Key
Concepts and Vocabulary
•
Sportsmanship
• Gamesmanship
• Fair Play
• Balanced Competition
• Character
• Spirit of the Rules
• Right-Right Dilemmas (ethical dilemmas)
Vocabulary
•
Sportsmanship – (1) adherence to the principles and values
in sport, including integrity, fair play, respect, and the value
of competition, with the focus on winning the right way and what
ought to be done; (2) conduct becoming to a person participating
in sport, such as fairness, respect for one’s opponent,
and graciousness in winning and losing.
• Gamesmanship – (1) a focus on winning at all costs
with little or no regard to certain values considered basic to
sports competition such as fairness, respect, and fair play; (2)
the art or practice of winning contests by questionable means
without actually breaking the game’s rules, but violating
the spirit of the rules, or using ethically problematic methods
to gain an advantage.
• Fair Play – When competitors in sport contests understand
and abide by the formal rules of play in addition to the spirit
of cooperation needed to insure a fair contest, and when all participants
have an equal chance to win a contest. This includes being honest,
straightforward, and a firm and dignified manner even when others
do not play fairly.
• Balanced Competition – A cooperative contest between
at least two persons engaged in a sport activity in which both
parties have similar opportunities and resources necessary to
achieve excellence and to score the most points or otherwise claim
victory in the contest. Balanced competition requires participants
to place the sport contest in proper perspective and pursue winning
the contest in the proper way.
• Character – In terms of sport participation and
the notion that “sport builds character”, character
refers to the combination of compassion, fairness, sportsmanship
and integrity during sports participation. Dispositions, values,
and habits that determine the way a person normally responds to
desires, fears, challenges, opportunities, failures, and successes
and is typically seen in polite behaviors towards others such
as helping an opponent up or shaking hands after a match. A person
has good character when those dispositions and habits reflect
core ethical values. Some refer to character as what a person
does when no one is looking.
• Right-Right Dilemma (Ethical Dilemma) – A situation
(in sports) where two or more important values are in conflict
and a difficult decision has to be made. In a right-right or ethical
dilemma, both or all alternatives seem correct because the values
in conflict are both important to the person making the decision.
For example, when a coach chooses to play an injured player in
an important game, the values of success (winning) and keeping
the player safe (safety) are both important, so the coach is faced
with a right-right dilemma.
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