Sportsmanship

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According to the recently deceased Nelson Mandela, “Sports have the power to change the world." What makes sports so powerful? If you have ever participated in a sport or watched some type of event you have experienced it. This greatness does not occur during the game; but rather, this powerful encounter takes place after the game. For example, boxers beat each other into a pulp for twelve rounds, but after the match they hug and congratulate one another. Football and hockey players shake hands after the game even though they deliver life threatening and dangerous hits. It seems like all competitors, no matter the event, behave in this particular manner. It is all part of sportsmanship, a tradition that illustrates the beauty of sports. Defined by Dictionary.com, sportsmanship is “sportsmanlike conduct, as fairness, courtesy or being a cheerful loser.” This basically means that sportsmanship is defined as the ethical and moral dimension of sports. It is a choice by each individual to display ethical behavior with fairness, respect, and integrity for the game they play.
Vince Lombardi, a legendary coach for the Green Bay Packers and known for having his name on the Super Bowl trophy, once quoted that “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” This mindset controls many professional and amateur athletes and has destroyed the positive sportsmanlike culture. In order to win, athletes have cheated by neglecting the rules or using performance enhancing drugs. In some instances, players intentionally compete in a disrespectful and dirty manner. For example, in 2012 the National Football League reported that the New Orleans Saints established a bounty system which paid players to purposely injure opposing players. How could a playe...

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...e a test. Disregarding the rules, you then plan to make a cheat sheet in order to pass the exam. In this situation, sportsmanship comes into play. The choice to make a cheat sheet is unfair to students who devoted themselves to get a good grade. This act is selfish and lacks accountability. Sportsmanship exists in all areas of life in deciding whether to be fair and respectful. The example of the cheat sheet is one of many real life experiences that sportsmanship can be applied.
Sportsmanship will never be instituted as a mandatory rule in sports; but rather, it remains a choice by each individual. This decision defines an individual’s character to understand and commit themselves to fair play, ethical behavior, and integrity. In some cases the evil of sports and the importance of winning can corrupt these important values that help instill ethical decision making.

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