Another "Feel Good" Story

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If you've checked in to the Blog somewhat regularly, you can probably tell that we have a fondness for this type of story. When we run across these situations, we like to highlight them because they don't get nearly the level of exposure they should when compared to stories like this one.

Most youth sports events happen without much incident. There are very few that have either the gravity of the first story or the ominous overtones of the second (Could you imagine the number and types of complaints that a state government sponsored youth council would have to hear?). But in most youth sports events, there are moments when the sportsmanship displayed by the high school free throw shooter and his teammates can be seen in smaller, less serious interactions. If the children involved in youth sports accumulate enough of these smaller moments, then we could expect them to show the respect and compassion that those basketball players showed to an opponent who had suffered a tragic loss.

As parents, coaches, officials, and administrators, we have many opportunities to teach sportsmanship and respect in practices, games, and other situations in which we interact with players and participants. We need to make sure that we recognize not only those moments, but the impact we have on the children we coach when those moments arise. How we handle those moments will go a long way to ensuring that, if we are ever faced with a situation like that high school basketball team, our team will respond with the same sensitivity and respect.

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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