Brittany Penland's visual representation of the role of sportsmanship in professional sports.

1. The Role of Sportsmanship
By Brittany Penland

2. What is
Sportsmanship?
Sportsmanship is more than a word that
expresses an athletes attitude toward sports, but also
their attitudes and actions off the sports fields and
towards everyone involved. Sportsmanship can either
be negative or positive depending on those actions
towards the sport as a whole: players, coaches,
officials, owners, and fans. Good sportsmanship can
transform an athlete into a role model, while bad
sportsmanship expresses the bad influence and how to
learn from their mistakes.

3. Coaches in professional sports:
Coaches make big impacts in sports due to
how they compose their sportsmanship toward the
sport. Coaches lead teams, and they set examples for
their players to follow their examples. A coach that
positively impacts their team is Bruce Cassidy,
Boston Bruins coach. He stepped down to an
assistant coach a few years ago and worked back up
to regain his title for the bruins. His actions show his
views on hard work and learning from others and
showing good sportsmanship to all involved in the
sport. Cassidy shows that even though he was an
experienced coach stepping down and listening to
others can help better yourself.

4. Claude Julien, shows bad sportsmanship
Professional coaches do not only positively
influence their players to becoming role models but
also young athletes look up to them as well.
Unfortunately Claude Julien fails to show ethical
sportsmanship that could influence athletes of all
ages. After an opposing player expressed being hit by
one of Claude’s players and he denied the
accusations, saying they were embellishments and
lies. His actions show negative sportsmanship in his
arguing, disrespecting and downplaying an injury that
could be serious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEBsTU_yveo

5. Sports injuries are serious,
what is an ethical approach?
Sport injuries need to be dealt with in a serious
and ethical manor. Ethical meaning taking the
importance of the players safety. For example, Aaron
Judge was hit by an inside fastball during the 2018
regular MLB season. His coach, trainer, and himself
decided that the best option was to sit out the game
and get his wrist looked at.
Because of the ethical decision his wrist was
examined and ended up being fractured. He was able
to rest it and allow it to heal and recover so he could
continue to play in the season. If his coach and
himself decided to have him continue to play he
could have been injured more, their decision kept
him safe from further and more serious injury.

6. Bad and unethical
approach
Not taking necessary precautions to keep
players safe would be a bad and unethical approach
to injuries. Earlier in the basketball season last year at
my high school my friend had hurt her ankle. She and
her coach overruled our trainers decision of having her
sit out because they thought she would be fine. She
ended up hurting her ankle further and had to sit out
for multiple games with a further injury she could have
avoided. Taking an ethical approach keeps players
safe and allows them to play the sport they love.

7. Athletes play a large
role in communities
Many players give back to their communities
through organizations, fundraisers, charities,
donations, ect. Athletes keep positive sportsmanship
on and off their playing fields, by giving back to
communities they are able to keep their essential role
as leaders for all of society especially the kids.
Boston teams are very strong in being active in their
communities, the Red Sox's are important
contributors to the Jimmy Fund.
The video below expresses the impact of the Red
Sox partnership with the Jimmy Foundation. The athletes
positively impact the lives of the kids and their families
and help give them support through the hard times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8tVG6UET6w

8. Athletes can also negatively influence their
community
Young athletes look up to Pros and want to be like
them. Carlos Zambrano did not only show
confrontation between opposing teams and umpires, he
also had trouble with teammates. His actions with
teammates and his temper towards players and officials
in MLB have negatively impacted the society.
Zambrano's temper was not one society wanted the
youth to follow and did not contribute to the type of
role model professional athletes are. His temper keeps
him out of being honored in the Hall of Fame because
he is not someone to be remembered as a positive
influence, even given his successful career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlepYUrJ2mk

9. What makes a good and ethical fan?
Fans are a crucial part of the sports world, they help
push athletes to be there best and support them. Good
fans are supportive of the athletes win or loss and
respectful to all athletes including the opposing team,
coaches, owners, officials, and other surrounding
fans. Good fans remain respectful to everyone
involved in the sports and don’t let the passion for
winning let them go too far and cross the line to
being obnoxious and rude to others.

10. Can a fan be bad and
unethical?
Some fans get lost in the passion and cross the line of
respect. A fan that gets heated over plays, losses, or
wins and acts out in result is a bad fan. If the team is
losing cheering them on and remaining positive is a
good ethical fan. However, saying someone sucks or
booing them or yelling about their plays or game is
unethical and makes for not only bad sportsmanship but
a bad fan overall.

11. What does the future look
like
with sportsmanship?Good sportsmanship keeps the future of sports
positive and influential for kids and even the
professional athletes. Bad sportsmanship is more and
more argued and rules are beginning to be set in
place to keep athletes pure and respectful. Athletes,
officials, coaches, and fans will always get wrapped
up in the passion, however in the future the blow ups
will occur less due to the regulations and how much
society looks down upon that behavior. With this
change for professional sports, this will influence
youth sports to be better.
These images show the impact that professional
athletes have on youth sports. As good
sportsmanship is expressed in professionals
become more common, young kids watching them
learn to be as respectful and helpful and will grow
up to have good and ethical behavior in the future of
sports.

12. Works Cited
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CBSSports.com, MLB, 4 Sept. 2018,
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wrist/.
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13. Works Cited
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14. Works Cited
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