Ethics in Sports

Antonia Berlage

What role does sportsmanship and ethical

behavior play in professional sports?

Definition of SportsmanshipSportsmanship can be defined as a style or attitude that involves enjoying a sport or activity for its own sake and involves fairness, respect, and a sense of fellowship with ones competitors. Sportsmanship is

to be practiced by all parties involved in sports, including players, coaches, officials, and fans.

• Play fair• Follow the rules of the game• Respect the judgment of referees and officials• Treat your opponents with respect

Sportsmanship should be practiced on and off the field, before, during, and after a game.

Ethics

Owners and CoachesOwners and coach's have a responsibility to control their behavior as much as they are responsible for the behavior of their players. Coaches and owners should maintain unbiased opinions and always do what is best for the players.

After being eliminated from the playoffs, Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer went to a press conference and answered every question. When he got up to leave, he realized he had not acknowledged the Cavaliers. He proceeded to sit back down and show appreciation for the Cavaliers’ players, coaches, and entire organization.

Raymond Domenech, National Soccer coach of France, condemned the criticism of his player and team and did not admit to an illegal goal in a qualifying match. His player admitted to the transgression but he refused to be honest about the illegal point that won them the game.

Health and SafetyAll players should be given the same access and availability to medical personnel and no player should be intentionally put at harm by another player without penalty. The use of performance-enhancing drugs also play a huge role in regards to sportsmanship and should be banned due to the health risks and lack of fairness in play. The health and safety of players should ALWAYS be put first.

Athletes and CommunityAll professional athletes have a responsibility to their fans, teams, and community to be a good role model and a positive influence. Athletes have a powerful role in society and can use this to make a difference.

Russell Wilson has a positive impact on his community in his commitment to visiting and donating to a local children’s hospital. He uses his platform to help those less fortunate than he is, in addition to him being a great player and teammate.

Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos used their platform as athletes to protest African-American poverty and the oppression of blacks in the United States.

Fan BehaviorBeing an ethical fan involves being supportive and uplifting towards your team without being offensive or violent towards the other team and/or its fans. Fans have just as much of a responsibility as players and coaches to respect the decisions of officials and be respectful towards all people involved in the game. Violence is never okay as a fan and should be punished immediately.

ConclusionThe ethics of sports is a huge determinant of what the future of sports will hold. If all parties involved in sports, including coaches, owners, players, health professionals, and fans can practice good sportsmanship, then the world of sports can continue to thrive and grow. Athletes should continue to give back to their communities, owners should be the needs of their players above the need to win, and fans should continue to support the teams they love without tearing down others. Teams and fans as a whole can work together to have a greater impact on the world through charity work, donations, and being good influences. The healthcare provided for players is only improving and will continue to do so, keeping the safety of the players a top priority.

NFL Play60I chose the pictures below because it shows NFL star defensemen J.J. Watt and Patriots players Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman volunteering for the NFL Play60 campaign. It is a campaign to encourage kids to be active for 60 minutes a day in order to help reverse the trend of childhood obesity. Roger Goodell said, “Our players recognize the value of staying healthy and its important that young fans also understand the benefits of exercise.” Players go into communities to promote healthy lifestyle, just like J.J. Watt is doing in the picture below. This represents the dedication and care of the NFL and its players to be a good influence to the community.

Citations• Definition of Sportsmanship: http://www.panthers.com/assets/images/imported/CAR/photos/2014/03-March/140327_sportsmanship_inside.jpghttps://tysonreyesblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/sportsmanship-sodahead.jpeg• Ethics: https://tolivearete.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/oscar-pistorius-kirani-james-exchange-bibs-400-meter-semifinal1.jpg• Coaches:

http://a.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/RSN/South/2014/4/11/PI-NBA-Hawks-Mike-Budenholzer-4112014.vresize.1200.675.high.84.jpghttp://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/03/03/04E888E30000044D-0-image-a-50_1425396813791.jpg• Health and Safety:

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/48791c104641da630e60b3c15f5c0fd6846176e8/c=82-0-4261-3142&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/10/03/DetroitFreePress/DetroitFreePress/635794902862832353-AP-Michigan-Maryland-Footbal.jpg

http://www.anabolicsteroids.net/images/steroids12.jpghttp://pemptousia.com/files/2012/03/VIOLENCE-IN-SPORTS.jpg• Fan Behavior: http://sportsunbiased.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/NFL-fans_1750623i.jpghttps://thepianosachronicle.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/soccer-fans-fighting.jpg• Conclusion: http://www.denverbroncos.com/assets/images/imported/DEN/photos/article-images/2013/11-November/131111_vonsvision.jpghttp://www.abc.net.au/news/image/5594072-3x2-940x627.jpghttp://www.miltonmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/tennis_team.jpg• Athletes and Community: http://img.wennermedia.com/760-width/1433334492_ciara-article.jpghttp://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771794.1472582022!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_750/carlos31n-2-web.jpg• NFL Play 60: http://m2.nflrush.com/bz/watt.jj.play60.640x360.jpghttp://www.patriots.com/sites/patriots.com/files/styles/borealis_gallery__full_respondmedium/public/2014/05-May/tempIMG_4457.jpg?itok=BhFyY69I&timestamp=1439474093