SpeechEssay-ICS16SPI

When I think of sports today, too often I think of sports in terms of greed and selfishness. But, it's not all bad. There are good people in sports, good people who teach us valuable life lessons. There are athletes who embody the positive virtues in life and make us use words such as "honor" and "grace." By helping others become honorable, sportsmanlike, and a role model I can bring out the best in others.

What is honor? Honor is when you have high respect for someone. An example of that in sports is being the team captain. The position of the team captain is given to those athletes who the rest of the team respects and trusts to lead them in the right direction. Lloyd Banks, an American musician, said, "I take things like honor and loyalty seriously. It's more important to me than any materialistic thing or any game I could have." Giving respect to the team will make them understand that they need to bring respect to the team captain. That’s why honoring someone will bring out the best in them.

What is sportsmanship? In my opinion, I define good sportsmanship as the "golden rule" of sports – in other words, treating the people I play with and against, as I'd like to be treated myself. I demonstrate good sportsmanship when I show respect for my teammates, opponents, coaches, referees and myself. In the last few years, taunting, trash talking, gloating, and cheap shots have become all too common in sports. You've probably seen athletes who take their own successes too seriously. They celebrate a goal with a prolonged victory dance or constantly brag about their abilities. This is the exact opposite of what sportsmanship is all about. This kind of behavior might make you feel tough or intimidating to an opponent, but keep in mind it can also cause you to lose the match. Good sportsmanship takes maturity and courage. It’s not easy to admit you made a bad play or that someone has more skills than you.

In competition – as in life – I may not always win but when I don’t, I can learn something from losing. It's pretty tough to lose, so it definitely doesn't help matters if someone continues taunting me or my team after the competition is over. Sometimes it's hard to swallow my pride and walk on. But there's always the next match. When I do lose – and it will happen – I won't take it out on my opponent, blame the officials, or blame my team. I will take it in stride. When I lose, I will lose with class. Being proud of how I performed, or at least being aware of things I need to improve for next time, is key. When it comes to losing, good sportsmanship means congratulating the winners promptly and willingly. Also, it means accepting the game's outcome without complaint and without excuses, even if you sometimes might feel the referees made a few questionable calls. When I win, the trick is to be a gracious and generous winner. Good sportsmanship means acknowledging victories without humiliating opponents, being quietly proud of success, and letting victories speak for themselves. It’s important to still find ways to compliment my opponents even if we win by a landslide. That is what good sportsmanship embodies.

Who are role models? Role models are people who are looked up to by others. I consider myself a role model on the soccer field. I try my best in following the directions. I try to let people see that when they follow my actions, they will turn out to be wonderful people. An example is when I am a team captain, it is important to remember that everything that I do both on and off the field is represented by the minds of my players. It is very important that I consider all of the ramifications of my actions before I commit to them because my players look to me for guidance and direction.

I am an athlete who embodies these positive virtues. When I am being honorable, a role model, and a good sportsman, it will make the other people on the team realize having these virtues will make them the best athlete they could be. Also, it will make me feel like a team leader. So, how will your best actions bring out the best in others?