definition essay sportsmanship

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sportsmanship

Definition of sportsmanship

Examples of sportsmanship in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sportsmanship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1897, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near sportsmanship

sports medicine

Cite this Entry

“Sportsmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sportsmanship. Accessed 5 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of sportsmanship, more from merriam-webster on sportsmanship.

Nglish: Translation of sportsmanship for Spanish Speakers

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Meaning of sportsmanship in English

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• all's fair in love and war idiom
• anti-discrimination
• anti-egalitarian
• anti-nepotism
• due process
• egalitarian
• egalitarianism
• get your just deserts idiom
• it's a fair cop idiom
• sportsmanlike
• what goes around comes around idiom
• without fear or favour idiom

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

sportsmanship | American Dictionary

Examples of sportsmanship, translations of sportsmanship.

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• Second Opinion

Teaching Children Good Sportsmanship

Parents and kids alike love sports, and it's easy to get caught up in a game and become focused on winning. Yet there is much more to be gained from the sports experience than a winning record. When children and teens are involved in sports, they are able to learn and put into practice values that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Good sportsmanship is one of the life lessons that children can learn from sports. You can help your children understand and value good sportsmanship while making sure they have a safe and fun sports experience.

Good sportsmanship may seem hard to define, but its hallmarks include being able to win without gloating, respecting one's opponents, and being able to lose gracefully. Here are some important principles to instill in your children:

If you lose, don't make up excuses.

If you win, don't rub it in.

Learn from mistakes and get back in the game.

Always do your best.

If someone else makes a mistake, remain encouraging and avoid criticizing.

Show respect for yourself, your team, and the officials of the game.

Parents are important role models, so let your children see you upholding these principles, whether you play a sport yourself or root for your child's team from the sidelines.

Tips for teaching good sportsmanship

Good sportsmanship includes following certain guidelines for good behavior. Share these concepts with your children:

Follow the rules of the game. It might seem easier to win by doing things a different way (cheating), but everyone has to follow the rules. Explain to your child that rules are created so that sports can be played in an organized way.

Avoid arguing. Stay focused on the game instead of giving in to anger with teammates, coaches, or referees. Always avoid using bad language and negative words.

Everyone should have a chance to play. In youth sports, it's important to encourage even those players who are the least skilled to have fun playing in the game. Parents, coaches, and even other players have an important role in allowing less talented teammates time to participate.

Play fair. Good sportsmen want to win because they followed the rules and played the best game they could. Never support any effort to win that attempts to go around the rules. Cheating is not acceptable.

Follow directions. Emphasize the importance of listening to coaches and referees and following their directions while on the field and involved in team activities.

Respect the other team. Whether your team wins or loses, it's important to show respect for the effort of the other team. If the other team wins, accept defeat, acknowledge their abilities, and move on. If your team wins, resist bragging—that's what it means to be a gracious winner.

Encourage teammates. Team sports work best when each individual supports the team. Praise teammates for what they do well and encourage them when they make mistakes. Avoid criticism and unkind actions. Parents should model this behavior for children by praising them for specific things they have done well, even if they made a mistake or may not have played as well as hoped.

Respect the decisions of referees and other officials. These people are charged with making difficult decisions about plays in the game. Good sportsmanship requires that you accept a call, even if you disagree with it. Remember that it's only one call in a long game—get back into play and focus on the game.

End with a handshake. Good sportsmen enjoy sports and know how to end a game on a positive note, whether or not they won. Threats, anger, criticism, and other negative expressions are not acceptable. 

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sportsmanship

[ spawrts -m uh n-ship , spohrts - ]

• the character, practice, or skill of a sportsman .
• sportsmanlike conduct, as fairness, courtesy, being a cheerful loser, etc.

Discover More

Word history and origins.

Origin of sportsmanship 1

Example Sentences

If the roller-coaster Tokyo 2020 Olympics did anything, they stoked our enthusiasm for the return of global sports with their rivalries, upsets, superhuman athletic feats, and moments of sportsmanship that can make a rugby player cry.

Depending on where you sat, it was either the ultimate display of Olympic sportsmanship, or further proof that competition-averse millennials are ruining everything.

A paternal figure to his players, he cares more about teamwork and good sportsmanship than winning.

The article said “a lot of teams would slap a fine on a player who was sucker enough to bite on it,” making it unclear if the problem was about sportsmanship or strategy.

Chara — who missed only one game this season and played the 1,600th game of his career in April — was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Kessenich, to be fair, has also lavished the Iroquois with praise for their skills and sportsmanship in subsequent games.

Impeccable sportsmanship of children at school matches is legendary.

But JFK backed down when Cronkite called it “the lousiest bit of sportsmanship I ever saw in my life.”

Sportsmanship, sheer sportsmanship, carried him through all!

I'm sure the Cassylians don't want to advertise their bad sportsmanship so there won't be anything as crude as a roadblock.

The barbarian culture shows sportsmanship, status, and anthropomorphism.

There is also a livelier sense of honor—an expression of sportsmanship and a derivative of predatory life.

With such a spirit as is displayed in this letter the sportsmanship of the Pacific coast is bound to thrive.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Types of Sports — The Importance of Sportsmanship in Sports

The Importance of Sportsmanship in Sports

• Categories: Types of Sports

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Words: 581 |

Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 581 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

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Sportsmanship Essay in English

The sporting spirit is another name of sportsmanship. It means the fair, honest, earnest and generous way in which a game is played. The best players all over the world play the game with the sporting spirit.

In the play field sportsmanship is needed most. The law of game requires That we should play in a fair manner. We must not take an undue advantage of our opponents; nor should we try to deceive them.

The play must be neatly carried on. Even if our party is being defeated, we must no get impatient and run into a passion. The true sporting spirit wants even a losing game to be played honestly and in conformity with the rules.

The sporting spirit requires that the players must obey the referee the umpire. Whatever decision is given by him, the players must not grumble nor murmur. If he makes an error of judgement, we must respect his announcement and not ridicule his error.

If a game is being played between two unequal sides, the sporting spirit is best needed there. The stronger side must play with zest in order that the spectators should enjoy the game and that the weaker side must be able to do its best. If the stronger side trifles with the weaker party by playing in a half-hearted manner, the play will suffer.

Sportsmanship is rightly estimated at the time when a party is defeated. It is then that we have to see how a player takes his defeat. If he grows sulky and sad and begins to quarrel and fight with his opponents, he is not a true player. He is said possess no sporting spirit.

The baser instincts that are jealousy, meanness, quarrelsomeness are not worthy of a sportsman. He must take success and failure with the same equanimity. A true sportsman does not hesitate to praise the superior game of his opponents and rejoices even at their victory.

The sporting spirit is not merely confined to the playfield. It must also be carried into the other walks of life. In everyday life we need it. There are so many mishaps, worries and troubles in the world that a man needs sportsmanship at every step.

A man gifted with the sporting spirit has an optimistic view of life. He considers the world a big play field and pays his part without grumbling. He is satisfied with doing his duty best. His is not the job to think of consequences. He leaves them to God. He takes pleasure in what he does not remains cheerful under all circumstances.

A man with a true sporting spirit plays the game of life also in a fair manner. He does not take recourse to meanness and never hits below the belt. The sporting spirit is a trait of broad mindedness and must be cultivated by all. Our motto should be

Play up! play up! play up the game.

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Definition of sportsmanship noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sportsmanship

• He has a reputation for fair play and good sportsmanship.

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Nearby words

450 Words Essay on Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship does not mean only taking part in sports and playing the game in conformity with the rules prescribed, but also playing the game of life in the spirit imbibed on the playing fields.

A true sportsman is he who observes all those rules in life which he has been taught to observe in games. One who has achieved skill or proficiency in games but does not learn to apply the principles of sports to life in general does not deserve to be called a sportsman.

On the contrary, a man who gives evidence of possessing a sporting spirit in games is still a sportsman. Usually those who play games develop into true sportsmen because their character is molded by the training they are given on the field.

It implies fair play. Just in games if any player plays foul, the side to which he belongs is penalized, similarly in the bigger game of life one must always be fair in one’s dealings with others.

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Fairness, honesty, integrity, openness of heart and frankness -these are the qualities that a sportsman must display in life. One should not practice deception, should not bluff, should not cheat others and should indulge in diplomacy or humility. A sportsman never takes undue advantage of the weakness of his adversary nor does he hit below the belt.

The art implies obedience to the leader. In games the players have to obey their captain and yield to him on points on which they are in disagreement with him. They must repose the fullest confidence in him. In life too, a sportsman yields to his superior even if he does not agree with him. Respect for discipline is an essential part of sportsmanship.

Team spirit is another important element of sportsmanship. In games the various players must cooperate with one another if they wish to win a match. Without mutual co-operation success is impossible. Similarly in whatever sphere of life one may be, one must aid and be aided by one’s friends if one is a true sportsman.

Sportsmanship consists in working in full harmony with others. In cooperation indeed lies strength. Wherever a common aim binds a number of people together, they must display their sportsmanship by working harmoniously, without friction or mutual jealousy.

Finally, the spirit of sportsmanship demands cheerfulness even in the face of a defeat. When two players play a tennis match, the loser does not cherish any grudge against the winner. In fact the loser congratulates his opponent on his success and shakes hands with him.

Fair play, respect for discipline, recognition of the need for teamwork and cheerfulness even in the event of defeat are thus the dominant marks of a sportsman. Sportsmanship is worthy of admiration

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