Sportsmanship

Good sportsmanship should first be taught by parents. If a child is pushed by a parent to win at all cost, chances are that sportsmanship may get lost along the way. Parents should be good role models for kids. They should always show good sportsmanship themselves. Kids learn from what they see.

Children should be taught good sportsmanship, starting at a very young age. Being considerate, showing respect and playing fair can be taught early in life. If this is done, being a good sport should become natural for them. Also, when these kids get on the playing field or ball court, good sportsmanship should come easier for them. They can be good examples for others to follow.

• Play with discipline 

If parents will take that first step in teaching their kids to always play by the rules – don’t talk trash or tease opponents; admit when you make a mistake, don’t make excuses or blame others; always try your hardest even if you are getting beat; don’t argue with calls by officials; don’t show off, and have fun – good sportsmanship can be saved.

Sportsmanship is very important when you play sports and are involved in other activities. When you have sportsmanship, you have better games. You don’t get angry when calls don’t go your way. Also, you get along better with everyone, including your opponents. When you use good sportsmanship you have a chance at better teamwork and a good attitude. Using sportsmanship helps the team work together as one on and off the courts. You also gain a better perspective of things, and you feel good for playing fair. So it’s important to have sportsmanship.

Good sportsmanship comes from players who are determined to give it 100 percent all the time. You gain sportsmanship by playing fair and controlling your actions. Sportmanship can take you high in life. People who have good sportsmanship have better games. Sportsmanship can do a lot for your future. You can be recognized for all sorts of things, such as awards, spots on your team, and maybe if you’re lucky, you could even get a scholarship. So having good sportsmanship can help you in the long run.

There is also bad sportsmanship. Unfortunately, this route is taken far too often. It’s easier to be a bad sport. Bad sportsmanship is shown when you down another player, hurt someone on purpose or throw a fit because things don’t go your way. Bad sportsmanship comes from not having the desire to give it whatever it takes. I think when you have bad sportsmanship you are upset or want to take the easy road. People who have bad sportsmanship on the courts are going to have bad attitudes off the courts. So bad sportsmanship can ruin things for you now and in the long run.

So next time you hear it’s good to show sportsmanship you will understand why. Also remember “Dare to play fair!” It will help you go far in life and in everything you do. Also, having good sportsmanship will help you succeed in life.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.