Sportsmanship facts for kids
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Sportsmanship is a really important idea in sports and games. It means playing fairly and being respectful, whether you win or lose. It's about showing grace and dignity in every competition.
Good sportsmanship includes a few key things. It means playing by the rules and being fair to everyone. It also means respecting the decisions of referees and officials. Treating your opponents with respect is a big part of it too. The main idea is that "it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, but how you play the game."
Contents
What is Sportsmanship?
Sportsmanship is all about having a good attitude when you play. It means you try your best, but you also respect others. It's about being a good winner and a good loser. This value helps make sports fun and fair for everyone involved.
Why is Sportsmanship Important?
Good sportsmanship helps create a positive environment in sports. When players show respect, it makes the game more enjoyable. It also teaches important life lessons, like teamwork and handling challenges. It can even prevent arguments and bad feelings between players.
Sportsmanship at the Olympic Games
The Olympic Games are a huge international sports event. Athletes from all over the world compete there. At the Olympics, athletes are expected to always do their very best. This idea fits with the Olympic motto: "Faster, Higher, Stronger." It means pushing yourself to achieve great things.
Examples of Great Sportsmanship
Many athletes have shown amazing sportsmanship. Here are a few examples from the Olympics:
- In 1964, Eugenio Monti was a bobsleigh athlete from Italy. During the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, he helped his opponents. He lent them a part for their bobsled, which allowed them to compete.
- At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Lawrence Lemieux was sailing for Canada. He was in second place when he saw two other sailors in trouble. He stopped his race to help rescue them.
- In 2012, Shin Lam was a fencer from South Korea at the London Olympics. She lost a very close match due to a timekeeping error. Even though it was unfair, she handled the situation with great dignity.
Examples of Poor Sportsmanship
Sometimes, athletes do not show good sportsmanship. This can lead to problems and disappointment. For example, at the 2012 London Olympics, some badminton players tried to lose their matches on purpose. They did this to get an easier path in the tournament.
These players included:
- Tian Qing, Zhao Yunlei, Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang from China
- Jung Kyung-eun, Kim Ha-na, Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung from South Korea
- Greysia Polii and Meilana Jauhari from Indonesia
This behavior was seen as very unsportsmanlike. It went against the spirit of fair competition.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Shaking hands after the match is considered a symbol of good sportsmanship.
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A moment of sportsmanship when John Landy helped Ron Clarke get up after he had fallen.
See also
In Spanish: Juego limpio para niños
