Sportsmanship is all about GRACE.  I’m sure you’ve heard the expressions “Winning gracefully” and “Losing gracefully”, but have you ever really thought about what they mean?  In the excitement of a win or a crushing moment of defeat many people forget themselves and lose their cool.  It’s hard not to let feelings of bitterness or triumph take over the moment - especially when fierce rivalries are involved - and yet that’s exactly what you have to do.

Sports figures of every level - high school, college, amateurs, pros- are all looked up to by someone.  Maybe it’s your little sister is sitting in the bleachers as you dunk the winning shot or a 14 year old boy in Italy admiring your gold-winning performance at the Olympics.  The point is, as soon as you make the decision to play sports and become an athlete you have also taken on the responsibility of becoming a ROLE MODEL. Being a role model means behaving in a way which others can look up to and imitate.

Most professional sports organizations make an effort to keep the spirit of sportsmanship alive.  There are standards of behavior that all players must stick to - no fighting, throwing things, etc. or they can be penalized.  Baseball teams and hockey teams (during playoffs), by tradition, shake hands at the end of a game.  It’s the small things that matter; those few athletes who constantly appear to be breaking the rules of conduct often lose the respect and admiration of the fans - no matter how well they are playing.

A bad attitude on the field can put a shadow over the reputations of even the best players.  Ty Cobb was one of the greatest baseball players who ever played and yet, for some people, his career will be permanently scarred by his shows of poor sportsmanship. 

If you are a skilled player people will certainly take note - but it is that rare player who is able to excel at their game AND have a winning attitude who can always be confident of gaining the respect of their fans.