Sportsmanship in Sports

Have you been injured when playing sports? I am sure most of you have. Almost everyone has been injured before, and a graze or cut is common due to falls or skids. However, there are some cases where people are intentionally hurt by the opposite team because their opponent's team has won the game. I am sure that most of us have heard about the ugly brawl broke out between the ACSI and St Andrew's secondary schools after a rugby match. A St Andrew's Secondary School student punched ACSI's flanker Leonard David Wee when his school lost 8-7, leaving the ACSI student with a bloodied mouth and nose. This incident put the spotlight on sportsmanship. The Committee on Safety in Sports Schools made it clear in a report that the parents also had a role to play in their children's upbringing in sportsmanship, together with the coaches and the teachers.

I agree with this point of view. Although it is still the responsibility for the teachers or coaches to teach them, they only teach and supervise them on their ability in the sport, and the parents are responsible for the child's behaviour. Children learn more quickly from their parents and they are with them for a longer time than the coaches are with the children, so the parents have more time to teach them how to behave. Additionally, they can teach them the values of fair play, integrity and respect through stories or games. They should also behave in a sportsman-like manner as the children will learn from them.

The coaches should also do more than just teaching the children. The government has made it compulsory for coaches to be qualified in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of a defibrillator. I think that this is a good idea. When the student faints during training sessions, the coaches would be able to help to provide medical help before professional help arrives. This will decrease the chance of a student dying from his injuries. Extra safety measures should be implemented, however, for sports like basketball, judo, taekwondo, rugby and soccer, where there are high degrees of contact between competitors. There is more chance of injuries in such sports, and coaches need to be more alert and careful.

In my opinion, the children should also play a part in their behaviour. They definitely should be more disciplined and not allow their emotions to get the better of them on the playing field. If they lose, they could just accept the fact that they did not perform as well as their opposition during the match. That way, I am sure that fewer fights will occur, naturally leading to the decrease in injuries. For example, when Roger Federer met Rafael Nadal's family along the corridor, they greet and hug each other warmly even though Nadal had just lost the match to Federer in the ATP World Tour Finals. This is the spirit that the children should adopt- to sincerely congratulate the winner even if you have lost.

Competitions are not all about winning. They are also about having sportsmanship. Some people have no sportsmanship if they cheat just to win a competition. Shouting at the referee or opposite team when one loses is also considered having no sportsmanship. Winning is just an additional bonus that you get if you are stronger than the other side, and the process of preparing for the competition is the most important, as that is when you learn the most things.

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Hi guys, I'm a student in Singapore, and this are some thoughts and essays I have written over the years.