The first and foremost guardian of the sacred flame of sportmanship is the coach. His or her ultimate responsibility cannot be shuttled off to the athletic director, principal or cheerleaders. Of paramount importance is that this trust cannot be shuttl ed to the referees. As the leader of the TEAM FAMILY, the coach is responsible to train each member in this basic fundamental of sportsmanship: respect others, and in so doing you will earn respect for yourself. Of course, the coach needs support in t his endeavor from other members of the sportsmanship team such as school administrators, cheerleaders and officials; however, the final responsibility of teaching lies squarely on the shoulders of THE COACH.
Why is the flame of sportsmanship sacred? It is because sportsmanship is the spiritual and moral side of athletics. It can permeate the soul of a competitor and lift sports to a lifetime learning experience where lessons of the heart are never forgotten. As someone has said, “Sportsmanship is timeless, endless.” In its mission statement, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) says:
“Good sportsmanship is viewed by the NFHS as a commitment to fair play, ethical behavior and integrity. In perception and practice, sportsmanship is defined as those qualities which are characterized by generosity and genuine concern for others. The i deals of sportsmanship apply equally to all activity disiplines. Individuals, regardless of their role in activities, are expected to be aware of their influence on the behavior of others and model good sportsmanship.”
Sportsmanship's flame has always been a fragile and sometimes flickering light. What are some of the errant vectors in today's world of sports that threaten this precious ideal? Although gamesmanship always has been a negative force to some degree, cu rrently it is amplified by taunting, hazing, harassing, gesturing, fighting, inciting crowds, questioning calls, and “in-your-face” competitive antics. Professional sports has many good models for youth, yet there are a number of highly visible stars w ho through words and deeds desecrate the foundations of sportsmanship.
Invariably, such behavior seeps down into the “follow-the-leader” tendencies of impressionable youth. When this happens, the coach must act as a filter to restore proper perspective to the high school scene. This is accomplished primarily through exam ple, yet it still requires talking both collectively and individually to athletes in practices, as well as before, during and after games. The theme of discussion is basically “treat others as you would have them treat you.”
Players should be well-versed in the coach's expectations for the team. Such expectations as shaking hands with opponents before and after games, respecting calls of officials, and following not only the rules of the sport but also the spirit of rules. They should know what disciplinary action to expect if they violate the basic tenets of sportsmanship. They should be taught what the intrinsic rewards are that come from playing with honor, courage and consideration of others under all circumstances.
Henri Frederic Amiel, a 19th century Swiss philosopher said, “Every life is a profession of faith. Every man's conduct is a sermon that is forever preaching to others.” What Amiel knew is that the greatest force for influencing others lies not in our lofty words, but in our personal action and example. Knute Rockne, always a model of sportsmanship as a person, athlete and coach, also knew this truism: “One man practicing sportsmanship is better than 50 preaching it.”
A coach who implores the team to practice good sportsmanship and then breaks under game pressure, consciously or unconsciously, engaging in a tirade against officials, completely nullifies the effect of his previous exhortations. Conversely, a coach wh o controls emotions while under duress gives the team a tangible guide for good conduct that words could never convey.
Chris Evert, winner of 157 tennis singles championships, including 18 Grand Slam titles, said “Sports is one of the world's great forms of communications, which is why it's so important to me that the message I deliver be a good one...Nothing reveals mo re about athletes (coaches) than the way they handle stress.”
Winning and sportsmanship can go hand-in-hand. Losing and sportsmanship also can walk hand-in-hand. A key role of the coach is always to glean an element of winning from every loss. With good sportsmanship as a constant companion, this goal always c an be realized. Good sports are winners in their own right.
Yes, sportsmanship is a sacred flame and the primary keeper of that flame is the coach. What greater challenge and opportunity could any career offer than the chance to help young people develop the spiritual side of their nature through the TEAM FAMILY with the coach as their exemplar.
—Wilbur Braithwaite