The kiddo just started tee-ball. We're only a few practices in, so I haven't seen any of the vicious behavior I've heard about in kids' sports. (Let's keep that at bay, shall we?) But the kiddo apparently inherited her father's competitive streak, and discussions of good sports(wo)manship aren't new to our household. I'm sure once we get into the games, we'll talk about how to behave nicely on a field of competition even more. We don't cry when we lose. We don't taunt when we win. We don't cross our arms and refuse to play when things aren't going our way. Say it again. And again.
That's the rub with good sporting behavior - it needs to be learned and practiced, just like the fundamentals of any game. And it starts with us, the parents. Let's be good role models for our kids, and raise a generation of better (behaving) athletes. Here are some suggestions to get us started.