Sportsmanship
Most sportsmen love to win and be the best. But in the long run, working together as a team and playing fairly is more important than winning. That is what sportsmanship is all about.
Keywords
- sportsmanship
- fairplay
- a rule
- to respect
The Four Rules of Sportsmanship
If you have watched sports games or play a sport yourself, you have probably seen it happen. Rivalling football teams or contestants on the tennis court shaking hands and giving a 'thumbs up' for a good game. That is what sportsmanship is all about. Actually, you can boil the essence of sportsmanship down to four rules: playing fair, following the rules of the game, respecting the judgement of referees, and treating opponents with respect.
Facts
Sportsmanship:
- Playing fair.
- Following the rules of the game.
- Respecting the judgement of referees.
- Treating opponents with respect.
Jesse Owens
In 1936, the American athlete Jesse Owens competed in the long jump in the Olympic Games. Owens missed his first two attempts. His rival Lutz Long suggested that he marked out his run again. Owens took Long's advice and won the gold medal. Long won silver. Owens said: 'You can melt down all the medals and cups I have won, and they wouldn't be worth the plating on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Lutz Long at that moment.'
Not about Winning
The story about Jesse Owens and Lutz Long shows what true sportsmanship is all about. Kindness and love of the game come before winning trophies.
Take a look at good sportsmanship rules in the video below:
Did you know
that there is a special medal for sportsmanship in the Olympic Games? Lutz Long got this medal.