By Sophie Blauwkamp
Each and every sport requires a variety of different skills that you have to take time out of your daily life just to practice. One thing that is overlooked is sportsmanship. In sports, having a competitive spirit can bring a ton of fire to the game. But, making sure you don’t get carried away is important when it comes to competitiveness. Good sportsmanship is much more than simply saying good game. It’s defined as “being able to win without gloating, respecting one’s opponents, and being able to lose gracefully.” Having good sportsmanship shows that you are a humble and respectful person.
When asked about the importance of sportsmanship in their sport, here’s what some Hamilton Varsity athletes had to say.
The first athlete I spoke with was cross-country runner, Jenna Dozeman. She is a sophomore and she started her cross country journey this year. She also runs Varsity Track in the spring. Jenna stated, “When you hear little words of encouragement throughout a race from the opponents, it gives a boost of confidence. When other people are good sports to me, I try to act the same way towards them.” This shows that good sportsmanship really does affect an athlete’s performance.
The second Hamilton athlete that I interviewed was sophomore, Dylan Loew. He participates in Varsity Tennis as a singles player, along with Baseball in the spring. Dylan said, “If you have good sportsmanship, then your opponent will more than likely also show good sportsmanship to you. It makes the match more enjoyable because there isn’t as much tension.” In tennis Dylan plays one-on-one with someone, since he is a singles player. For him, it’s really important to be a good sport because there aren’t multiple people surrounding him on the court.
The 3rd and final athlete that I spoke with was Senior, Makenzie Brinks. She is a 2-year Varsity volleyball player. Makenzie feels that sportsmanship, “teaches players to work together towards the goal of winning. It shows respect towards fellow teammates and our opponents. It also shows how to handle wins and losses, humbly.”
Hamilton athletes find sportsmanship important, no matter the sport. There are many ways to show good sportsmanship, like complimenting someone after a game, being honest, being respectful, etc. These qualities show in every sport here in Hamilton, which is an important thing in our community.