My son recently started playing team soccer. He is six years old and most of what the kids do is run after the ball, kick it or fall on it, and practice underarm farts. It’s fun for them. It’s hilarious for us.
But this is also the time in a kid’s life when she/he is learning about sportsmanship. How our kids learn about sportsmanship during the first few years of team sports, will affect whether they are, in fact, good sports. I want my son to have fun on the field, no doubt. But I also want to have real conversations with him about what it means to have good sportsmanship and why it is important for him – and his team.
The following excerpt is from Kid’s Health.
What Is Good Sportsmanship?
Good sportsmanship is when teammates, opponents, coaches, and officials treat each other with respect. Kids learn the basics of sportsmanship from the adults in their lives, especially their parents and their coaches. Kids who see adults behaving in a sportsmanlike way gradually come to understand that the real winners in sports are those who know how to persevere and to behave with dignity — whether they win or lose a game.
Parents can help their kids understand that good sportsmanship includes both small gestures and heroic efforts. It starts with something as simple as shaking hands with opponents before a game and includes acknowledging good plays made by others and accepting bad calls gracefully.
Displaying good sportsmanship isn’t always easy: It can be tough to congratulate the opposing team after losing a close or important game. But the kids who learn how to do it will benefit in many ways.
Kids who bully or taunt others on the playing field aren’t likely to change their behavior when in the classroom or in social situations. In the same way, a child who practices good sportsmanship is likely to carry the respect and appreciation of other people into every other aspect of life.
The best coaches – and parents – encourage their kids to play fair, to have fun, and to concentrate on helping the team while polishing their own skills.
