Guidelines for Teaching Sportmanship

• Be a good role model.
• Emphasize sportsmanship from the beginning.
• Talk about combining seriousness and playfulness.
• Talk about the relationship between sportsmanship and success.
• Regularly use the language of sportsmanship.
• Expect sportsmanship.
• Establish team rules, customs, rituals and traditions that reinforce the principles of sportsmanship.
• Encourage players to take the perspective of other participants in sports.
• Develop clear guidelines for dealing with unsportsmanlike behaviour.
• Reinforce good sportsmanship.
• Communicate the importance of good sportsmanship to fans.
• Communicate the importance of good sportsmanship to parents.
• Talk about news stories concerning sportsmanship with your players.
• Talk about specific incidents with your players.
• Promote reflection by asking questions.
• Expect your player to know the rules of the game.
• Show, by your actions and your words, what you are trying to teach is important.

• Have fun.

Respect for opponents

• Don’t allow your players to yell at opponents from the floor or bench.
• Teach your players that it is all right to cheer when your teammates do something good but not when your opponents make errors.
• Have your players shake hands meaningfully after the game whether they win or lose.
• Treat the opposing coach with respect and demand that your parents do as well.
• Don’t allow players to act cocky.
• Don’t allow players to change their attitude or approach to the game whether you’re winning or losing. If you are winning don’t allow your players to laugh or make wisecracks about the game or opponents.
• After an away game make sure that the room or playing area is left clean.
• Insist that your team accept defeat gracefully without making excuses.

• If you are winning by a large margin, don’t run up the score or tell your players to quit playing.

Respect for Officials

• Players should address officials in formal manner.
• Insist that players be polite or civil when talking to an official.
• Don’t allow players to argue with an official - the coach should address the situation.

• The captain and the coach should shake hands with the official after the game.