The way a school behaves at an athletic competition says a lot about its students. Good sportsmanship is not limited to varsity athletes, either—the sportsmanship of a school extends to fans, and athletes in non-varsity sports.
Recently, unsportsmanlike behavior has extended to students participating in intramural sports.
Intramural sports are here for students who don’t have enough time or skill to compete at the varsity level. They are a great way to get to play your favorite sport without having mandatory practices and still have enough time for your work.
Unfortunately, these friendly competitions have been turning into fierce battles. This kind of behavior, especially at this level, is completely unacceptable.
We need to remember that, above all, sports are just games. It’s important to make sure what happens on the field stays on the feild—right where it started. Taking an on-the-field grudge to the sidelines can only lead to trouble.
On the field, emotions often run high—it’s part of the passion for the game. The emotions that players bring to the game act as a source of motivation and energy. There is no problem with playing a game with a lot of emotion.
However, you have to be in control of your emotions, not the other way around. Allowing anger to spill off the field destroys the camaraderie that links all athletes. The entire tone changes—instead of playing a game, you’re playing an argument.
Athletes set the tone for the fans of a game as well. They’re the public face of the sport and everyone is watching them. Many people follow example; our athletes need to remember this and act accordingly.
