As a child I remember playing garden cricket with a friend and having terrible tantrums when this particular mate klapped me all around the yard (I think he scored like 300 that day).
I was a poor sport those days.
As the years moved on I learned to accept that in the world of sport you have your good days and your bad days and the only way that you will truly be remembered is by the way in which you behave and handle yourself on and off the field.
Sure, things can get heated in battle and things can be said and done on the field of play which can be deemed to be unsporting.
How you handle the situation post-game determines if you are indeed worthy of being branded a “sportsman”.
What is sportsmanship?
Retired America tennis player Jim Courier hit the nail on the head when he said: “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.”
It’s not just about the players either – it’s about setting an example for those youngsters watching on from the stands.
Who could forget when All Black star Sonny Bill Williams gave his World Cup winner’s medal to a youngster in the crowd?
That in its own is the very definition of sportsmanship.
I have been privileged in my line of work (and in recent weeks in particular) to witness great acts of integrity on and off the field.
I have seen my fair share of argy-bargies, too, but it is always the moments of sportsmanship that embed itself in my mind forever and a day.
This past weekend the Eastern Cricket Union held what was actually a fantastic T20 tournament at Benoni’s Willowmoore Park.
The union mixed up the franchise teams with players from various Easterns clubs.
In some instances old foes became friends and this, in my opinion, created a new sense of unity of players in this region.
When the lads battled it out over the three days the feeling of good spirit and noble sportsmanship was rife and tangible in the air.
The gentleman’s game certainly lived up to its name.
The week before that the local club cricket league season came to a conclusion with the play-off final between Benoni Northerns and Kempton Park.
Words and banter were exchanged on the field and from the Willowmoore Park stands.
The guys threw everything at each other in what are always intense encounters.
Kempton cruised to victory this time round and gained qualification to the prestigious National Club Championships, but it was the post-match happenings that reinforced my love for all the things that make sport great.
The Northerns players headed to their club for a few drinks to commemorate their season and perhaps drown their sorrows a tad.
An hour or so later their victorious rivals rocked up at the club and the beverages and good times commenced well into the Sunday night.
No animosity, just friendship.
That is what it is all about for me: Sportsmanship.
I have written about this topic before, but felt that it needed to be rehashed.
CLICK HERE for that BLOG post.
Motivate yourself and your children to be competitive when playing sport, but be reminded to always play and react to victory or defeat with dignity, respect and amicability.
Don’t be that sulky kid, kicking and screaming in the backyard.
LG
