Inculcating Sportsmanship among students
BY ADMIN PUBLISHED February 12, 2024, UPDATED January 1, 1970
Sports can teach valuable life skills to kids, and these skills can help them in all areas of their lives, starting from academics to relationships. Studies show that participating in sports can boost physical, emotional, social, and mental health while nurturing essential skills required to face life. While some kids are naturally good at playing games, on the contrary others do face some difficulties. Thus, it is essential for schools to teach sportsmanship qualities as a part of their curriculum for kids to have a successful future.
Since social skills develop first at family and then at school, Delhi Public School Ghaziabad has professionals who can assist students in building sportsmanship that can have a positive impact on a child’s life. Through a dedicated Sports Centre for Excellence and a structured school sports curriculum, DPSG schools help students learn and develop social skills and also assist them in following directions leading to good sportsmanship skills.
Read this cumulative guide to understand about the role of sports in students’ life and how to build positive qualities while teaching them about sportsmanship.
What Is Sportsmanship?
Sportsmanship is defined as is the conduct carried out between the ones participating in sports. It is when people who are watching or playing a sport treat each other with respect. This includes players, coaches, parents, fans, and other officials.
Sports to Teach Kids Positive Qualities
Children can learn a lot through loss. Even though it is a negative and painful emotion, they can gain strength, wisdom and confidence from it. Here are some qualities of a good sportsman that children can develop from good sportsmanship:
Cooperation And Teamwork
While teaching about sportsmanship, students need to learn that there is no ‘I, me, myself’ in a team. If they are on a team, they need to work together and achieve their end goal collaboratively. Despite individual strengths and weaknesses, every individual must lean this. And following the instructions of coaches, teachers and parents is essential for learning how to compete and be better at their job.
Grit
Children need to learn to have tenacity, resilience and grit. To put effort and dig deep into themselves, they need to learn about themselves. Sometimes they might even be surprised to learn things they never knew existed in them. A child who is a good sport can easily arrange for this effort and learn to feel good about themselves despite their failures.
Graciously Deal With Highs And Lows
Good sportsmanship is all about being gracious. Cooperation and teamwork, and how to deal with winning and losing graciously are skills that can be built with good sportsmanship. Sports can build character and children can gain knowledge and enrich their experience through wins and losses. Therefore, it is up to the adults to help children model and show good sportsmanship qualities.
What activities promote good sportsmanship
Now that you have learnt about role of games and sports in students’ life and the qualities that it can build, here are some engaging activities that can be used to teach kids to be a good sport:
Team Building Games
Games emphasising on team building are a fantastic way to promote sportsmanship. These games not only encourage collaboration but also foster teamwork and communication. Some team building games include:
- Relay races that requires people to work together towards a common collaborative goal
- Obstacle courses that require cooperation and problem-solving skills
- Tug of war that stresses on the importance of strategy and team communication
Students by engaging in these activities can learn to rely and support their teammates that fosters a sense of sportsmanship and unity.
Role Playing Activities
These actives offer individuals an opportunity to practise sportsmanship in simulated situations. Participants can act out challenging scenarios where they face conflict or challenged decision making. Some scenarios include:
- A situation where a player is tempted to cheat
- Scenarios where a player is frustrated with a coach or teammate
- A circumstance where a player disagrees with the referee
Through these situations, students can explore various perspectives, learn how to handle aggravated situations and develop empathy to live with respect and integrity.
Reflective Journaling
This provides individuals with the space to collect their feelings and thoughts about sportsmanship. You need to encourage students to write their journals during practices or after games to focus their experiences associated with sportsmanship. Some prompts include:
- Talk about a time when you displayed good sportsmanship
- Reflect on a situation where you could have been a better sport
- Describe how good sportsmanship can contribute to team success
Reflective journaling on these topics can help individuals gain insights into their behaviour, set goals for future development and identify their areas of improvement to work upon.
Awards
Dedicate awards to celebrate and recognize individuals who demonstrate exemplary sportsmanship. These awards can be offered during special events or at the end of a particular season. Some ideas for awards include:
- Best Sportsmanlike Player
- Team Spirit Award
- Coach’s Sportsmanship Award
By incorporating these awards into a routine, you can motivate individuals to embody good values of sportsmanship and serve as better role models for others.
Also Read: Understanding the Importance of Sports in a Student's Life
Takeaway
Sports are a great way to educate and practise good sportsmanship, which is a critical component of character development. At DPSG Palam Vihar, teachers understand the importance of sports for students and thus, incorporate fun activities to promote sportsmanship qualities in individuals to teach them valuable life lessons, build character and enhance personal growth. The coaches and educators integrate the above mentioned activities in the sports programs to witness positive impact on children and build better future athletes.
