How to Teach Children Good Sportsmanship

One way children learn good sportsmanship is by observing the attitude and behavior of the adults in their lives. If we want children to be good sports then we must lead by example. Here are some tips on how to teach sportsmanship to children.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Encourage fair play and respect. Teach children to follow the rules and to be respectful to teammates, opponents, coaches, and parents. Losing can be difficult, but children who are taught to keep their heads up and congratulate their opponents are learning how to accept defeat gracefully and will probably work harder the next time around.

2. 
    

   Shout words of encouragement such as "Great play!" or "Nice job!" Yelling negative comments or pouting from the sidelines isn't displaying good sportsmanship. If necessary, address your concerns with the coach after the practice or game.

3. 
    

   Focus on the effort, not the mistakes. Children need to know that we are proud of them for trying their best. Mistakes will happen, games will be lost. Instead of dwelling on the mistakes, we should offer our support and assistance during practices before the next game.

4. 
    

   Talk to children about professional athletes who show good sportsmanship and those who show bad sportsmanship. During these conversations, help children recognize the benefits of good sportsmanship and the consequences of poor sportsmanship.

5. 
    

   Ultimately, we foster good sportsmanship when we encourage children to just have fun and enjoy the game whether they win or lose.

Resources

• Sportsmanship

[geekmommy4]

on 4/27/2009 Good suggestions on how to teach children good sportsmanship! Thanks!

[eclecticprof]

on 4/19/2009 Adults are almost always the source of bad sportsmanship...kids do what they see adults do! Thanks for this great article.