WORTH READING: So, What Is Sportsmanship?

Sportsmanship is the ethical and moral dimension of sports. It is demonstrated by a number of attributes and attitudes such as fair play, respect for the rules and traditions of the sport and various traits of good character including integrity (abiding by the letter and spirit of the rules and concepts of honor); demonstrated respect for others including teammates, opponents, officials and spectators; accountability, self-control, and graciousness in victory and defeat.
— Michael Josephson

Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one’s competitors. A sore loser refers to one who does not take defeat well, whereas a good sport means being a “good winner” as well as being a “good loser”. . . . sportsmanship refers to virtues such as fairness, self-control, courage, and persistence, and has been associated with interpersonal concepts of treating others and being treated fairly, maintaining self-control if dealing with others, and respect for both authority and opponents. A competitor who exhibits poor sportsmanship after losing a game or contest is often called a “sore loser” (those who show poor sportsmanship after winning are typically called “bad winners”). Sore loser behavior includes blaming others for the loss, not taking responsibility for personal actions that contributed to the defeat, reacting to the loss in an immature or improper fashion, making excuses for the defeat, and citing unfavorable conditions or other petty issues as reasons for the defeat. A bad winner acts in a shallow fashion after their victory, such as gloating about his or her win, rubbing the win in the face of opponents, and lowering the opponent’s self-esteem by constantly reminding them of how “poorly” they performed in comparison (even if they competed well).
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1. The fact or practice of participating in sports or a sport.
2.Conduct and attitude considered as befitting participants in sports, especially fair play, courtesy, striving spirit, and grace in losing.
3.One who practices sportsmanship abides by the rules of a contest and accepts victory or defeat graciously.
— The American Heritage Dictionary

Conduct that involves fair and honest rivalry, courteous relations and graceful acceptance of results.
Sportsmanship, by John Bowman

Those qualities which are characterized by generosity and genuine concern for others.   Further, an awareness is expected of the impact of an individual’s influence on others behavior.
— Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc.

Sportsmanship, in its very essence, is respect – respect for others and for one’s self.   Sportsmanship encompasses all that which is good in human nature. It is a concrete measure of the understanding and commitment to fair play, ethical behavior and integrity.
— California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)

Sportsmanship is a great tradition in sports and competition that means playing clean and handling both victory and defeat with grace, style, and dignity. This is the reason why you guys line up after each game to shake the hands of your opponents at the end of each game… win or lose. Sportsmanship includes playing fair, following the rules of the game, respecting the judgment of referees, and treating your opponents with respect. As a general rule of thumb, it makes sense to look at sportsmanship in a similar way that we view friendship… treat the people you play with and against as you would like to be treated yourself.
San Tan Youth Football League Mighty Eagles

Photo by Flickr User WoodleyWonderWorks

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