Sportsmanship Tips

Sportsmanship tips for student-athletes:
1. Accept your responsibility as a role model. Understand that representing your school and your community is a privilege that’s not to be taken lightly.
2. Learn the rules of the games you play. Help your parents and fellow students understand them better.
3. Treat your opponents the way you want to be treated - with respect. Nobody understands how hard they have worked better than you do.
4. Refrain from taunting, trash talking, or making any kind of derogatory remarks to your opponents - especially comments of an ethnic, racial, or sexual nature. No trash talking! Got it?
5. Respect the integrity and judgment of game officials, no matter how much you may disagree with them.

 
Sportsmanship tips for parents:

1. Remember that high school athletes are teenagers. They’re still learning, which means they make mistakes. It’s important to praise them, and not criticize.
2. Always respect opposing players, coaches, and spectators. Show appreciation for the outstanding plays they make. And never cheer if one of them is injured.
3. Respect game officials. Understand that they are people like you and me who are doing their best to support our youth. Hey, where would our community be without them?
4. Censor those fans around you whose behavior is inappropriate.
5. Remember that a ticket to a high school athletic event is not a license to verbally assault others - including officials, coaches, and players from the opposing team.

 
Sportsmanship tips for coaches:

1. As a coach, you need to exemplify the highest moral character, behavior and leadership possible. You’re a lot more than just a coach. You’re a teacher. There is no profession that is more important. Practicing good sportsmanship is teaching good citizenship.
2. You need to do more than teach the rules of the game. You must also respect them and abide by them - in letter and in spirit.
3. You must stress to your student-athletes that disrespectful behavior - especially taunting, trash talking, and intimidating - will not be tolerated.
4. You’ve got to set a good example for players and fans alike to follow. This means treating game officials with respect - even when you disagree. And no arguing, gesturing or throwing stuff - including your hat, clipboard, or jacket.
5. There are so many examples of unsportsmanlike conduct at the professional level; you’ve got to make sportsmanship your number one priority. Aspire to be role models that professional coaches can follow.