Imagine If You Treated Opponents Like Guests

By Ralph Swearngin

The Georgia Recreation and Parks Association asked me to speak at a regional conference on "Sportmanship from the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and NFHS Perspectives." As I was preparing for the presentation, I began to think about sportsmanship issues that have come through the GHSA office so far this school year. That got me to IMAGINING...

IMAGINE that you invite some guests over to your house for a cookout.

IMAGINE that you do not meet them when they arrive, but expect them to find their way to where they are supposed to be on their own.

IMAGINE that you arrange to have neighbors hanging around the driveway taunting them as they make their way to the back yard for dinner.

IMAGINE that you pick out the best chairs and the best food for you and your family and let your guests fend for themselves.

IMAGINE that you ridicule them about their physical characteristics or their mistakes every chance you get.

IMAGINE that you play cards with them, and you place your guests with their backs to a mirror so you will have a competitive advantage.

Unfortunately, many of these imaginary scenarios are played out in actuality at GHSA sporting events. These kinds of behaviors undermine the level of civility that education-based competitions need to have. Intense competitiveness is not incompatible with the exhibition of good sportsmanship.

Then I thought:

IMAGINE that GHSA schools that host athletic events would treat their opponents as honored guests, and the visitors would respond as respectful guests.

I believe that it can be accomplished through a concerted effort of educating your school's constituencies and by consistently enforcing the standards for appropriate behavior. It's all a matter of RESPECT.

Ralph Swearngin is executive director of the Georgia High School Association. Reprinted from the March 2008 GHSA newsletter.