Pat Birt
October 19, 2014
Essay #3 Rough Draft
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is something that all people in any competitive environment know a thing or two about. Sportsmanship involves many things such as fair play, treating others with respect, and respecting whatever game is being played. No matter what sport or competitive match is going on, different aspects of sportsmanship are shown in a positive or negative way. Bad sportsmanship stands out because it is not expected by athletes that are competing at a high level. Good sportsmanship is rewarded and praised because it provides a good example to young, aspiring athletes the proper way to play. Good sportsmanship is displayed by respecting one’s teammates and opponents, and following the rules of the sport.
Respecting one’s teammates and opponents is a major component of good sportsmanship. It is not a good thing to boast and brag about one’s accomplishments or to try and belittle a competitor. In football, there are penalties for taunting the opponent after a touchdown is scored. In baseball, a flip of the bat after a home run is thought of as disrespectful. In basketball, it is good sportsmanship to shake hands after a game, whether a team has won or lost. These acts of sportsmanship are important to an athlete’s reputation and to the team’s reputation. Teammates that argue on the sidelines and do not see eye to eye on the floor often cause problems. In team sports, if one person acts foolish, then the whole team is criticized for it. Respecting one’s teammates and opponents is extremely important when trying to display good sportsmanship.
Following the rules of the sport is also extremely important to showing good sportsmanship.
Cheating is a way that any athlete can try to take advantage and to gain an unfair advantage over the other team. There are referees and umpires in different sports that are there to enforce the rules.
Rules are broken from time to time as teams try their best in order to win. However, blatantly cheating is different and
