Sportsmanship has been a hot topic recently, what with Marcus
Vick being kicked off of Virginia Tech’s football team for spiking
another player in the leg during a bowl game, and it is an issue
that should be addressed.
Sportsmanship has been a hot topic recently, what with Marcus Vick being kicked off of Virginia Tech’s football team for spiking another player in the leg during a bowl game, and it is an issue that should be addressed.
Everybody who plays sports wants to win. It’s in their blood, the thing, the feeling you get when you win, that drives them to train, practice and compete. But wanting to win should never overshadow winning, or losing, graciously and with dignity and truly believing that losing teaches valuable lessons and leads to winning with graciousness.
High school athletes should not be compared to college and professional athletes, many of the participants are learning the game and playing on teams that are trying to build programs, or get things back on track. Winning doesn’t just happen; it takes hard work and often losing before success.
Since I’ve come to cover sports in Morgan Hill over the past two months and I have been pleased to see good sportsmanship at every game I’ve covered, win, lose or draw.
During the Central Coast Section water polo final game in which Live Oak lost to Bellarmine 9-2, in the fourth period the coaches for the Acorns and the Bells put in their bench players so that everyone got an opportunity to participate in a CCS final game.
As a former coach myself, that was a wonderful gesture and a perfect example of great sportsmanship, giving both teams something to be extremely proud of, an example that unfortunately doesn’t get portrayed often enough.
During the past two years I coached football for Thurgood Marshall High School in the Academic Athletic Association league in San Francisco and I was shocked and dismayed at the lack of sportsmanship and respect shown among the coaches and fans.
It was a win at all cost environment that I believe cheated the participating athletes.
Located in the Hunter’s Point/Bayview district, a lower economic neighborhood, our team had to bus across town to practice and had just about 14 players for each game. It definitely wasn’t the ideal situation, but they desperately needed the help and I respected the players so much.
This team won only one game in two seasons, but the same kids, many of whom had many hardships, would show up each and every day for practice and many of them would play offense, defense and special teams playing all 48 minutes because we were so short handed.
One player had his season ended before it began last year because he was hit in the wrist by a bullet on a MUNI bus on his way to practice, but he still came to practice to encourage and support his teammates. It was inspiring.
At each and every game over those two years these players faced fans – no, not fans spectators – who ridiculed them, opposing coaches who ran up scores to as much as 80 points. Yep, that’s right 80 points.
Each and every one of those young men had heart and desire and that was enough, football was their escape from their trouble in the real world and their chance to just be kids. As a team we weren’t very good, but individual players showed so much improvement and despite the losing we had a great time. What we didn’t have in talent, we more than made up for with heart.
And isn’t that really what it should be about?
Here in the South Valley time after time teams, coaches and fans, for the most part, have shown exceptional sportsmanship and more importantly grace in loss.
When the Acorns football team fell to Independence in the first round of the CCS playoffs, the running backs coach said that anyone of Live Oak’s players “could share my foxhole.” The pride and affection he had for the players was evident and reminded me of how I felt about the players I got the opportunity to coach.
Obviously none of my former players or anyone on the Live Oak or Sobrato squads will be taking Vick’s place anytime soon and therein lies the true tragedy.
I guess it just goes to show that some of the most talented athletes out there, really know the least about the game when it comes down to it.
