FACILITATING GROWTH

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
SPORTSMANSHIP
By: Ava Irvin, Ben Blahauvietz, and Lorenzo Boselli
Character, Good Sporting Behavior & Fair Play
- Really hard to define this three concepts, even if we know what they mean
- They are based on beliefs, judgments and actions concerning what is ethical in
sport
- We don’t have a universally accepted definition for good sporting behavior or
sportsmanship
- Chris Evert: acting in a classy and dignified way
- David Robinson: playing with all your heart and intensity, respecting the
opponents
- Yet, they can be considered the definition of morality
Fair Play
- Necessary if all the participants are to have an equitable chance to pursue victory
- Requires to understand the actual rules of the games and the unwritten ones to ensure
the fairness of an event
- It is essential that coaches, parents, referees adopt and teach fair play early and
throughout the players’ careers
Good Sporting Behavior
- Involves an intense effort to succeed, tempered by commitment to the play spirit such as
that ethical standards will take precedence over strategic gain (Shields and Bredemeier in
1995)
- Example: calling the ball in when the referee called it out (Tennis)
- Another study was made in 1997 to find a definition using a survey
1. Full commitment
2. Respect and concern for rules, officials and opponents
3. Respect for social conventions such as shaking hands at the end of the contest
4. Avoiding poor behaviors like not being able to keep your composure after a mistake
- Still no official definition, but it is important that everyone identifies it and develops it
Character
- Refers to a number of characteristics that can be developed in sport
- Learning to overcome obstacles, cooperate with teammates, develop self-control and persist
in the face of defeat
- Integrates fair play and good sporting behavior with compassion and integrity (Shields and
Bredemeier)
- Compassion: empathy and ability to take on and appreciate the feelings of others; we feel
for the opponent
- Integrity: ability to maintain morality and fairness while facing moral intentions (do the right
thing in a moral dilemma)
Developing Character, Fair Play, & Good
Sporting Behavior - Social Learning Approach
- Sporting behavior and character is
viewed in many ways and is - Social learning affects both
appropriate or learned by society positive and negative behaviors
through:
and attitudes.
→ Modeling/Observational learning: - More effective in eliminating
learning by watching what others do negative traits and behaviors than
and don’t do promoting desirable behaviors.
→ Reinforcement: being reinforced - Include self regulatory
or penalized for one’s actions mechanisms: negative affective
efficacy & resistive self efficacy.
→ Social Comparison: exhibiting
behaviors in an effort to fit in with
one’s peers or comparison groups
Developing Character, Fair Play, & Good
Sporting Behavior - Structural Developmental
Approach
- Focuses on psychological growth & developmental - Moral reasoning is developed from
changes in a child’s thoughts and judgements to
shape moral reasoning individual experiences guides moral
→ Moral reasoning: The decision process in which a behavior
person determines the rightness or wrongness of a - The ability to reason morally depends
course of action.
on the individual’s level of cognitive or
→ Moral development: The process of experience
and growth through which a person develops the mental development
capacity to reason morally.

→ Moral behavior: Actually carrying out an act that is

deemed right or wrong.
Moral Thinking & Development - 5 Stages

- Level 1: Reasoning is at external control stage, based on self interest

- Level 2: Focuses on maximizing self interests, but now doesn’t see only the action’s
outcome
- Level 3: Self interest is not the main focus and start to adopt a helping or altruistic
view.
- Level 4: Moral reasoning focuses on external rules.
- Level 5: Focuses on what is best for everyone involved, weather or not it is in
accordance with official rules and regulations
Developing Character, Fair Play, & Good
Sporting Behavior - Social Psychological
Approach
- A combination of the morality and character A study of 600 youth soccer player across the U.S
aspect from the social development concluded that the following play a role in poor
sporting behavior:
approach mixed with social factors.
- Coaches and parents play a huge role in - Team norms
setting the standards for good sporting - Participation attitudes
behavior and character in sports. - Perception of coach and parental norms
- Values
- Ego oriented motivations
- Cultural attitudes

(Shields, LaVoi, Bredemeier, and Power, 2007)

Connection Between Character Development &
Physical Activity
- Physical activity does not automatically build - Long been believed that sport participation is a
character deterrent to youth delinquency for four reasons
- Character is not caught, but taught, in sport and - differential association- sports provide less
exercise settings opportunities for interaction with delinquent
- Youth Sports have a tremendous potential to lead to others
positive development - social bonding- athlete develops attachments
- Youth sports are deterrent for negative behavior to teammates and learns values of teamwork,
- Intrinsic motivation works for many hard work, and achievement
adolescents - labeling hypothesis- different view point
- Creates sustained effort directed toward
stating being labeled an “athlete” often leads
reaching a long term goal
to special treatment
- Requires youth to face setbacks, make
- economic strain- sports allow youngsters to
adjustments, and overcome them
join together on equal playing fields and the
dream of sport override the strain caused by
money
Fostering Character and Behavior Development

- There is no universal definition of good sporting - Similar to skill development, practice makes perfect
behavior when it comes to behavior development
- Without a specific definition, people in your - Explain why certain behaviors are and are not a
program will not know what you mean by appropriate for a given situation
acceptable vs unacceptable behavior - Only when people have internalized a guiding moral
- Do not fall into the trap only rewarding winning principle determining right from wrong can we expect
and other performance outcomes them to act consistently in various situations
- Penalize inappropriate behaviors, consistency is - Three levels of moral reasoning
key in reinforcing and penalizing behaviors and - Altruism - selfless concern for
actions - Impartial Rules
- Model appropriate behavior because athletes - Moral balances based on mutually
and parent model professional behavior in determined agreements
sporting environments
.
Fostering Character and Behavior Development
(Cont.)
- Intention is important to regard in actions - Both competition and cooperation are important for
- Ability to judge intent starts developing between ages the optimal development of achievement motivation
7 and 8 - Children are much more exposed to competition
- For children around the age of ten, you as a coach can instead of cooperation
emphasize role taking, or putting yourself in someone - Therefore, physical athletic participants need to be
else’s shoes, to develop empathy taught strategies to learn cooperation
- Effective moral education does not occur without a - Researchers have proven how critical cooperation is
group’s involvement in self-dialogue and discussions to character development
about choices and moral dilemmas - Practice using subordinate goals rather than
- Athletes need to be put into situations and dilemmas competitive goals
to understand what is objectively right and wrong - Contesting-theory - how someone views a contest:
- Examples contest-is-war metaphor or bringing out the best in
- When to shoot toward opponent's injured leg one’s self
- Have players take on the role of the official
Guiding Practice in Character Development
- Some believe that teachers and coaches have no - Physical educators need to foster resilience in their
business coaching morals and values to youths athletes to reduce risk
- The problem is Children are sponges and they soak up - Coaches need to socially competent to get through to
information and behaviors regardless of intent all athletes and the athletes need to develop a sense
- It is crucial that physical activity leaders make a strong of optimism and hope to believe their efforts will be
commitment to moral and character development rewarded
education - Winning plays dual role in development
- Coaches and leaders can fall under the assumption - Winning the wrong way, athletes learn it is ok
that if they believe in character-enhancing virtues of to cheat, break rules, and cut corners
sport, desirable characteristics will automatically - Winning the right way develops integrity and
result by sharing a few strategies from time to time increases the impact of moral lessons
- Regardless of strategies physical educators use to - To teach values through sport and physical activities,
teach character and good sporting behavior to youths, learn how to share the real world impact of these
many kids live in environments that put them at risk to values
develop negatively
Lorenzo Boselli

- Big supporter of good sportsmanship

- While playing the regional final, 1-0 down, 10 minutes
left
- Same guy helped me while I was cramping 3 months
earlier
- Coach subbed me out for it because we were losing
- The other guy and me both won an award for it
Steven Adams
- Currently plays for the Memphis Grizzlies in
the NBA
- Was drafted in the first round in 2013
- Since he has played for Oklahoma City
Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, and now the
Memphis Grizzlies
- Displays great sportsmanship throughout the
years playing in the NBA for each team he’s
been on
- In 2018 Sportsmanship Award Finalist for the
NBA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYBJ9NLu6Iw
Tyson Fury
- Two-time World Heavyweight boxing champion
and WBC and The Ring Heavyweight Champion
- Won and lost his first Boxing Title in 2015, after
which he went through “the darkest 18 months
of his life”. He In which he battled drug and
alcohol abuse, as well as depression and
extreme weight gain.
- He got to the brink of suicide, but he fought his
way back into the ring. In 2020, he regained his
lost title and became a symbol of hope for so
many who struggle with the same issues.