Sportsmanship in Soccer: More Than Just a Game
Sportsmanship isn't just part of soccer; it's one of those skills that extends into every corner of life no matter how old we are. At Hollier Sports, we’re all about nurturing this trait because it teaches our young players about respect, fairness, patience, handling both wins and losses - and builds resilience. This blog chats about why sportsmanship matters so much as a life skill and on the field, how we weave it into our training at Hollier Sports, and how families can also help their kids develop this valuable quality.
Why Sportsmanship Scores in Soccer
Good sportsmanship is about more than just shaking hands after a match. It involves showing respect to everyone on the pitch, playing fair, and accepting wins and losses with grace. We can’t win at everything all the time and it’s a tough lesson to learn, but if we start talking about these emotions and skills with our kids; then these behaviours help our kids learn how to be accountable, manage their emotions, and understand others' feelings—skills that are golden in life beyond the beautiful game.
Our Game Plan for Encouraging Sportsmanship
At Hollier Sports here’s how we encourage sportsmanship:
Leading by Example: Our coaches are the first to show sportsmanship. They respect refs, cheer fair play, and always keep things positive.
Cheers for Good Behaviour: We’re big on positive reinforcement. When we see players being good sports, we make sure they know we've noticed and we give them a pat on the back.
Reflection Time: After games, we take a moment to reflect—not just on the score, but on how we played the game. This helps everyone think about how they can be even better sports next time.
Clear Expectations: Right from the start, we let our players know that good sportsmanship is just as important as good football. We keep reminding them because it really matters.
How Families Can Kick Goals for Sportsmanship at Home
Here are some tips on how you can help at home:
Talk About It: After games, chat not just about what happened, but how it happened. Praise moments of good sportsmanship, courage, grace, whether from your child or others.
Celebrate Effort, Not Just Wins: Applaud your child for playing well and fairly, no matter the game's outcome.
Learning from Losses: Help your child handle losses by discussing what they felt and how they can channel those emotions positively.
Be a Role Model: Show sportsmanship in your everyday life. How you handle general or even small wins and losses can teach your child a lot about good sportsmanship.
Sportsmanship means so much in what we do at Hollier Sports. We’re working on building skilled players; and helping to grow great people.
Coach Dan
