My Thoughts On Sportsmanship And Participation Trophies
Posted
Jerad Shaw-
What a week in Williamsport, Pa. It’s become my personal end of summer celebration. A week of Little League baseball on ESPN ushers out summer and brings in my fall sports year. Annually, eight American teams and eight international teams converge in the mountains of Pennsylvania to decide who the best Little League team in the world is. Japan ended up victorious this year against a Pennsylvania team in a slugfest. While the talent on display was an enjoyment to watch, the sportsmanship between teams was on an entirely different level. Pitchers giving high fives to players that they gave up 280-foot home runs to, players apologizing for accidental injuries given to opponents. Little League baseball has put itself at the forefront in terms of focusing on sportsmanship. I’m guessing one person that didn’t care of that kind of comradery amongst teams was NFL star James Harrison. Harrison’s two sons brought home participation trophies from one of their athletic leagues. Harrison, who’s never been shy when it comes to speaking his mind both on and off the field, returned the trophies. He believes trophies should be earned and not just given. Let me just say that I think sportsmanship at the youth level should be at the forefront at all times, but I also agree with Harrison. These days, just showing up is good enough to bring home an award in most youth organizations. I don’t feel that is good enough and certainly comes short in teaching valuable lessons that come along with being a part of a sport and a part of a team. Losing has and always will be a risk of stepping onto any field or court. Nowadays you see early-aged youth organizations doing away with scores in hopes of steering kids away from worrying about having a winner or loser. I don’t have an issue with that for kids ages 5-7, but at some point the reality of losing has to come into play. Throughout my youth playing days I learned more through losing than I did winning. There’s a feeling after a loss that can’t be replaced. A fire to get better to make sure the letdown of watching another team celebrate isn’t felt again. To say I hated losing more than I enjoyed winning would be accurate and at times moved sportsmanship to the back burner. So where’s the line of competitiveness and sportsmanship? The games in Williamsport were highly competitive, yet still showcased some of the best sportsmanship I’ve seen. There was a clear winner and loser for every game in the tourney, although you couldn’t sense that between teams that genuinely enjoyed competing against each other. I think that’s where the key is. Parents and coaches alike must explain to their kids that being competitive and a good sport can be all the same. Athletes have a bond when it comes to trying to achieve the goal of winning. With great leadership, success can be achieved with a great attitude toward your opposition as well as your own team. No matter how important you think leadership is in the world of sports, it’s more valuable than that. So here I am teaching my 5 year old son the world of sports and where his focus should be. I’m far from perfect and my focus even steers away from what’s important. The lessons of winning and losing will come in time, but the lessons of being a good person on and off the field can be instilled now. It’s my job to make sure he understands what’s important, and the boys of summer in Williamsport gave me a nice little reality check this last week. Now what to do with that next participation trophy he receives?
