Sportsmanship

Our middle son loves soccer, he loves the teamwork, he loves the sport.  He has been lucky to be on a team that also focuses on sportsmanship.  This year we received an email how our son’s soccer coaches were proud that the team showed such good sportsmanship during a tough game and how the kids played hard but had fun.  We later heard about the other team players and coaches swearing and how our team did not retaliate but just played harder.  We witnessed the parents being warned by the referee for their behaviour during the game.  This was not an isolated occurrence and speaking with parents of other sports, this is not unique to soccer.  How can we expect the behaviour of the children to be any different than the adults around them?  How do we expect the behaviour of those around us to be any different if we don’t set the example ourselves?  Not only am I proud of my son and his teammates during that game, I am also proud of his coaches as they were instrumental in ensuring good sportsmanship continued throughout the game and the year.

What is sportsmanship?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary states “fair play, respect for opponents, and polite behavior by someone who is competing in a sport or other competition”.  Kung Fu focuses on both individual and teamwork but the one thing that I have noticed is the there is not a focus on “good sportsmanship” and I believe the reason for this is because it is considered a foundation of Silent River; it is a requirement not an option.  It is modeled in class by instructors, it is expected from all students, it’s taught in class (e.g. how to be a good partner), and involves everyone trying to support each other in a positive way.  Wouldn’t it be nicer if we could find these actions more ingrained in our society instead of these few isolated instances?

I am using my I Ho Chuan year as an opportunity for a personal self-awareness journey.   I am trying to be aware of my actions and reactions and what example they may be setting to those around me.  The only thing that I have control of is my actions and my thoughts, and only I can make the negative into a positive.  Maybe if more people tried this, we wouldn’t need to worry about defining “sportsmanship”?