Sportsmanship Law ,,,Just What The Doctor Ordered
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
When I first heard the news it was almost so surreal, and so common sense, it could have been from a Spamalot skit! The Sportsmanship Law. I could just imagine the Diva as a young athlete. Instead of singing “whatever happened to my part?”, she would sing “whatever happened to my sport?”. The first verse would clearly start: “It was fun and now it’s not…”
As a health professional and youth sports advocate who has often written about the need for an over hauling of our youth sports system on just about every level, Massachusetts taking the initiative on a Sportsmanship Law was music to my ears!
Prompted by multiple episodes of out of control and poor behavior by youth sports parents on the sidelines, Massachusetts lawmakers met Monday to review House Bill 4479. How will this Bill impact change in parents? According to the AP report, “(s)upporters hope fewer conflicts on the field reduces the number of incidences involving parents.” The Bill will facilitate the creation of a curriculum in schools and in sports programs to help young athletes have more self control and play sports more positively.
One of the Bill’s biggest supporters, Grayson Kimball, is a sports psychologist who has been working on this issue for a very long time. Through his nonprofit group, Get Psyched Sports, he has developed some workshops that have already had amazing results in helping coaches and trainers understand how to work with kids and teach them skills on the field that will last for life.
And, that is the goal, isn’t it? I think we forget that with sports. Sports and the lessons our kids can glean from sports are important. And, you know what, winning is the least important of those lessons. As Kimball states in his Mission Statement, self worth and personal performance are the issues we need to help our kids go for with sports - and reclaim within their sports organizations.
Today is an important day for all of us to keep this issue in eye’s sight. No sooner will we all return from next week’s school vacation than our kids spring training seasons will being for their spring sports. And, it won’t take long before we learn of another story of youth sports gone awry.
I found it interesting that the same AP article reported that Beacon Hill is also reviewing laws on bullying programs. Coincidence? Not at all. Poor sportsmanship gone too far is really another form of bullying. And, the impact on our kids is the same. Perhaps looking at it from that perspective will help you take more steps to stop it in your community when you witness it.
I’m sure I’ll have more to say on this as spring approach. Until then, enjoy the vacation week with your families…but while your away, keep an eye out for sports moments gone not so right. I have no doubt I’ll see a few during the usual vacation week ski events. The mountain we visit has a ski team and those kids live for this week. There’s always a few hecklers in the crowd attempting to throw off the opposing team’s timing. I always cheer, and I don’t even know those kids. it’s like a race for delegates - drowning out hecklers and motivating young athletes builds up delegates on the side of youth sports done right again. Plus, I would want other parents to do the same for my child. Wouldn’t you?
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