Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is conformance to the rules, spirit, and etiquette of sport. More grandly, it may be considered the ethos of sport. It is interesting that the motivation for sport is often an elusive element. Sportsmanship expresses an aspiration or ethos that the activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. Being a "good sport" involves being a "good winner" as well as being a "good loser". [See, "e.g.", Joel Fish and Susan Magee, "101 Ways to Be a Terrific Sports Parent", p. 168. Fireside, 2003. [http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/11/10/it_takes_a_bad_loser_to_become.html] David Lacey, "It takes a bad loser to become a good winner." "The Guardian", November 10, 2007.]

Often the pressures of competition, individual achievement, or introduction of technology can seem to work against enjoyment by participants. As a result, sportsmanship may be contrasted with gamesmanship.

Examples of poor sportsmanship are winners "rubbing salt in the wounds" of the losers, or the losers expressing frustration at not winning, perhaps to the point of holding a grudge, booing the winner's national anthem (at an event such as the Olympics) or failing to congratulate the winners.

Sportsmanship typically is regarded as a component of morality in sport, composed of three related and perhaps overlapping concepts: fair play, sportsmanship, and character. [Shields & Bredemeier, 1995.] Fair play refers to all participants having an equitable chance to pursue victory [Weinberg & Gould, 1999.] and acting toward others in an honest, straightforward, and a firm and dignified manner even when others do not play fairly. It includes respect for others including team members, opponents, and officials. [Canadian Commission for Fair Play, 1990.] Character refers to dispositions, values and habits that determine the way that person normally responds to desires, fears, challenges, opportunities, failures and successes and is typically seen in polite behaviors toward others such as helping an opponent up or shaking hands after a match. An individual is believed to have a “good character” when those dispositions and habits reflect core ethical values. This is important to a lot of sports.

Sportsmanship can be conceptualized as an enduring and relatively stable characteristic or disposition such that individuals differ in the way they are generally expected to behave in sport situations. In general, sportsmanship refers to virtues such as fairness, self-control, courage and persistence [Shields & Bredemeier, 1995.] and has been associated with interpersonal concepts of treating others and being treated fairly, maintaining self-control in dealing with others, and respect for both authority and opponents. Five facets of sportsmanship have been identified:
* Full commitment to participation ("e.g.", showing up, working hard during all practices and games, acknowledging one’s mistakes and trying to improve);
* Respect and concern for rules and officials;
* Respect and concern for social conventions ("e.g.", shaking hands, recognizing the good performance of an opponent);
* Respect and concern for the opponent ("e.g.", lending one’s equipment to the opponent, agreeing to play even if the opponent is late, not taking advantage of injured opponents);
* Avoiding poor attitudes toward participation ("e.g.", not adopting a win-at-all-costs approach, not showing temper after a mistake, and not competing solely for individual prizes). [Vallerand, Deshaies, Cuerrier, Briere, & Pelletier, 1996; Vallerand, Briere, Blanchard, & Provencher, 1997.]

ore loser

A sore loser is one who reacts immaturely or improperly when losing a game or contest.

References

External links

* [http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/31/unsportsmanlike-conduct-by-a-rod/?em&ex=1180843200&en=5e2487eeb6c9cf90&ei=5087%0A Unsportsmanlike Conduct By A-Rod?]
* [http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/06/02/torre_tactic_inappropriate/ Torre Tactic Inappropriate]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/01/AR2007060102617.html]
* [http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/06/02/hes_a_lightning_rod_for_fans/ Boston: He's a lightning rod for fans]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sportsmanship — Sports man*ship, n. The practice of sportsmen; skill in field sports. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sportsmanship — “conduct worthy of a sportsman,” 1745, from sportsman (see SPORT (Cf. sport) (n.)) + SHIP (Cf. ship) …   Etymology dictionary

  • sportsmanship — [n] integrity fairness, forthrightness, gamesmanship, goodness, honesty, honor, honorableness, principle, righteousness, sincerity, virtue; concept 411 …   New thesaurus

  • sportsmanship — [spôrts′mən ship΄] n. 1. skill in or fondness for sports 2. qualities and behavior befitting a sportsman …   English World dictionary

  • sportsmanship — sports|man|ship [ˈspo:tsmənʃıp US ˈspo:rts ] n [U] behaviour that is fair, honest, and polite in a game or sports competition ▪ His sportsmanship and style of play is refreshing. good/bad/poor sportsmanship (=good or bad behaviour in a sport) ▪… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • sportsmanship — n. to display, show sportsmanship * * * [ spɔːtsmənʃɪp] show sportsmanship to display …   Combinatory dictionary

  • sportsmanship — [[t]spɔ͟ː(r)tsmənʃɪp[/t]] N UNCOUNT Sportsmanship is behaviour and attitudes that show respect for the rules of a game and for the other players. The team also won praise for sportsmanship and fair play …   English dictionary

  • sportsmanship — noun (U) behaviour that is fair, honest and polite in a game or sports competition: good/bad sportsmanship: We try to teach the kids good sportsmanship …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • sportsmanship — Synonyms and related words: candor, cricket, fair play, fair shake, fair mindedness, fairness, good sportsmanship, honesty, honor, honorableness, integrity, justice, justness, probity, scrupulousness, sportsmanlikeness, sportsmanliness, square… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • sportsmanship — sports|man|ship [ spɔrtsmənʃıp ] noun uncount fair and honest behavior in sports: good/bad sportsmanship a. fair behavior in other activities, for example politics …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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