Sportsmanship Essay Contest 2011-2012

What Sportsmanship Means To Me

By Kamal Pearson

According to Webster’s Dictionary sportsmanship means one who plays fair and can lose without complaint or win without gloating. I believe sportsmanship means to be a good team player and to respect all the players in the league, regardless of their playing skills.

I recently read an article on the internet about two high school teams in Wisconsin which showed poor sportsmanship. At halftime the score was 62-11. While holding a 78 point lead in the fourth quarter the team continued to run a full court press leaving all the starters in the game. Unfortunately this is sad example of sportsmanship in the world today. I think the coach should have changed his defense to a two-three zone and allowed only one starter to play with the reserve players instead of running up the score.

This year in the Hype Park Youth Basketball League there have been a lot of close games but I am proud to say I haven’t seen any player or teams gloating about their wins. This year has been one of my best years in the Hype Park Youth Basketball League because I am learning how to be a better team player and how to respect others in the league. To be a good team player you encourage others to do their best. I also learned this year that you should show sportsmanship to the referees. After reading the article “Make Sure Officials Get Their Deserved Respect” I realize that even though referees might make a totally bad call, you still have to focus on the game and keep playing. I am thankful for both of my coaches that they really try to teach me and my teammates how to show good sportsmanship and how to have fun playing basketball.

Derrick Grutchfield

What Sportsmanship Means To Me

Sportsmanship can have a lot of different meanings. One meaning is to congratulate the other team win or lose. By showing the other team support after a difficult loss, it can help them keep their heads high in hopes of a win next time. By congratulating the opposite team after a good win, it shows the other team that we tried hard but appreciate the game they played. A good example of this form of sportsmanship is when our team had lost our first game of the season, but when we rematched that same team we were able to rally and win the game. Sportsmanship also means you can count on your team to have your back if you need more practice. By working together as a team we can get further into the game than we had even expected ourselves to go. Working together not only means to help each other on the court during a game but also if another player is injured or feeling bad due to a tough call in the game it is important to show support. Building a team is more than just practicing with a ball. It takes learning the other players and building friendships of trust with your teammates.

I have been watching the NBA throughout my life and I have seen a lot of good signs of sportsmanship. They give the new people that come on their team tips to get better but allow them to participate actively. Even when a team is down by a lot of points, they somehow come together as a team and try their hardest to win. Then whether win or lose, they always congratulate one another for giving it their all. Showing sportsmanship is a way of life, not just a game.