Sportsmanship is a conduct (such as fairness, respect for one’s opponent, and graciousness of winning or losing) becoming to one participating in sport (Merriam-Webster, 2003, p. 1207). Sportsmanship is not all comprising a code of specialized behavior. Sportsmanship is also an attitude, a posture, other things that would act as a legal code (Keating, 2018, p. 115). There have been many articles that have been researched that pertains to sportsmanship within the industry of sports.
In the article “Promoting Sportsmanship in Youth Sports,” there are a few main points of this article that provides sportsmanship with theoretical and practical information involving youth sports (Goldstein, Iso-Ahola, 2006). The authors give a review on two initiatives that are developed and implemented that deal with the behavior issues in sports (Goldstein, Iso-Ahola, 2006). The authors then provide suggestions that could be applied by today’s practitioners to make sporting environments better for everybody that is involved. (Goldstein, Iso-Ahola, 2006). Within sports today, many people have trouble defining what sportsmanship is, and sometimes people will use the method as “I know it when I see it” (Goldstein, Iso-Ahola, 2006). In youth sports, there have been more applications to the concept of just shaking hands after the game when talking about sportsmanship.
When talking about sportsmanship, there are many factors that play a huge role in what sportsmanship is. Competition has a direct connection to sportsmanship. In this article the authors made notable that there were two orientations that people have in regards of competition. The two types orientation within competition are ego orientation and task orientation. Ego orientation is driven by individuals that choose to compete in order to beat their opponents and win by all mean’s and all costs, even though it may involve cheating or hurting another person. (Goldstein, Iso-Ahola, 2006) Task orientation people choose to participate in competition to continue to improve their skills within the sport that the participant is playing. The competitors set goals and focus on those goals they have set to partake in a better performance.
In todays sporting industry within the professional level sportsmanship enhances a view of competition and weakens the growth of sportsmanship in youth athletes because of ego orientation. When young athletes are exposed to professional athletes that are selfish and self-centered, it makes young athletes show tiny sportsmanship and respect to their opponents because of being exposed to the professional models that show unsportsmanlike behavior (Goldstein, Iso-Ahola, 2006). The authors mention’s a study that was done that found that “84 percent of teenage soccer players reported that they deliberately fouled an opponent to keep him or her from scoring. (Goldstein, Iso-Ahola, 2006). The authors in this article believe that the main obstacle is because of parents being spectators. Many parents want their kids to win and be successful because their own ego is being acknowledged by their child’s performance. The parents get so engaged that they eventually start fighting with the opponent’s parents. The authors believe that in order to make sporting environments better is to implement practices such as philosophy that requires athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators to adhere to fundamental values as respect, fairness, civility, honesty, and responsibility.
There are three other items the authors include like measurable standards – require strict obedience to written policies and procedures related to sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and continue communicate the procedures to athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators. Education – provide sporting and ethical – conduct education to participants, coaches, parents, and administrators. Evaluation – undertake systematic and rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of sporting and education efforts (Goldstein, Iso-Ahola, 2006). All these examples are ways the authors suggest that help create a better environment for youth sports.
However, while the article “Promoting Sportsmanship in Youth Sports,” talked about roles of two orientations including ego and task orientation’s and how they play a part in sportsmanship also involving youth sports within competition. Goldstein and Iso – Ahola, believe that parents play a huge role in ego-orientation because many parents want their kid to win and become successful, and the parents rely on their own ego because they are going to be acknowledged because of their child’s performance and greatness.
The article “Sportsmanship in young athletes: The role of competitiveness, motivational orientation, and perceived purposes of sport,” talks about a study that was done that involved 319 young participants in sports that included the evaluation of competitiveness, motivational orientation, and perceived purposes and how that plays a role in sportsmanship (Ryska, 2003). The article also talks a little about the ego and task involvement between participation very similar to the article “Promoting Sportsmanship in Youth Sports.” The author of this article talks about goal perspective theorists define “sport motivation as how an individual interprets personal success in a competitive sport setting” (Ryska, 2003). He later goes on and says that “a task involved athlete arises his or her perceived competence from self- oriented information such as skill improvement, task mastery, and maximal effort in the pursuit of goals (Ryska, 2003). He also comments that “ego involved athletes tend to emphasize participation goals that help with social status and popularity including getting ahead in life and gaining a competitive power” (Ryska, 2003).
The study in this article contained 319 participants and was conducted as a survey to athletes prior to the schedule practices (Ryska, 2003). The author used a multivariate design to measure the relative role of the variables such as athlete competitiveness, achievement goals, and participation motives. (Ryska,2003). After doing the study, Ryska found that ego motivation was negatively related to each aspect of sportsmanship and competitiveness was negatively linked with the sportsmanship dimension of full commitment of sport (Ryska, 2003). However, there were others that were positively related to the three dimensions: motivation, self-esteem, and cooperation.
During this study, athletes who participates in sport to acquire new skills showed great sportsmanship. Though, the dimensions of sportsmanship are impacted by the motivational character of the contribution of participation. The author of this article believes that there is are very little information regarding the impact from both parties on the mechanisms of sportsmanship and participation in sports.
Competitive sports provide opportunities to help build character. Sport participation presents youth with occasions that help them decide with a framework of what is right or wrong. When they decide on those two options it allows them to act upon those judgements they have chosen (Bolter, 2010). Especially with youth sports, most sports are influenced by coaches that develop outcomes that pertains to motivation and life skills (Bolter, 2010). Bolter uses a theory-based approach when studying the behaviors of coaches and athlete with the development on their behavior. The study found that coaches informational and evaluative were related to the athletes’ self-perceptions, emotional and motivational experiences in the athlete’s behavior.
Many coaches feel like it is their responsibility to teach young athletes about sportsmanship and how to become better citizens. Much research has found that parents and coaches have a great impact on young athletes’ behavior (Banning, 2009). One example the author presents in his article is children who observe their coaches refusing to shake the other team’s hand of the opposing team are likely to see that sportsmanship is not an important quality in sports. However, when an athlete sees a coach doing a sportsmanlike behavior, they will think that sportsmanship is highly important in sports. Children often follow their coach’s behavior whether it is sportsmanlike or not (Banning, 2009, p.5). Many coaches that coach youth often support that sports teaches values to the young athletes. There are times where sports seek unsportsmanlike behaviors like cheating and other unethical behaviors that are simply common in sports.
Many people may see unsportsmanlike conduct in the professional sports and college level, but it has now lowered to youth sports (Lumpkin, 2008). Coaches today are showing athletes that winning by anything is acceptable but so does the parents of the athletes. Lumpkin believes that youth should participate in sports to have fun and help the kids develop skills and friendships (Lumpkin, 2008). However, coaches are supposed to teach young athletes’ sportsmanlike behaviors instead of teaching them they are supposed to win by anything. Keating (2008, p 118) talks about sportsmanship and for the athlete purposes of what is a good loser. He explains that being a good loser is “demonstrating self-control in the face of adversity” (Keating, 2018, p. 118). He goes on and says that the “athlete who can control himself in such circumstances can demonstrate equanimity” (Keating, 2018, p. 118). What he is saying is that a good loser is someone who can control their temper when they lose and accept that they lost besides throwing a temper tantrum and that the good loser is to be a man about losing.
