"Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand." -
Leo Durocher
This quote comes to mind in the aftermath of The Covenant School-Dallas Academy debacle. Reading some of the comments that attempted to defend this type of behavior and the coaches comment that follow indicate that indeed, many are involved in youth sports as coaches, but few understand what their true purpose as coaches are: To develop the player as a person as much as their sports skills. To win on and off the court.
As reported in the Dallas Morning News, the coach of The Covenant School who ran up the score on an over-matched Dallas Academy team - Micah Grimes, was fired. But not for running up the score, instead Coach Grimes was fired for not apologizing for the offense along with the school.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/012609dnspocovenantnu.2781526.html
"I respectfully disagree with the apology, especially the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel 'embarrassed' or 'ashamed,' " part of the post says. "We played the game as it was meant to be played and would not intentionally run up the score on any opponent. Although a wide-margin victory is never evidence of compassion, my girls played with honor and integrity and showed respect to Dallas Academy.
Setting aside for a moment the Christian spirit aspect of the whole incident (if that is possible). This whole fiasco demonstrates what is fundamentally wrong with youth sports in this country.
You have kids, parents and coaches treating these games with a blood lust that simply should not be there. And then we wonder why the participation figures show that kids tend to drop out of youth sports around the age of 13, ironically the age when they should just be STARTING to accrue and understand the benefits of exercise and competition. We're kicking them out at precisely the time they should be involved in sports.
If you read the story further, you can begin to see where perhaps the aims of the school and the coach began to diverge before the apology that led to the firing. In fact, it appears like the coach and the school may have been a poor fit from the beginning.
At the end of his post on the Web site , which identifies him as co-founder of Flight Basketball, Grimes wrote, "So if I lose my job over these statements, I will walk away with my integrity."
Sorry Grimey, I'll have to disagree with you a bit here. You will walk away with your integrity DAMAGED as a result of this incident. You may get some support from some anonymous commentators on the blogosphere and other Pat Riley wanna-be youth coaches, but the reason this story got the play it did, aside from the 100-0 eyeball-catching score, is you are FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG in your approach here.
Your little puppy-kicking tactics really shouldn't impress anybody of merit. DIDN'T MOMMY EVER TELL YOU TO PICK ON SOMEBODY YOUR OWN SIZE? Whatever other social deficiencies you carry, I hope you resolve them before you continue to coach at the youth levels.
“Even a dog knows the difference between being stumbled over and being kicked”
By not at the very least acknowledging some culpability and contrition, you are only demonstrating that you cannot figure out what the family dog can.
Grimes did not teach or work at The Covenant School. He was in his fourth season as girls basketball coach, having built the program from a 2-19 record his first season to a state championship contender last season. Covenant, which plays larger out-of-district schools, is 6-3 this season and undefeated in its Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools district. It has informed TAPPS headquarters that it has chosen to forfeit the Dallas Academy game.
So although the coach was willing to use the school as a stepping stone to further his coaching aims, he clearly did not buy into the vision or mission of the school. So the school did the right thing in recognizing their mistake and letting him go. If they lose a player or two along the way as well, so be it. They'll be better off in the end.
Many say that sports doesn't build character so much as it reveals it. Although, I don't agree with that statement fundamentally, in this case character was revealed under the stress of sportsmanship.
Sportsmanship is defined as those qualities which are characterized by generosity and genuine concern for fellow players, which includes opponents. Somewhere we have drifted away from that ideal, which is emphasized every year, and allowed our sports to deteriorate into some form of glorified gang warfare.
Sports are supposed to give kids an alternative to some of the lessons they could learn on the streets. If we are simply demonstrating the same lessons, only substituting school colors and mascots for gang colors, then everyone involved in youth sports will have failed in their mission.
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IDEALS OF SPORTSMANSHIP:
http://www.tothenextlevel.org/docs/principles/sportsmanship/default.asp
* Play fair, take loss or defeat without complaint, or victory without gloating
* Treat others as you wish to be treated Respect others and one's self
* Impose self-control, be courteous, and gracefully accept results of one's actions
* Display ethical behavior by being good (character) and doing right (action)
* Be a good citizen
"Sportsmanship is defined in the dictionary as, "a person who can take a loss or defeat without complaint, or victory without gloating, and who treats his opponents with fairness, generosity, courtesy."
Sportsmanship is a learned skill. Our nature is to seek victory and put ourselves first no matter what the situation. It takes direction, coaching, and understanding in how to conduct yourself (whether in victory or defeat); being moral, being mature, being a person of character, or just simply being the person to walk away from controversy, a potential fight, a cheap shot, or trash talk.
Sportsmanship is always thinking of the consequences before you talk or act. What you say and do as an athlete does affect others.
Sportsmanship is a character quality. The time to build character is now! Just as the building that stands the test of time must have a strong foundation, so must you. If you don't build that foundation, you will have a hard time reaching your goals.
Sportsmanship is simply an athlete or a coach who behaves fairly, honestly, and generously in the heat of battle. It is playing and competing within the rules of the game. It is training and competing with honesty and integrity in everything you do.
* In football, sportsmanship is not holding, tripping, or leg whipping to take your opponent out of the play.
* In wrestling, sportsmanship is making weight without the use of diuretics, saunas and plastic suits.
* In basketball, sportsmanship is keeping your tongue under control, not talking trash up and down the floor.
* In hockey, sportsmanship is keeping emotions in check, not high sticking, slashing and tripping, or holding an opponent.
* In baseball, sportsmanship is not throwing high and inside at a batter to leave a message.
Start building a solid foundation now! Do it with character, do it with integrity, do it with class, and do it as a true sportsman!
Life Principle
"Sportsmanship for me is when a guy walks off the court and you really can't tell whether he won or lost, when he carries himself with pride either way." - Jim Courier, Professional Tennis Champion
Some people define good sportsmanship as the "Golden Rule" of sports - in other words, treating the people that you play with and against as you'd like to be treated yourself. You can demonstrate good sportsmanship when you show respect for yourself, your teammates, and your opponents, for the coaches on both sides, and for the referees, judges, and other officials. Good sportsmanship take maturity and courage; when you work really hard at a sport, it's not easy to admit that you made a bad play or that someone has more skill than you do.
People who have developed the skill of good sportsmanship usually find that the positive attitude they've learned on the field carries over into other areas of their lives. At school, for example, they're able to appreciate the contributions made by their classmates and they know how to work as part of a team to complete a project. They may enjoy more success at work as well, because good sports are respectful of others, including costumers and co-workers.
It can be just as hard to be a good sport when you've won a game as when you've lost one. You've probably seen athletes who take their own successes too seriously. They celebrate a goal with a prolonged victory dance or constantly brag about their abilities. After a while, you get tired of hearing them talk about how great they are.
Individuals who possess the character of sportsmanship, on the other hand, are gracious and generous winners. They can acknowledge their victories without humiliating their opponents. They are quietly proud of their success, letting their victories speak for themselves. Even if they win by a landslide, they still find ways to compliment their opponents.
When it comes to losing, people who are good sports congratulate the winner promptly and willingly. They accept the game's outcome without complaint and without excuses, even if they suspect that the referee made some questionable calls. They understand that in sports - as in life - you may not always win, but you can learn something from losing. In fact you learn more from defeat than you will ever learn from victory.
Although it's great to be champion, it's even better to have enjoyed the process of trying to reach the top. Good sports know how to play fair and how to have fun while they are doing it.
So what does it take to demonstrate good sportsmanship in real-life situations? Here are some examples of things that you can do:
* Learn as much as you can about your sport. Play by its rules. Show up for practice, work hard, and realize that if you're on a team, everyone deserves a chance to play.
* Talk politely and act courteously towards everyone before, during, and after games and events. That includes your teammates, your opponents, your coaches and theirs, the officials presiding over the game, and even the spectators (who can sometimes be loud with their opinions).
* Stay cool. Even if others are losing their tempers, it doesn't mean you have to. Remind yourself that no matter how hard you have practiced and played, it is, after all, just a game.
* Avoid settling disputes with violence. If you're in a difficult situation or someone's threatening you, seek help immediately from your coach or an official.
* Cheer your teammates on with positive statements - and avoid trash talking the other team. Acknowledge and applaud good plays, even when someone on the other team makes them.
* When officials make a call, accept it gracefully even if it goes against you. Remember that referees may not be right every time - but they're people who are doing their best, just as you are.
* Whether you win or lose, congratulate your opponents on a game well played.
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