Championship Sportsmanship

Today's blog post was written by Louis Nix for the Social Foundations of Coaching class taught by Play Like a Champion co-directors Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan. Louis is a senior majoring in Film, Television, and Theater and a nose guard on the Notre Dame Football team.

When my professor suggested I do a blog about the recent men's soccer National Championship game, I had some initial reservations about the matter. First of all, I admittedly did not watch the game. Secondly, I am not a soccer junkie, so my knowledge of all the technicalities of the game is hazy at best.

Photo Credit: Zach Llorens, The Observer

 

Before I looked into what actually happened, I had heard that a Maryland player admitted to a hand ball after the game. My initial thought: "Oh, how noble of you, admitting to the penalty after the fact." I then began debating (in my head) about if it we can really consider it good sportsmanship to admit to a mistake after the game has ended, when the mistake can no longer be corrected or made right.

 

However, I didn’t want to get too far ahead of myself, so I read the write-up about the game that appeared in the Notre Dame Observer. When I read the Maryland player’s admission to his mistake, I immediately revoked my initial opinion about him not being a good sportsman. He committed a hand ball that ended up in a goal for his team, but after the game he said he is so embarrassed about what he did and he will regret it for the rest of his life. One of the reasons I changed my initial judgment about his “confession” is that he was so genuine. No one forced him to admit to the hand ball—he did it purely because he loves the sport so much that committing such a penalty clearly affects him very deeply. It also got me to thinking that human judgment (and by extension, human error) is a part of the game—he committed a penalty, but the refs did not see it so no penalty was called. It seems that even if he had admitted to his mistake during the game, it is unlikely that anything would have been overturned or changed.

Photo Credit: Zach Llorens, the Observer

 

At the end of the day, I was impressed with the conduct of this young man from Maryland, as well as his coach. I think they conducted themselves as class acts, and it is good to hear about coaches and players being gracious and respectable human beings, even when they lose. I admire this player from Maryland and respect his love for the game he plays. If I could reach out to him, I would want him to know that he should not be too hard on himself—the penalty he committed was not the only uncalled penalty in the game, but beyond that he will not be defined by a mistake he made in the heat of the moment. Everyone who has ever played a sport has done things in the heat of the moment that don’t necessarily reflect who they are as a person or as a player. It is the nature of sports that mistakes will be made (both by players and referees), but I think a true sportsman is defined by what he does when a mistake happens. This young man from Maryland readily admitted to and apologized for his mistake—that alone, in my opinion, shows what kind of person and player he is. I think he deserves the utmost respect for his actions after the game, and I hope he is not too hard on himself in the future for something he did in the heat of the moment of a game that he clearly loves.

JEREMY LIN – A Lesson in Hard Work, Humility, and Persistence

Today's blog post was written by Kyle Smith, a Master of Science in Business candidate and an intern with Play Like a Champion Today.

The more I read about Jeremy Lin, the more I am impressed. Lin has one of the more remarkable success stories in recent memory. It is truly Hollywood-caliber stuff; rags to riches at its finest. Within a few weeks in early 2012, Lin’s whole life was turned upside down as ‘Linsanity’ swept the globe.

But it’s not Lin’s success on the court that is so impressive; it’s his character off of it. Lin embodies many of the virtues that Play Like A Champion Today challenges its coaches and athletes to work toward. Lin is extremely hard working, humble, and has a genuine passion for the game. He also is an intensely religious individual who isn’t shy about sharing his faith.

Lin’s success story highlights the importance of striving for your personal best and developing a strong work ethic. Athletes can learn a valuable lesson from Lin who has described his commitment to always giving his best: “There’s a certain feeling of accomplishment that you get when you’re just completely out of energy, bent over gasping for air, knowing that you gave your best effort.” In a YouTube video on his channel, Lin tells a young, aspiring basketball player, “Just remember to keep getting better every day.” 

Lin has made a point to do just that by putting in the necessary work off the court in order to improve his performances on it. 

The Spirit of Sportsmanship

Today's blog was written by Allison DeLuna, a manager on the Notre Dame Softball team and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching class taught by Play Like a Champion Today co-founders Kristin Sheehan and Professor Clark Power. 

I can understand the emotions that come from getting a homerun for the first time, the excitement you feel for you and your team. This particular scenario was a little different than most homeruns and could have ended in a two run single.  Sara Tucholsky from Western Oregon had her first homerun ever and forgot to touch first base in the excitement.  She turned to touch first and in that instance, tore her ACL instead.  The rule is that her teammates and coaches are not allowed to touch her or else her homerun would not have counted.  As an alternative, two of her opponents willingly carried her around the bases because her teammates could not.

I believe that this situation was handled with amazing integrity by Mallory Holtman from Central Washington. She and a teammate picked an injured Tucholsky up and carried her around the bases even though they knew it would hurt their chances in the game. The reason they gave for doing so was simple: she deserved it. A selfless and simple act that ultimately cost Central Washington the game and the Conference Championship (4-2).

Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace of Central Washington carry Sara Tucholsky "home."

I love everything about the game of softball and this supreme act of kindness made me love it even more.  As a softball player, I can relate to both teams, Central Washington and Western Oregon.   When I first read about this story and saw the clip from this inspiring softball game I was so completely moved. It has been a long time since a sportsmanship story like this has made this big an impact on me.  Character and selflessness is something that players can strive to do, and they could take a page out of these players handbooks.

The Idea of Sportsmanship: What Mandela Can Teach Us

Today's blog was written by Play Like a Champion Today founder Professor Clark Power and was originally published in the Huffington Post.

 

Nelson Mandela, who brought together a country torn by years of racial strife and resentment, believed that sports had the power to change the world. His lofty vision of sports as means of unity contrasts with the ugly brawl that erupted during the second quarter of this year's Ohio State versus Michigan football game. Three players were ejected for throwing punches. One of them, Ohio State guard Marcus Hall, threw a tantrum as he left the field--throwing his helmet, kicking the bench, and then gave the Michigan fans both middle fingers before leaving the field. There was some speculation following the incident that Hall might be suspended for the Michigan State game, Ohio State's final hurdle before playing for the BCS national championship. After an investigation, the Big Ten issued a public reprimand to Hall for his obscene gesture and to the Ohio State coaching staff for failing properly escort Hall off the field. No suspensions were leveled--assuring that Ohio State will be at full strength for its final match up.

 

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg complained that the Big Ten was more concerned about promoting its marquee programs then standing up for sportsmanship:

The league had an opportunity to do more and show that behavior like Saturday's ... is unacceptable and has long-term consequences. Monday's wimpy response will be seen as an effort to protect the league's title game and one of its biggest brands in Ohio State.

Detroit Free Press's Jeff Seidel went further criticizing the Big Ten for "flipping off the idea of sportsmanship" for not suspending Hall.

I agree with Rittenberg and Seidel; the Big Ten should have responded more forcefully to this flagrant breach of sportsmanship. On the other hand, what would further penalties accomplish? Would they have deepened respect for sportsmanship among the Michigan and Ohio State players and college football programs more generally? Would they have led to soul-searching about the educational value of collegiate athletics in the first place? Educational psychologists know that punishments are the least effective way of teaching anything. Punishments do not inspire or lead to reflection.

At the very least, we should expect collegiate athletic programs to commit themselves to teaching and exemplifying the best sports have to offer. Three days ago Notre Dame's Play Like a Champion Today sports education program hosted a webinar led P. R. Smith, the founder of the Great Sportsmanship Program. Smith collects stories of sportsmanship, which he shares through his website and then challenges us all to add to list. He reminded webinar participants that that the media pays too much attention to breaches of sportsmanship rather than to the everyday miracles of kindness and generosity that are part of the very fabric of sports.

Nelson Mandela believed that sports can promote peace and human harmony by appealing to the wellsprings of respect and love in the human soul:

Sport .... has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.

 

College athletic programs would do well to engage their athletes in periodic reflection and discussion of the values of fairness, respect, and love itself that make sports so powerful and transformative.

When Things Don’t Go Your Way

Today's blog was written by Emma Dashut a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Today co-directors Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.

 

 

Alabama suffered a tough loss this past week. Being the number one ranked team they did not expect to lose to the number 4 ranked team, especially on such a rare last minute field goal return.

 

 

Auburn gets all the glory going forward, but where does that leave the Crimson Tide? Dealing with a loss is one of the most important aspects of sports.  In order for Alabama to have future success they have to be able to put this loss behind them and move forward. This is the true test of good coaches and good leaders.

 

 

Will the team be able to pull together and recover? This will depend on the actions of the coaches and captains. They can only focus on the past long enough to learn from their mistakes, but if they linger on it too long they may hurt team morale. No one played perfectly, and coaches need to refrain from placing blame on any one player or group of players. Football is a team sport; win as a team or lose as a team. The Bama coaches need to emphasize this as the team prepares for the future opponents. Pulling together in support of one another after the loss will get them much further than negativity will. Dealing with losing is an important lesson for coaches to teach young athletes. It is okay to be angry, but not to be a sore loser. No one wants a sore loser bringing the whole team down. Athletes need to learn to accept defeat when they are young so they are able to do it when they are older.  I hope the players of the Crimson Tide were taught how to handle a loss.

 

 

For Love of the Game

Today's blog post was written by David Thornton, a senior business major and a member of the Notre Dame Track and Field Team.  David is a student in Social Foundations of Coaching, a course taught by Play Like a Champion Today co-founders Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.

Recently, professional athletes have filled the sports world with negative news stories dealing with bullying, unhappy free agents asking for more and more money, and criminal actions off the field. Being an athlete myself, I have to ask what the heck is going on? Have we all lost sight of why we play the games we do? Growing up, my father showed my brothers and I a great movie called For Love of the Game. It starred Kevin Costner and it followed him through the different stages of his professional baseball career. Ultimately, it’s a love story; a love story about him and the two loves of his life – Kelly Preston (the actress in the movie) and baseball. My father always taught us to never lose sight of the fact that the sports we play are just games, and that it’s crucial to never lose sight of that fact. You must love what you do. 

Now you may be wondering where in the world I’m going with this story, but I assure you that I do have a point. Kevin Costner deals with a lot of ups and downs throughout the movie and at times it seems as though he may never play the game that he loves again. However, he perseveres and in the end pitches the game of his life that proves that the game you love can love you back. In a similar way, current Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle has dealt with many challenges throughout his life and career and has found a way to recover and become the idealized version of what a coach should be. 

Clint Hurdle had a rough professional baseball career as a player, and through different life events became an alcoholic. He would end up having only a one season of note - batting .294 for the 1980 American League champion Royals, then going 5-for-12 in the World Series, but, other than that, he became known mostly for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He played for the Mets in 1985, one year before they won the World Series, and was then picked up by the Cardinals in 1986, one year after St. Louis reached the World Series. He was then traded back to the Mets in 1987, the same year the Cardinals returned to the World Series. 

He was always a year late or a dollar short, he even spent the 1981 players' strike bartending, and his career batting average through 10 seasons was a middling .259 to go with 32 home runs and two divorces. 

He turned his life around, bit by bit, but the first step was going to manage in the minor leagues. Hurdle was quoted in a recent conversation, "These are the questions a 17-year-old going to pro ball has about their manager," Hurdle says. "'Can I trust him? Does he trust me? Can he make me better? Does he care about me?' My goal was to get those questions answered under my watch. Because then their skill set will come out. They won't let you coach 'em up until they trust you." That is exactly what we have been learning in class and Hurdle has been putting this into practice. There must be a mutual trust and connection between players and coaches. Hurdle’s players ran through walls, not stop signs at third base for him. He would act macho with the snide players and thoughtful with the sensitive ones. He coached the mind as much as he coached baseball.

He went to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and did his best to get his life back together. He began sending daily emails to his players and staff with motivational quotes and sayings that acted as a daily reminder that he was there for them and that they were in this thing together – as a team. People begin to deeply appreciate these emails, and to-date over 1000 people see Hurdle’s emails daily due to the widespread sharing of them. An example of one of these emails: 

These were simple messages, but they had an overwhelming power and effect on Hurdle’s players and staff.

In an era of sports where the game is no longer loved for its true meaning and purpose, Clint Hurdle has attempted to find the happiness in the game of baseball and spread it to everyone around him. He believes in his players, and his players believe in him. There is a trust there that cannot be put into words, and that is the true purpose of being a coach. Clint Hurdle is molding his players into better people by taking the negative experiences from his life and learning from them. There is a reason that the Pittsburgh Pirates had there best season in my lifetime this past year, and that reason is Clint Hurdle. Don’t be surprised if you see a World Series title go to the city of Pittsburgh in the next few years. If you stick it out long enough, give 100% of your body and mind, and truly believe in the game you love, the game can love you back. 

Perseverance in Sport

Today's blog entry was written by TJ Jones.  TJ is a senior Film, Television, and Theater major and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching Class. TJ is also the co-captain on the Notre Dame Football team.

As an athlete, I played multiple sports growing up, all the way up till I enrolled in the University of Notre Dame. Regardless of which sport I was participating in at the time, sportsmanship and perseverance were always emphasized and encouraged by my coaches.

There is a running back named Marcus Lattimore that played for the University of South Carolina for the past 3 years. He was the #2 running back in the country coming out of high school and a Top 20 player overall. The expectations for him were literally sky high, and he seemed ready to step up to the challenge.

For the majority of his collegiate career, however, Lattimore was plagued by serious injury. Marcus blew out both of his knees within a year of each other. After coming back from his first knee injury and being the leader on the Heisman list, he blew out his other knee. Only this time doctors told him that he’d never be able to play football again and would be lucky if he was able to walk. This was painful news seeing as he was expected to be a first round draft pick in last year’s draft after exceeding expectations as to how he’d recover from his first knee injury.

When Lattimore hurt his knee a second time, viewers could see that his leg appeared broken in half at the knee, which was turned the wrong way. The clip of the injury was replayed only a couple times because the seriousness of the injury was nauseating to many. Both teams surrounded Marcus on the field as he was lifted onto a cart and driven off the field. All players and fans cheered him on because everyone knew how he had struggled and persevered to overcome his previous injuries. 

Despite being told he may never walk again, Lattimore never let that deter him from achieving his dreams of playing in the NFL. Due to all his injuries he entered the 2013 NFL draft as a junior. His hard work and dedication to rehabbing his leg allowed him work out for teams before the draft, which involved some light running, ladder drills, and weight exercises. This showed scouts that he was determined to be able to play again and to not give up on him. Ultimately, Marcus ended up getting drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, and when asked why he kept persevering, he said it was because one day his children would see all he went through to be successful.

Marcus Lattimore wearing a San Francisco 49ers uniform.

Overall, I think Marcus Lattimore's story shows that athletes can exercise sportsmanship for one another-- even in the heat of battle. When serious injuries happen to nationally known players such as Marcus Lattimore, sportsmanship is not only vital but more common, because every player has a fear of never again being able to play the game they love due to injury. This story also shows how Marcus persevered through his entire ordeal and was still able to achieve his dream of playing in the NFL, which is an example of anything being possible if you just believe in yourself. 

The Ties that Bind

Today's blog was written by Meg Ryan, a senior accounting major in the Social Foundations of Coaching class taught by Play Like a Champion Today co-directors Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.  Meg is also a member of the Notre Dame Track & Field and Cross Country teams. 

Imagine helping your opponent mid game. Should this be penalized? Or should the rules of the sport take precedence? After reading a recent article that has made national news this past week, this question came to mind.

Earlier this month in Saudi soccer, Al-Nahda and Al-Ittihad were playing a close match. Al-Nahda’s goalkeeper received a back pass from his teammate and realized his shoe was untied. He tried to get the referee’s attention because he would not be able to re-tie his shoes with his goalie gloves. Al-Ittihad’s striker noticed the issue and bent down to do it for him. What seemed like a great act of sportsmanship and great care for his opponent took a twist. The referee blew his whistle and ruled that the goalie had taken too much time holding the ball while his shoe was being tied. The crowded roared and both teams protested. The referee awarded Al-Ittihad with an indirect free kick on the edge of the box. Although the score was tied 2-2 and it would be a great opportunity to take the lead, the Al-Ittihad kicker intentionally missed the goal.



Two main acts of sportsmanship happened in this one short example. First, a player on the opposing team saved the goalie and tied his shoe instead of taking advantage of the goalie’s weakness. Second, the kicker chose decency over glory when awarded the free kick. He certainly could have taken the shot but he opted for sportsmanship instead.

The goalie reached out and shook the hand of the helpful striker.

This was a great example of sportsmanship and the real question deals with an idea that is not black and white. Should the Al-Nahda goalie have been penalized? Certainly the game was at a standstill with the Al-Ittihad striker deciding to help the opposing team. The crowd was roaring and applauding the action, and it was an act that would allow the game to continue in a fair way. However, the official strictly applied the rules of the game: in soccer a goal keeper cannot hold the ball for more than 6 seconds before clearing the ball out of the box. As a result, he rewarded the opposing team a free kick to penalize the goalie. Although, the rules of the game are of utmost important, I think there are certain situations, such as the one displayed above, where the rules can be bypassed. Both teams came together and neither was hurting the other team, making a penalty unnecessary. Sportsmanship is extremely important in sports and in this case since there was no true, unfair disruption the official should have let the goal keeper clear the ball from the box and let the game resume. Sportsmanship verses rules is not clear cut but I do believe that sports are a competition where athletes should respect and help their opponents, not get penalized for doing so.

What We Can Learn from the Miami Dolphins Scandal

Today's blog post is written by Clark Power, Professor of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame and co-founder of Play Like a Champion Today.  The blog first appeared on the Huffington Post.

For almost a week now, allegations of hazing and bullying have rocked the Miami Dolphins football team. In response, Dolphins players have defended Richie Incognito as a "team leader" and Jonathan Martin's mentor and friend. Martin, not Incognito, was the problem. Martin was "standoffish," lacking in mental toughness, and unwilling to pay his dues like other rookies. Martin's worst offense was walking out on his team and making his grievances public. He ratted out a teammate and revealed his lack of character by failing to work out his issues with his teammates in the locker room. Is Martin really the victim here or a crybaby, not fit for the rough and tumble world of the NFL?

The debate swirling around Martin has gone well beyond the sports pages and involves far more than the "code" of the NFL locker room. At issue is the responsibility of those who have power to look after those who are marginalized because they don't seem to "fit in." I am talking about the responsibility of not only NFL owners and coaches but also of athletic directors and coaches. I am talking about the responsibility of athletes who wield power in their peer groups and who can turn a whole group against an individual at the slightest provocation. We all know their "victims." They are the children, adolescents, and young adults, who have endured taunts, ridicule, and exclusion because they stuttered, dressed out of style, were socially awkward, or got "A"s in class. What price should they be asked to pay to be accepted into the group?

I have spent most of my career as an educational psychologist, working with teachers and more recently with coaches to address the cultures of the classrooms and teams. Left unattended, I find that classroom and team cultures can become uncaring and even cruel. Under the direction of morally aware teachers and coaches, however, they can become welcoming and engaging. In an ongoing study funded by the Templeton Foundation, we are finding that at in the early adolescent years sports teams are on the whole more successful at discouraging bullying and encouraging inclusiveness than classrooms and even religious groups. One reason for this appears to be that sports teams tend to engender a sense of family that extends to everyone regardless of athletic ability or friendship group. Of course, the cultures of sports teams vary widely according to the coach. Many coaches embrace the role of moral leadership and look after all of their players. Sadly, some coaches ignore the social dynamics of the locker room or are themselves bullies, who punish and demean their players under the guise of "motivating" them or toughening them up for the next level of competition.

I know of no research that shows that punishing or demeaning others is a successful strategy for goading them to higher levels of achievement. I am afraid that we all too often allow the end of winning to excuse the means of intimidation and abuse, and we too easily confuse incivility and conformity with toughness and loyalty. The discussion over the culture of the Dolphins' locker room will, I hope, lead us all to greater clarity about the moral principles that ought to inform the relationship between the group and individual and between those who have power and those who do not. How we evaluate the Dolphin's team culture will have consequences that reach well beyond the NFL locker room.

Sports and Religion

Today's blog entry was written by Andrea McHugh, a senior co-captain of the Notre Dame Women's Volleyball team.  Andrea is a Film, Television and Theater major and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching Course.  She is the President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Do sports and religion go together? Should they go together?

For the past couple of years, I have been trying to figure out what it would look like to combine sports and religion. As a volleyball player and a follower of Jesus, I strive to encourage and inspire the people around me through my faith. I interned with Fellowship of Christian Athletes two summers ago where we tried to figure out what it would look like if we played WITH God instead of for Him?  Any athlete would ask questions like, does this work? Is it possible? Would that make sports less competitive? How does that play into sportsmanship? I can tell anyone that it does not make sports less competitive because Jesus was the type of guy that strove for competitive greatness and wants us to do great things through our sport in addition to the talents He has given us!  Sports and religion can go together, and in my opinion, they should.

One of my best friends plays volleyball at Biola, which is in the NAIA and located in Southern California. I am not able to attend her games in California, but I am able to watch from my bedroom through a computer screen. Recently, the match that I had happened to be watching was the NAIA match of the week. Biola and Concordia were the number 3 and 2 teams in the division and were both undefeated. Both teams played hard every point and competed to the best of their ability. Sadly, Biola ended up losing after in four sets (in volleyball it is best 3 out of 5), which gave them their first loss of the season giving them a record of 15-1.

However, the most striking (and exciting) event of the match happened right after the last point was scored. After both teams shook hands with one another they joined each other in the middle of the court and said a prayer together thanking the Lord for the match, the talents He has blessed each individual with, and His outpouring of continual love and grace on them. I was completely blown away by this, yet I think it’s the perfect example of what it means to express sportsmanship along with what it looks like to combine sports and religion.

Sportsmanship is certainly overlooked a lot during sporting events these days. But, if someone is not a good sport it will be talked about for days and days. Coming together and acknowledging your opponent after a win or loss shows a lot about your character. Its important to display good sportsmanship. Coming together to pray after a game is something that is almost unheard of today in most divisions, but I think it would change the face of sports as we know it.