“What is Sportsmanship?” Sportsmanship is generally defined as: Playing Fair,Following the Rules of the Game, Respecting the Judgment of the Officials, and Treating Opponents with Respect.

Some define good sportsmanship as the "golden rule" of sports — in other words, treating the people you play with and against as you'd like to be treated yourself.

But sportsmanship isn't just reserved for the people on the field. Coaches, referees, parents, and all other fans also need to be aware of how they behave during competition. Sportsmanship is a style and an attitude. Good Sportsmanship can have a positive influence on yourself and everyone around you; Poor Sportsmanship is destructive and disrespectful.

Our players learn sportsmanship from the words and actions of the adults in their lives. When the adults behave in a sportsmanlike way our children gradually come to understand that the real winners in sports are those who know how to persevere and to behave with dignity — whether they win or lose a game.