Sportsmanship and Honor of the Game

Two very important concepts to educate children on are sportsmanship and honor.  What does it mean to you to be a good sport? Wikipedia and other on-line resources define sportsmanship as 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".

Sportsmanship is important, but in order to get the most out of this season, it is also important to honor the game. Honor is the evaluation of a person's trustworthiness and social status based on that individual's espousals and actions.

Some coaches and mentors will use the principle of "Honoring the Game" and going to the "ROOTS" of the matter.  Each letter in ROOTS stands for an important part of the game that we must respect.

The R stands for Rules. The first O is for Opponents. The next O is for Officials. T is for Teammates, and the S is for Self.

R is for Rules. The rules of the sport are what allow us to keep the game fair. Respect for the rules is important, even when it’s possible to break them without getting caught. I want you to play by the rules, even if you think you won’t get caught if you break them. Breaking the rules dishonors the game, even if it means that we win.

O is for Opponents. Without opponents, we could have no game. A good opponent makes us do our best. Sometimes your opponents are friends of yours. I want you to respect your opponents, and remember they are out there to have fun just like us. I want you to try your hardest to win, not because you hate your opponent, but because you want to play your best. I promise that I will show respect for opposing coaches and teams, and I expect you to do the same.

O is for Officials. It is very important to respect officials. Often, this can be the most difficult part of Honoring the Game, so we need to remember to keep it as a focus when we play. Officials have been selected and trained to enforce rules, and they have a very hard job. Without the officials the game would be unsafe and unfair. Officials are not perfect (just like coaches, athletes and parents!) and sometimes make mistakes. However, there is no excuse for treating officials with disrespect when they make errors. I want you to show respect for officials, even when you disagree with the call. I promise to do the same thing.

T is for Teammates. A big part of sport is the team. Being with your teammates should be fun. Later in life you will often be part of a team, and it is important to learn to work together. I hope you feel a commitment to each other as teammates and that you will agree to always play as hard as you can in practice and games. Please encourage and support each other on and off the playing field.

S is for Self. Some people only Honor the Game when their opponents do, but I want you to Honor the Game no matter what the other team or its fans do. I want us to be the kind of team that Honors the Game even when others aren’t because we set our own internal standards. And we live up to them no matter what. We have so much respect for ourselves that we would never do anything to dishonor the game.

So we, as coaches, must have a "T.E.A.M. — Teach, Enforce, Advocate and Model" approach. These four elements should guide the design of all elements of programs to promote sportsmanship and foster good character as well as guide interactions with players, parents, coaches, officials and spectators.