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Eight Basic Rules of Good Sportsmanship
1. Follow the Golden Rule of Sports Competition: Treat opposing players, coaches, and refs the way you'd like to be treated.
2. Respond immediately when any player gets hurt. Show kids that they are more important than the game.
3. Cheer for your child and his team to play well. Don't cheer against the opponent.
4. Do not tolerate trash-talking or taunting by any player.
5. You can disagree with a ref or umpire, but don't use abusive or obscene language. Don't embarrass the officials, your child, yourself, or the team. Don't make a scene.
6. Respect an opponent's abilities and applaud the opposing team when it makes a good play.
7. Encourage fair play at all times.
8. Teach kids that every athlete knows the bitter taste of defeat. The true test of a CHAMPION is being a good sport after losing the big game, not winning it!
Source: Good Sports, a Parent's Guide to Youth Sports, by Rick Wolff, sports psychologist
Baseball's Ten Commandments
1. Nobody ever becomes a ballplayer by walking after a ball.
2. You will never become a .300 hitter unless you take the bat off your shoulder.
3. If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today.
4. Keep your head up and you may not have to keep it down.
5. When you start to slide, slide. He who changes his mind may have to change a good leg for a bad one.
6. Do not alibi on bad hops. Anyone can field the good ones.
7. Always run them out. You never can tell!
8. Never Quit!
9. Do not find too much fault with the umpires. You cannot expect them to be as perfect as you are.
10. A pitcher who hasn't control hasn't anything.
Source: Cheif Bender, Philadelphia Athletics, Baseball Hall of Famer
Developing Good Sportsmanship
1. Abide by the Rules of the Game - Part of good sportsmanship is knowing the rules of the game and playing by them. The more you know the rules, the more you can enjoy the sport.
2. Try to Avoid Arguments - A good sport knows that anger can get in the way of good performance. Learn how to walk away from arguments and stay focused on the game.
3. Share in the Responsibilities of the Team - Being a good sport means being a team player. Your behavior reflects on the team in general. Moreover, a team player does not condone unsportsmanlike conduct from other teammates and kindly reminds them to all share in the responsibility of good sportsmanship.
4. Help Lesser Talented Players - Good sports will look out for and encourage those that need it.
5. Always Play Fair - Honesty and integrity should be an integral part of your game. A player with good sportmanship does not want a hollow victory which comes as a result of cheating.
6. Follow the Directions of the Coach - Listen and follow the directions of the coach, realizing that each player's decisions affect the rest of the team. If you have a disagreement with the coach, you should discuss it privately in a civil manner, away from the public eye.
7. Respect the Other Team's Efforts - In the field of competition, respect for opponents is central to good sportsmanship, whether the other team plays better or whether they play worse. If an opponent out-performs you, then you accept it, learn from it, offer no excuses and move on. If you out-perform an opponent, you should enjoy the victory, but do not gloat, belittle or minimize the other team's efforts.
8. Offer Encouragement to Teammates - A good sport praises teammates when they do well and encourages them when they make mistakes. Criticizing teammates simply distracts from the focus of working together and gives the advantage to the opponent.
9. Accept the Judgement Calls of the Game Officials - Part of the human condition is making mistakes. Know that errors can be made but learn to focus your energies back on the game and doing your best.
10. End the Game Smoothly - When the game is over, pouting, threatening, and cajoling have no place in the life of a player with good sportsmanship. They're not devoid of emotions but they know how to emphasize the joy of participating without antagonistic emotional display.
Source: Dr Burnett - SoccerClinics.com - the coaching website
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Guidelines for Parents
1. Make sure your children know that - win or lose - you love them and are not disappointed with their performance.
2. Be realistic about your child's physical ability.
3. Emphasize improved performance, not winning. Positively reinforce improved skills.
4. Control your own emotions at games and events. Don't yell at other players, coaches or officials.
5. Be a cheerleader for your child and the other children on the team.
6. Respect your child's coaches. Communicate openly with them. Discuss disagreements with them in a private, civilized manner.
7. Be a positive role model. Enjoy the sports yourself and live a healthy lifestyle.
8. Cheer for the opposing team when they do well and talk to the parents of the opposing team. Remember they're not the enemy - they're just parents and kids playing the same game we are!
9. Thank the officials. If you take a moment to compliment the officials for their hard work after the game (especially if your team loses), you will be rewarded with the pleasure of seeing a surprised smile in return. (Don't we all need to smile more often!)
10. Be a parent, not a coach; resist the urge to critique. Let the coach point out your child's weaknesses. Just be there for your child and let them know how much you enjoy watching them play and how much you love them!
Source: The Physician and Sportsmedicine and Shane Murphy, PhD
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WHAT MAKES A "CLASS" TEAM?
PRIDE
Have pride in your team and teammates. The way you play, look and act, on and off the field.
Everyone is part of the "family". Do things to make the team proud. Don't embarrass the team or yourself.
Older players encourage and help younger ones as they represent the future of the team.
Everyone is together as a team mixing with everyone else, don't divide the team into small groups.
Whatever team you play on and wherever you go
..... You represent YOUR TEAM.
ATTITUDE
Teammates encourage each other, even if it is the person playing in front of you, and especially if someone makes a mistake. The team comes first, before the individual.
Treat opposing players with respect. Don't bad mouth them. If you run over someone, help them back up.
Treat the umpires with respect, realize that they do a difficult job the best they can and that it's better to be on their good side rather than their bad side.
Players play, spectators watch - the two should not mix.
Everyone on the team is equally important with a job to do the best they can. This goes for each starter and each player on the bench who all work together trying to help the team in whatever way they can.
Play the game the same at all times, regardless of the score, situation or opponent. Don't allow the opposition to deter you from your goals or to lower your standards.
Play hard and play to win, but win or lose with class. Don't try to embarrass the other team when you beat them or give them extra incentive for the next time.
If you give 100%, and still come up short on the scoreboard, there is nothing to be ashamed of, learn from it and don't make excuses.
Sacrifice yourself for the team - break up double plays, dive for balls, bunt runners over, etc.
No "clubhouse lawyers" - if there are problems they go back to the team captains or coaches but are not discussed behind players backs which spreads dissension.
PRESENTATION
Appearance - Team is neatly dressed and looks sharp.
Warm Up - well organized, everything is done together with a purpose.
Infield/Outfield - quick and sharp and snappy.
Hustle - Run on and off the field, whenever a player is on the field they are running.
Bench - Well organized, equipment arranged neatly and everyone has a job to do. All talk and activity is centered around the game and trying to help out in some way.
DO IT WITH CLASS!
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