up to exchange the obligatory high-fives with the other team, remind them that the hand-slap gesture is meaningless without a smile on their face and sincerity in their heart. THAT is what will truly make them good sports!
As Fall sports wind down, from the soccer and football fields to the volleyball and tennis courts, there are ample opportunities to drive home the importance of being a good sport right now. The discussion of being a gracious winner has been a recurring topic in our home as of late, as our beloved Oregon Ducks paddle ever closer to a chance at a national championship.
Our culture embraces winners, and certainly no one wants to lose. But just as we use sports to embolden our youth and teach them life lessons, so too should we emphasize the value of their behavior AFTER the last whistle has been blown. Recently two of our children witnessed first hand how easily one can be perceived as being a sore loser, without ever uttering a word. Following the last month's USC-Oregon game at the LA Coliseum, as we walked back to the car (our allegiance clearly visible on our apparel) past herds of post-game Trojan tailgaters, across Exposition Park, and back onto the campus, only one USC fan congratulated us on our win. Just ONE!
As collegiate football fanatics, we've had the pleasure of attending games in venues steeped in tradition and graciousness, such as Williams Brice Stadium - home of the South Carolina Gamecocks, where winners and losers alike congratulate the opponent and thank them for a good game. Period. As the late, legendary Coach John Wooden said, "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."
There's an article at KidsHealth.org about teaching our kids how to be a good sport, including telling your opponents "Good Game", regardless of who won. Check it out, then print it out and share with your children before their last soccer, football or volleyball game has been played. And as they line up to exchange the obligatory high-fives with the other team, remind them that the hand-slap gesture is meaningless without a smile on their face and sincerity in their heart. THAT is what will truly make them good sports!
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