Being A Good Sport
We’re a proudly Australian company. And we love the Australia we think we belong to.
But, we’ve been asking ourselves what has become of the value of being a “good sport”?
- Our cricketers ball-tampered – they cheated.
- Our leaders in politics keep knifing one another – where has the idea of loyalty gone these days?
- Fans at a recent Wallabies rugby game tried to assault players they viewed as under-performing – where has our grace in winning and losing gone.
- Nick Kygrios. It goes without saying.
How To Be A ‘Good Sport’
- A good sport has integrity, unlike the cheating Australian cricketers.
- A good sport supports their skipper. Where the Aussie politicians we have ‘leading’ us back-stab each other and show no leadership at all.
- A good sport will play the ball and not the player, unlike the poor sports we see in amongst the fans of the Australian Wallabies.
- A good sport Gives it their best (for the whole match) unlike Nick Krygios.
Relax, Chill, Smile, Calm Down
It seems we have lost our way. Perhaps, blinded by the pressure to win or of opinion polls, league tables or some other external factor.
The Australian way is to ‘relax, chill, smile, calm down’ and remember that “It’ll be right, mate.”
We’ve got to step away from this ‘win at all costs’ attitude. We should recognise for ourselves and for the kids that watch us – that it’s not if you ‘win’ or ‘lose’ – it is how you play the game that matters.
Pat on the back
Maybe the solution is if we gave people a ‘pat on the back’ who are being a ‘Good Sport’. A manager can reward teams for having a go, who act with passion, follow up on strategy and whether they win or lose in the short term, support them.
This could be done through words or more impact-fully when 3 Minute Angels can give them a massage.
The Gladiators (Norm Provan and Arthur Summons), 1963 (printed 1970s) by John O’Gready