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Do School Sports Teach Good Sportsmanship?
I have been watching a number of high school basketball games and was surprised with what I have seen. Fans yelling derogatory remarks at the officials and leading chants of BS, BS if they dislike a call? Cheerleaders leading cheers in hopes of disrupting opponent’s free throw attempts and players trash talking. What is up with high school sports? I thought school sports should emphasize good sportsmanship?
You are right. School sports in America are built on a strong educational foundation. For example, the mission statement of the National Federation of State High School Associations indicates that it “will promote participation and sportsmanship to develop good citizens through interscholastic activities which provide equitable opportunities, positive recognition and learning experiences to students while maximizing the achievement of educational goals” (NFHS Mission Statement, n.d.).However, sports sociologists have often said that sport is a reflection of larger society. With the Enron scandal, insider trading, and politicians who are questioned on their ethics it is not surprising that we see an erosion of sportsmanship in some of our high school athletes.
It also does not help that some highly visible professional athletes exhibit poor sportsmanship. In fact, it seems like the bad boys (or girls) of sports get more attention in he media than those who exhibit more desirable behaviors.
Increasing incidences of poor sportsmanship does not have to be the case, however. The Michigan High School Athletic Association was concerned about the erosion of sportsmanship in their school sports. So they designed a program to make things better. First, they defined what good sportsmanship involved and then distributed this to all the schools. Schools then posted signs in all gyms reminding everyone that good sportsmanship was expected and a public address announcement of that expectation was made prior to the game and at halftime.
These programs also have athletes, their parents and their coaches sign codes of conduct agreeing to adhere to good sportsmanship guidelines. And coaches and athletic directors monitored sportsmanship behaviors. If student sections at games get rowdy or fans start to get out of hand, athletic directors immediately talk to those involved.
Last but not least, we all must take personal responsibility for our own behavior. Part of the fun of sports is the emotional thrills it brings, but we must not let our emotions get the best of us and act inappropriately. Moreover, we should not support the products endorsed by professional athletes or teams that display inappropriate behavior on a regular basis.
Daniel Gould, Ph.D.
Sport Psychology Specialist
Director, Institute for the Study of Youth Sports
