With the recent public displays of poor sportsmanship (think red/yellow cards at the World Cup, temper tantrums on the tennis courts, or even parents, refs and coaches fighting at your son’s Little League Game), Champion is on the move to bring back sportsmanship. Champion and the National Alliance for Youth Sports administered a survey of 1,500+ athletes. The results?
- 81% say that athletes today would rather win the game than play completely fairly
- Most people (73%) believe it’s cheating only if you get caught
- 79% say that showing good sportsmanship is not what it used to be - most athletes don’t make it a priority but just want to win
- 86% of young athletes indicate that “trash talk” during games has gotten worse as they’ve gotten older
- Many believe that coaches have had a role in decreasing sportsmanship. 45% of respondents have thought about quitting sports due to a coach’s behavior
- 41% think their coach is more concerned about winning than being sportsmanlike
Holy cow! What are we teaching our kids about how to act on and off the field?
Since running can very much be a team sport and does embody principles of competition and camaraderie, poor sportsmanship very much affects us too. My principle?
“Run your own race. Play your own game. Only compare yourself to others to make yourself stronger and more driven. Congratulate your opponents and learn from them.”
Champion has taken action by starting a campaign on Facebook called The Athlete’s Creed. They want to put FUN and FAIR back in PLAY. You can help by entering the principles you live by on/off the field, track or race route. If your principle is chosen you'll WIN some cool prizes from Champion!
Also if you play along you’ll be entered into my giveaway right here. I will choose one male and one female winner.
The female winner gets a Women’s Double Dry V-Neck T-Shirt. Your choice of color/size (depending on availability). A $22 value!
The male winner gets a Men’s Double Dry T-Shirt. Your choice of color/size (depending on availability). A $22 value.
Ways to enter:
- Go to Champion’s Facebook Page by clicking HERE. Enter your principle and leaving me a comment telling me what it is = +1 entry (mandated entry, all the others are optional).
- At the same place vote on your favorite principle = +1 entry and leave a comment letting me know
- Become a fan of Champion on FB and leave a comment = +1 entry
- Write about this giveaway/Campaign on your blog an leave a comment = +1 entry
- In a comment tell about a time when you were a victim of poor sportsmanship and how you reacted =+1 entry
- In a comment tell about a time when you promoted fine sportsmanship = +1 entry
Some people wonder why a comment for each one? That way when I pick a winner at Random.org your odds are better the more comments you have.
Contest will end on July 26th. Good luck!
Fine Print: Champion is sponsoring this giveaway. I paid nothing for the items listed.
