Skill of Sportsmanship

As a kid growing up in Oklahoma, the biggest in-state rivalry was between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU). Especially during football season, living in a “house-divided” with parents who attended both schools, there was always a slight tension felt by this highly-sensitive child.  It wasn’t so much that my parents rooted for different teams – that just highlighted the different sides for me.  But for some that professed Christianity AND were football fans, common decency and logic went out the window in mid-August when practice officially started. It seemed that loving your brother only went so far if they were rooting for the other team.

Whether you play sports or not, possessing good sportsmanship is a skill that is needed everywhere.  Every stage of life is full of competitions and rivalries for everything from job promotions to spouses and, of course, the winning side of any argument.   That means there will always be temptations to belittle the other guy to feel or look superior, even though it actually just makes us look foolish.   Since this is not one of those things everyone just figures out (look in any sports arena), teaching our families to exercise good sportsmanship and honor in all of their dealings is the epitome of preparing them for the ‘real’ world.  Sadly, it seems to take more reminding than to just be a Christian.

A pet peeve of mine, and one of the silliest things you’ll ever see, is a bandwagon fan who doesn’t realize they have absolutely no personal investment whatsoever in the team.  In college football, some of the worst fans are those who never took a class on that campus, may have never played football past high school, and don’t fully understand the nuances of the game.  Yet they often scream the loudest, spew the most hate and have the least impact on the game.  Screaming from the stands at an opposing fan never does anything to impact the actual game.

Before you approach any challenge or disagreement, know your strengths and weaknesses and those of your “opponents” position.  No coach would create a game plan that didn’t take into account how his players match up with the opponents. One of the keys to any good approach is the realization that the opposing argument has some amount of merit even if you don’t agree with it.  Knowing those merits and why a person would profess them allows you to better understand how to impact that person.  Highlight what you agree on first.  Communicate appreciation for the things the other team/stance/person does well.  When someone has a good idea or a great play, say so! 

When we are passionate about something, we are more vulnerable to high emotions and foolish words.  Training ourselves and our children in smart sportsmanship and honorable debate practices has the potential to bring everyone in a situation up to a higher plane for the glory of God.

Amy Butler is a disciple of Christ, the wife of an engineer, mother of two, part time piano teacher, and a lover of the natural world God has blessed us with.  You can read her writings of balance at http://www.writebalance.org/.