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Here's
a 10-item checklist to follow as you
try to develop a habit of good sportsmanship. 1.
Abide by the rules of the game. Part
of good sportsmanship is knowing the
rules of the game and playing by them.
If you decide to play a soccer, it is your responsibility to learn
not only how to play but how to play according to the rules which have
been established and standardized to allow competitive games to be
played in an orderly fashion.
The more you know the rules the more you can enjoy the sport.
2.
Try to avoid arguments.
Part
of good sportsmanship is anger management.
Arguing with officials, coaches or
opponents is often simply a misguided effort at "letting off steam" in
the heat of competition. A good sport knows that anger can get in the
way of a good performance. A good sport knows how to walk away from
an argument and to stay focused on the game at hand. 3.
Share in the responsibilities of
the team. Good
sportsmanship implies that you are
a team player. In other words, you
understand that your behavior reflects
on the team in general. Moreover, a
team player does not condone unsportsmanlike
conduct from teammates and reminds
players that they all share in the
responsibility of promoting good sportsmanship. 4.
Help lesser talented players. Good
sports, will look out for and encourage
the less talented players on the team. 5.
I always play fair. Honesty
and integrity should be an integral
part of soccer. A player with good
sportsmanship does not want a hollow
victory which comes as a result of
cheating ("dirty" fouls, ineligible
players, performance enhancing drugs,
etc.) 6.
Follow the directions of the coach. A
player with good sportsmanship listens
to and follows the directions of the
coach, realizing that each player's
decisions affect the rest of the team.
If a you have a disagreement with the
coach, you should discuss the disagreement
privately in a civil manner, away from
the public eye.
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7.
Respect the effort of
the other team.
Whether
the other team plays better,
or whether  they
play worse,
the player with
good sportsmanship does not
use the occasion to put the
other team down. In the field
of competition respect for
opponents is central to good
sportsmanship. If an opponent
out-performs you, then you
accept it, learns from it,
offers no excuses and moves
on.
If
you out-perform an opponent, you
should enjoy the victory, but does
not gloat, do not belittle, and
do not minimize the opponent's
effort. |
8.
Offer encouragement to teammates. A
sign of good sportsmanship is a player
who praises teammates when they do
well and who comforts and encourages
them when they make mistakes.
Criticizing teammates in the heat of
battle simply distracts from the focus
of working together and gives the advantage
to the opponent who develops a sense
of confidence when seeing signs of
weakness or a lack of unity in the
midst of the competition. 9.
Accept the judgment calls of the
game officials. Part
of the human condition is making mistakes.
Arguing with an official over a judgment
call simply wastes energy. The player
with good sportsmanship knows that
errors may be made, but the player
also knows that a game is made up of
all the plays and calls from the beginning
to the end of the game, not just the
call in dispute. The player with good
sportsmanship may be upset, but that
player also has learned to focus his/her
energies back on the game and on doing
the best he/she can do for the rest
of the game.
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10.
End the game smoothly.
When
the game is over, pouting,
threatening, cajoling have
no place in 
the
life of the players with good
sportsmanship, who emphasize
the joy
of participating, regardless
of outcome. They're not devoid
of emotions but they know that
their efforts to end the competition
smoothly, without antagonistic
emotional display, will help
ensure that the games will
continue in the future.
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Courtesy
Dr. Burnett. For a catalog describing
all his materials call (800) 493-5943. |
