Teaching Kids about Sportsmanship

CLEVELAND - Spring sports are now in full swing.

And if your little one is playing for the first time, it’s important to make sure you’re teaching them about sportsmanship too.

“Something like sportsmanship, we do hear this term thrown out an awful lot. And you'll even see it in certain leagues. They'll have like a code of conduct, or they'll have like this idea that sportsmanship is this kind of rule that we follow. And the truth is it's not a rule. It's a set of values,” said Matthew Sacco, PhD, sports psychologist at Cleveland Clinic. “It's how we interact, how we treat people, how we operate in a competitive setting.”

Dr. Sacco said the earlier you can teach your kids about sportsmanship, the better.

That way those values become second nature to them.

So, what are some examples of sportsmanship?

It’s little things like being a team player, shaking hands after the game, not arguing with the referee, and keeping a positive attitude.

Dr. Sacco reminds parents that your children are always watching, so it’s important to practice those values as well.

“Whether you're a parent, whether you're a parent coach, or even a coach, what your behaviors are modeling, they're seeing. It does not mean that you may not be frustrated, you may not express sort of disappointment. But the responsibility there is to be more aware because kids are going to feed off that. That's what they see and observe, and that energy is contagious,” he said.

Dr. Sacco said when your child acts out during a game, resist the urge to step in -- let the coach address it first.

They are the authority figure in that space.

If the behavior still needs a follow-up conversation at home, he recommends waiting a full 24 hours.

That way it gives the parent and child a chance to cool down if needed.