Sportsmanship and Ethics in Middle and High School Sports

by Susan Mullane, Ph.D.

Overview

Setting the Stage: Questions to Think About...

How important are sports in our society?

How important is winning, in sports and elsewhere?

Has our national focus on winning made us give up our ethics and morals?

Are sports figures role models? Should we look up to our sports figures? Should they be treated differently than others?

Introduction:

In this module, students will be introduced to the principles and core values associated with sports participation, including sportsmanship and character development, as well as how ethics can be applied to sports settings in schools. Included in the lesson will be a discussion of the values inherent in healthy sports competition and the difference between "sportsmanship" (winning the right way) and "gamesmanship" (winning at all costs). Students will be exposed to current statistics and survey information regarding sport ethics today, and how winning has become a goal in and of itself. Students will learn to recognize ethical issues in a sport setting and how to make ethical decisions based on values identified. They will learn how their values relate to sports participation and sportsmanship.