good essay about sportsmanship

Essay on Qualities of a Good Sportsman

Students are often asked to write an essay on Qualities of a Good Sportsman in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Qualities of a Good Sportsman

Understanding sportsmanship.

Sportsmanship is a quality admired in athletes. It’s about respect for opponents, playing fairly, and accepting both victories and defeats gracefully.

Respect for Opponents

A good sportsman respects their opponents. They understand that their rivals are also trying their best and deserve respect for their efforts.

Playing Fairly

Fair play is crucial. A good sportsman follows the rules, doesn’t cheat, and strives to win through effort, skill, and strategy.

Grace in Victory and Defeat

Winning or losing is part of the game. A good sportsman celebrates wins humbly and accepts defeats with grace, learning from them for future games.

250 Words Essay on Qualities of a Good Sportsman

Introduction, sporting ability.

Undeniably, a good sportsman must possess exceptional sporting ability, which includes physical strength, agility, endurance, and technical skills. These abilities are honed through rigorous training, discipline, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Teamwork and Communication

A good sportsman understands the importance of teamwork and communication. They recognize that success is a collective effort and that each team member plays a crucial role. They communicate effectively, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is a cornerstone quality of a good sportsman. This includes respecting opponents, accepting defeat graciously, and winning humbly. It also involves adhering to the rules and spirit of the game, demonstrating integrity and fairness.

Resilience and Determination

Resilience and determination are vital qualities. A good sportsman faces challenges head-on, learns from failures, and never gives up. They understand that setbacks are part of the journey and use them as stepping stones towards success.

Lastly, a good sportsman often exhibits leadership qualities, inspiring others with their dedication, commitment, and passion. They lead by example, showing others what can be achieved with hard work and perseverance.

500 Words Essay on Qualities of a Good Sportsman

Being a sportsman goes beyond physical prowess or mastering the rules of the game. It encompasses a broad spectrum of qualities that shape an individual’s character, both on and off the field. A good sportsman embodies virtues such as integrity, discipline, teamwork, and respect, which not only contribute to personal growth but also inspire others.

Integrity is a foundational quality of a good sportsman. It involves adhering to the rules of the game, demonstrating honesty, and upholding ethical standards. Sportsmen with integrity do not resort to cheating or unsportsmanlike conduct to gain unfair advantages. They understand that true victory lies in playing the game fairly, even when no one is watching. This quality is not only important in sports but also in life, as it fosters trust and respect among peers and the community.

Discipline and Dedication

In many sports, teamwork is essential for success. A good sportsman understands the importance of cooperation, communication, and mutual respect among team members. They appreciate the unique skills and strengths of their teammates and know how to leverage these for the team’s benefit. This quality extends beyond the sports field and is a crucial skill in collaborative environments such as the workplace or academia.

Resilience is a quality that enables a sportsman to bounce back from failures and setbacks. Sports, like life, are filled with challenges and disappointments. A good sportsman does not let these deter them from their goals. Instead, they learn from their mistakes, adapt, and come back stronger. This resilience not only aids in sports but also equips individuals to handle life’s adversities with grace.

In conclusion, the qualities of a good sportsman extend far beyond physical skills or knowledge of the game. They encapsulate a range of attributes that contribute to personal development and societal values. A good sportsman, therefore, is not just a champion on the field, but also a role model off the field, inspiring others through their integrity, discipline, teamwork, resilience, and respect.

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The Importance of Sportsmanship and What it Should Look Like

By Brian G. Phelps, FWCD Director of Athletics (2018-2020)

Most reasonable athletes and parents would agree that sportsmanship is an important aspect of athletics. Although it comes in many forms, everyone can give a few examples of what sportsmanship looks like and what it takes to be viewed as a “good sport”: We shake hands before and after games, we clap for injured players once they show they are okay, and we extend a hand to help an opponent get up off of the ground. These examples are just scratching the surface of displaying good sportsmanship.

Sportsmanship is an understanding of and commitment to fair play, ethical behavior and integrity, and general goodwill toward an opponent. It is an affirmation that an athlete is disciplined enough to have perspective, maintain poise and do what is best for his or her teammates. Being able to make appropriate behavioral choices at the “moment of truth” and in a pressure situation will often reveal a player’s character and his or her ability to be a good sport. Simply put, sportsmanship is a choice.

It is easy for parents and kids to get caught up in a game and become too focused on winning. Although winning is important, it is not always the most important aspect of the game. There is so much to be gained and learned from an athletic experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Good sportsmanship is one of those life lessons that should be intentionally learned, taught, practiced and reinforced.

No matter how much we would like to, we cannot win at everything every time. So we need to learn to deal with defeat. After a hard fought game in which everything was left on the playing field in a losing effort, it can be very difficult to look your opponents in the eye and tell them “good game” or “good job.” But this is what is asked of athletes. The key question is: How do we handle losing with dignity?

Keep losing in perspective . Youth sports are a learning experience. Very few wins and losses are remembered, even a short time later. Always accept responsibility for the loss . Acknowledge the winners and congratulate them. Sometimes your opponent was just better. Even if they are not better, they were better during that particular contest. The effort should be acknowledged. Sulking shows a lack of discipline.

Winning is fun! It is the reward for your hard work. When we participate in a sport that keeps score, it is our obligation to the team to do our best to win within the rules of the game and within the spirit of the game. Winning becomes a negative when it is a team’s only goal.

Keep winning in perspective . Winning doesn’t mean you were perfect or that you will win again. Celebrate your win, but celebrate your win with grace . Have empathy for the team you defeated; win with humility and class . Acknowledge your opponents’ effort and that they were worthy competitors. North Carolina basketball Coach Dean Smith once said, “A lion never roars after a kill.” I love that quote and the parallel to what “good winning” should look like.

A recent study conducted by the NCAA showed that while sportsmanship among players has improved over the years, sportsmanship in the fans and parents has declined. It has always intrigued me why people in the stands often feel they have more invested than the actual participants. Is it the time and money invested into private lessons and travel teams? Is it living vicariously through our kids? Is it the college scholarship we need our children to earn? Is it the fear of seeing our kids fail? In any event, we, as parents and fans, should all take a step back and determine if we are helping our kids, or undermining the experience.

As a father of four kids who enjoys participating in athletics, I have to remind myself that it is okay when my kid misses a shot, strikes out, or doesn’t play good enough defense. That fact is, it is their game and their experience, and my playing days are over. A good reminder for me when I feel like my kid needs my advice from the stands comes from the great John Wooden, basketball player and head Coach at the University of California at Los Angeles. Coach Wooden once said, “Young people need models, not critics.”

Instead of being upset with what my kid is not doing well, or how an official has “cheated” our team, I should focus on helping my kid learn to respect the other team. I should watch my language and the negative comments that could come from my mouth. I should respect the officials and not argue every call that is made. Perhaps most importantly, I should support my kids’ team, win or lose.

Life is tough, and life is not fair. Like life, sports are tough and not always fair. Yet sports can be a wonderful training ground for life’s challenges. Just like we win some and lose some in sports, we also deal with plenty of successes, challenges and failures in our lives. Let’s try to be good sports in both the winning and losing situations and during our successes, challenges and failures.

I think it is a good reminder for all of us that there are only four roles during a game: spectator, competitor, official and coach. Everyone involved in athletics would be wise to choose only one of those roles at a time.

I leave you with one more quote; however, I truly could go on and on. In my opinion, Knute Rockne, football player and Coach at the University of Notre Dame, said it best: “One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.”

Do not just simply say, “be a good sport.” Model it, teach it, expect it.

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Good Sportsmanship: Essential Strategies for Athletes

20 May Good Sportsmanship: Essential Strategies for Athletes

Written by Eddie O'Connor

Today, we ask the crucial questions: What exactly constitutes good sportsmanship, and why does it matter so much?

The goal here is not just to discuss but to inspire a transformative approach to sports, emphasizing the importance of respect, fairness, and integrity.

By fostering good sportsmanship, athletes enhance their own experiences and contribute positively to the broader sports community.

Join us as we explore how embodying the spirit of good sportsmanship is crucial not only for personal achievement but for the enduring health of sportsmanship itself.

What is Good Sportsmanship?

Good sportsmanship is the practice of engaging in sports with a spirit of fairness, respect, and courtesy, regardless of the competitive pressure.

It embodies the ethos of playing by the rules, honoring both teammates and opponents, and exhibiting grace whether in victory or defeat.

But what is good sportsmanship at its core?

It’s about integrity, displaying ethical behavior not just when it’s convenient, but consistently, regardless of the stakes.

This concept extends beyond just following the official rules of the sport!

It includes acknowledging great performance from competitors, offering encouragement to teammates, and handling all interactions—whether with referees, coaches, or spectators—with politeness and respect.

Good sportsmanship means maintaining a positive attitude, staying composed when decisions do not favor you, and always striving to bring out the best in yourself and others around you.

In essence, good sportsmanship is not merely a part of the game.

It is the game!

By embodying these values, athletes contribute to a respectful and enjoyable sports environment, promoting a culture where sport is both competitive and noble.

Why is Good Sportsmanship Important?

The significance of good sportsmanship extends far beyond the playing field.

It is vital for maintaining the spirit and integrity of sports.

Athletes who exemplify good sportsmanship help to create a competitive but friendly environment that enhances the enjoyment of the game for everyone involved: players, coaches, officials, and spectators alike.

Firstly, good sportsmanship promotes a positive atmosphere that encourages everyone to participate and give their best.

It fosters a sense of community and teamwork, which are crucial for collective success in team sports.

When athletes display respect and fairness, it helps to build trust and strengthens relationships among team members, which can translate into better performance and more cohesive play.

Secondly, good sportsmanship serves as a model for younger athletes, who look up to higher-level players as role models.

The behaviors exhibited by these role models can significantly influence the attitudes and actions of younger participants towards the sport and competition in general.

By practicing good sportsmanship, seasoned athletes set a standard for upcoming generations, teaching them that success is not just about winning but how you play the game.

Moreover, good sportsmanship is essential for the reputation and sustainability of sports.

Negative behavior or unsportsmanlike conduct can tarnish the public perception of a sport and can lead to decreased participation rates, sponsorship, and support.

In contrast, sports characterized by high levels of sportsmanship are more likely to be viewed positively, attracting more players and audiences, and increasing the overall reach and impact of the sport.

In this way, good sportsmanship not only enhances personal and team success but also upholds the dignity and appeal of sports as a whole.

It ensures that sports remain a valuable tool for teaching important life skills such as respect, perseverance, and teamwork.

How to Develop Good Sportsmanship

Developing good sportsmanship is a vital skill that can be nurtured with intention and practice.

Here are several strategies to help athletes cultivate and demonstrate good sportsmanship in all aspects of their sport:

1. Lead by Example

Actions speak louder than words.

As an athlete, your behavior on and off the field sets a tone for others.

Be the player who plays fair, respects officials’ decisions, and offers a hand to help up a fallen opponent.

Your conduct can inspire your teammates and opponents alike to follow suit.

2. Focus on Personal Growth

Good sportsmanship is rooted in self-improvement.

Concentrate on developing your skills and abilities without comparing yourself negatively to others.

View competitors as opportunities to challenge your own limits rather than obstacles to your success.

3. Practice Respect

Always show respect to everyone involved in the game, including teammates, opponents, coaches, and officials.

This respect should be consistent, regardless of the competition’s intensity or the game’s score.

Acknowledge good plays made by others and avoid derogatory language or gestures.

4. Manage Emotions

Sports can evoke strong emotions, but controlling these emotions is key to good sportsmanship.

Learn to handle both success and disappointment with grace.

Techniques such as deep breathing, focusing on the next play, or positive self-talk can help manage emotional responses during critical moments.

5. Communicate Positively

Use encouraging words and maintain a positive tone with teammates and coaches.

Positive communication builds team morale and can diffuse tense situations, promoting a healthier, more sportsmanlike environment.

6. Learn from Mistakes

Instead of blaming others for a loss or an error, analyze what went wrong and learn from it.

Discuss with your coach or teammates about ways to improve and avoid similar mistakes in the future.

This approach not only improves your skills but also reinforces a culture of continuous learning and mutual respect.

7. Celebrate Sportingly

Whether you win or lose, celebrate or commiserate in a way that honors the game.

Congratulate opponents on a good match, thank your team, and reflect on the game’s experiences positively.

In addition to these personal initiatives, engaging in structured learning about sportsmanship can be incredibly beneficial.

For those looking to deepen their understanding and practice of these principles, joining the Success Stories Community can be a transformative step.

By signing up for a membership, you’ll gain access to an in-depth course focused on sportsmanship and how to be a respected athlete.

This resource can guide you through advanced strategies and scenarios, ensuring that good sportsmanship becomes an integral part of your sporting and personal identity.

Good sportsmanship is foundational to the spirit of competition.

It reflects an athlete’s integrity and shapes their legacy in sports.

By adopting the strategies mentioned, athletes can enhance their playing style and contribute positively to their sports community.

Remember, joining the Success Stories Community offers you a path to explore these concepts deeply, helping you become not just a player, but a true embodiment of sportsmanship.

Embrace good sportsmanship today, and see how it transforms your approach to sports and life alike.

Join us at the Success Stories Community to step up your game in every sense of the word!

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Types of Sports — The Importance of Sportsmanship in Sports

The Importance of Sportsmanship in Sports

Categories: Types of Sports

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

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Home » SEL Implementation » The Importance of Good Sportsmanship: Nurturing Positive Behavior in Sports

The Importance of Good Sportsmanship: Nurturing Positive Behavior in Sports

Key takeaways.

Good sportsmanship is essential for creating a positive sports environment, focusing on respect, fairness, and empathy.
It offers numerous benefits including enhanced self-esteem, teamwork, resilience, community sense, reduced aggression, and promotes inclusivity.
Strategies to nurture good sportsmanship include teaching and modeling positive behavior, fostering a supportive environment, and providing constructive feedback.
Parents and coaches play a pivotal role in promoting good sportsmanship through setting positive examples, encouraging open communication, and focusing on personal growth over winning.

Introduction: The Importance of Good Sportsmanship: Nurturing Positive Behavior in Sports

Sports have long been a popular activity for individuals of all ages. Whether it’s playing on a team or participating in individual sports, the benefits of physical activity are well-known. However, it’s not just about the physical aspect of sports. Good sportsmanship plays a crucial role in creating a positive and supportive environment for athletes to thrive in. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of good sportsmanship, its benefits, and strategies for nurturing positive behavior in sports.

Definition of Good Sportsmanship

Good sportsmanship can be defined as the practice of displaying respect, fairness, and empathy towards opponents, officials, and teammates. It encompasses a set of behaviors and attitudes that promote a positive and inclusive sports environment. Key components of good sportsmanship include:

Empathy: Understanding and appreciating the feelings and perspectives of others.
Respect: Treating others with dignity and showing consideration for their abilities and efforts.
Fairness: Playing by the rules and accepting both victory and defeat with grace.

By embodying these qualities, athletes can contribute to a culture of sportsmanship that benefits themselves and those around them.

Benefits of Good Sportsmanship

Good sportsmanship has numerous benefits for individuals and society as a whole. Let’s explore some of these benefits:

Enhances self-esteem and self-confidence

When athletes display good sportsmanship, they develop a positive self-image and a sense of pride in their behavior. By treating others with respect and fairness, they build their own self-esteem and self-confidence, which can extend beyond the sports arena and into other areas of their lives.

Promotes teamwork and cooperation

Good sportsmanship fosters a sense of teamwork and cooperation among athletes. By valuing the contributions of each team member and working together towards a common goal, athletes learn the importance of collaboration and develop strong interpersonal skills that can benefit them in various aspects of life.

Fosters resilience and perseverance

Through good sportsmanship, athletes learn to handle both success and failure with resilience and perseverance. They understand that setbacks and challenges are a natural part of sports and life, and they develop the ability to bounce back from disappointments and keep pushing forward.

Builds a sense of community and unity

Good sportsmanship creates a sense of community and unity among athletes, teams, and even spectators. When individuals come together with a shared goal of fair play and mutual respect, they build connections and strengthen the bonds within their sports community. This sense of belonging can have a positive impact on mental well-being and overall satisfaction.

Reduces aggression and conflict

By promoting empathy, respect, and fairness, good sportsmanship helps to reduce aggression and conflict in sports. When athletes prioritize positive behavior, they are less likely to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct or engage in aggressive actions towards opponents. This creates a safer and more enjoyable sports environment for everyone involved.

Encourages inclusivity and diversity

Good sportsmanship encourages inclusivity and diversity in sports. When athletes embrace the values of empathy and respect, they are more likely to appreciate and celebrate the unique abilities and backgrounds of their teammates and opponents. This fosters an inclusive environment where individuals from all walks of life can participate and thrive.

Strategies for Nurturing Good Sportsmanship

Nurturing good sportsmanship requires intentional efforts from athletes, coaches, and parents. Here are some strategies to promote and cultivate good sportsmanship:

Teach and model positive behavior

One of the most effective ways to nurture good sportsmanship is by teaching and modeling positive behavior. Coaches and parents should emphasize the importance of fair play and following rules. Athletes should be encouraged to show empathy and understanding towards opponents, and to demonstrate respect for coaches, officials, and teammates.

Foster a supportive and inclusive sports environment

Creating a supportive and inclusive sports environment is essential for nurturing good sportsmanship. Coaches and parents should promote teamwork and collaboration over individual success. Opportunities should be provided for players to bond and build relationships, such as team-building activities or community service projects. Effort and improvement should be celebrated, not just winning.

Provide constructive feedback and guidance

Coaches and parents play a crucial role in providing constructive feedback and guidance to athletes. They should help athletes understand the consequences of their actions, both positive and negative. Encouraging reflection and self-evaluation can help athletes develop a deeper understanding of their behavior and its impact on others. Coaches and parents should also offer guidance on conflict resolution and problem-solving, empowering athletes to navigate challenging situations with integrity.

Role of Parents and Coaches in Promoting Good Sportsmanship

Parents and coaches have a significant influence on shaping the behavior and attitudes of young athletes. Here are some tips for parents and coaches to promote good sportsmanship:

Set a positive example through their own behavior

Parents and coaches should lead by example and demonstrate good sportsmanship in their own actions and interactions. Athletes are more likely to emulate positive behavior when they see it consistently modeled by the adults around them.

Encourage open communication and dialogue with athletes

Parents and coaches should create an environment where athletes feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns. Open communication and dialogue can help athletes develop a deeper understanding of the values and principles of good sportsmanship.

Emphasize the importance of effort and personal growth over winning

Parents and coaches should shift the focus from winning to effort and personal growth. By emphasizing the importance of giving their best effort and continuously improving, athletes can develop a growth mindset and a long-term perspective on their sports journey.

Good sportsmanship is not just about following the rules; it’s about nurturing positive behavior and creating a supportive and inclusive sports environment. By embodying the values of empathy, respect, and fairness, athletes can experience personal growth and contribute to a stronger and more united sports community. Parents, coaches, and athletes themselves all play a crucial role in promoting good sportsmanship. Let’s prioritize and promote good sportsmanship in all sports activities to create a positive and enriching experience for everyone involved.

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Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12

Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 Key Takeaways Strong social communication skills are crucial for academic success and building meaningful relationships in Grade 12. Social communication includes verbal and non-verbal communication,...

Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 As students enter Grade 12, they are on the cusp of adulthood and preparing for the next chapter of their lives. While academic success...

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Christiano Ronaldo drapes injured Edison Cavani's arm over him to help Cavani off the field during World Cup soccer game

Who needs sportsmanship? The answer is we all do

Sports deliver mixed messages: We play to win. No points for second place. It’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game that counts. Cheaters never win, and winners never cheat.

The world of sports is replete with examples of good and bad sportsmanship. But what exactly is sportsmanship, and why does it matter? Definitions often involve fair play, respect for all parties involved and graciousness in winning and losing.

Tim Delaney, a sociology professor at the State University of New York at Oswego, defines it in “ The Sociology of Sports ” as “conduct and attitudes considered as benefiting participants, especially in regards to a sense of fair play, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, game officials and others involved in the sporting contest, as well as grace in losing.”

Sports are supposed to build confidence and instill important values, but they can do the opposite if sportsmanship falls by the wayside. And if bad sportsmanship sours the experience, participants can miss the benefits of sports.

Sportsmanship came to the forefront of the 2018 World Cup a few times. Delaney noted sportsmanship helped determine whether Senegal or Japan advanced. When the two teams finished tied in the standings and the first two tiebreakers did not give one of them the edge, FIFA’s new “fair play” tiebreaker allowed Japan to advance. The teams’ red and yellow cards were added, and Japan had a lower total. However, “referee calls are subjective,” Delaney added, so “fair play — which is a critical element of sportsmanship — is not necessarily fair.”

Also during the World Cup, when Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani started limping off the field, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo helped him walk. Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku signaled to the referee not to penalize Tunisia after a player made contact with him.

In other sports, Desiree Linden won the 2018 Boston Marathon even after slowing to help Shalane Flanagan catch up to the pack after she was forced to stop for a bathroom break. Even high school students have made headlines recently for good sportsmanship: A high school golfer reported an error she had made on her scorecard, causing her and her team to lose state titles. A high school pitcher who had just won a baseball tournament game by striking out his childhood friend stopped to hug and console him before celebrating, and a video of it went viral.

At the time, no one talked much about what she did until the story gained traction with the media, Holtman-Fletcher recalled. But that’s not surprising, because athletes often don’t learn about sportsmanship in any systematic way, she said. “Growing up, there wasn’t a point that somebody sat me down to teach me about sportsmanship.”

Holtman-Fletcher went on to coach at CWU and then speak about sportsmanship as part of the Positive Coaching Alliance , which aims to develop “better athletes, better people” by providing resources to athletes, coaches, parents and administrators. Part of the problem is coaches lack resources for guidance — especially if they are volunteer coaches just stepping into the role, she said.

Another organization that offers parents and coaches resources is the Changing the Game Project , which works “to ensure that we return youth sports to our children, and put the ‘play’ back in ‘play ball.’”

“Youth sport is a wonderful place to teach values, like resilience, respect for rules and respect for opponents, and how to work hard and accomplish something,” said John O'Sullivan, founder of the project . “It’s not supposed to be a forum for adults to compete against other adults through their kids. That’s what it’s become in far too many instances.”

O’Sullivan promotes a player-centric approach that asks: “Does this decision serve the needs of the participants or my ego as a coach or as a parent?” The overzealous parents and coaches are in the minority, but the silent majority needs to start speaking up, he said.

“One of the biggest problems in youth sport is that we use professional sport as our model. Professional sport is sport for entertainment purposes. Youth sport is sport for development, both athletic and human development,” O’Sullivan said. The adult value of being willing to do anything to win trickles down to youth sport, which is supposed to be about teaching kids how to play properly and teaching them “respect and integrity through sport,” he said.

Kids differ from adults in another way, said Solomon Alexander, director of the National Sportsmanship Foundation . “Kids can work hard and have fun at same time. The adult mindset seems to be if you’re just doing something for fun, you don’t really care how it turns out. Kids care more about the outcome the more fun that they’re having,” he said. “So sports need to be fun for kids.”

This high school pitcher held off celebrating with his teammates so he could console his childhood friend instead. (?: @b757fo_jim ) pic.twitter.com/tjGqoz2EPU — Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 11, 2018

At a recent soccer tournament, O’Sullivan watched a 9-year-old boys’ game that a 15-year-old was refereeing. “Parents on both sides are screaming at this kid. There’s a foul and the coach charges off the field and is screaming at this 15-year-old referee — who’s all by himself, there’s no adult watching the game — he slams his hat down and is getting in this kid’s face,” he recalled.

Well-meaning parents, coaches and administrators can cause problems, Alexander said. “For example, you have parents who think the only way to get their kid to college is through sports, and so they put enormous pressure on the kid to excel in a sport, starting from very young age,” pushing him or her to get a scholarship.

So what’s at stake if good sportsmanship isn’t upheld? “We’re losing a whole section of children from sports because they’re having bad experiences,” Holtman-Fletcher said, noting that kids are demeaning other kids and those who are not athletically gifted start to feel bad. Holtman-Fletcher says she doesn’t think all kids need to have equal playing time, but a less gifted player needs to be reminded it’s OK if she’s not as good as the best player — and that the game is fun.

“Kids quit sports when adults make it no fun,” Alexander said. “And lack of respect, integrity, civility and fair play makes sports less fun for kids.” He added that “when kids are having trouble with their baseball coach, they don’t just quit that baseball team.” They often move away from sports entirely.

As kids become adults, sportsmanship-related issues can intensify. “By the time athletes get to high school and college, sportsmanship is given lip service, but something else becomes far more important: winning,” Delaney said. College students on scholarship may get pressured to play as hard as possible, and “sometimes that can take precedence over playing fairly,” he said.

The adult realm also includes coaches teaching their athletes how to get away with things, such as when to push someone, Delaney said. He published “ Sportsmanship: Multidisciplinary Perspectives , ” a book of essays geared toward adults, after finding that other sportsmanship books focus on kids. He also hosts a Sportsmanship Day Symposium every year.

The lack of sportsmanship is not unique to the U.S., Alexander said. In the U.S., “our issues are centered on the fact that we hold sports in such high esteem. We hold professional athletes in higher regard than we do doctors, and that’s an issue,” he said. But badly behaved parents and coaches can be found everywhere.

Delaney agreed these p roblems are universal, although they may take different shapes in different areas of the world. For example, some countries are known for so-called hooliganism — fans picking fights with other fans and acting out violently or destructively — he said, and parents and fans harassing referees are more common in some places more than others.

Being kind and being competitive are not incompatible, Holtman-Fletcher said. “I’m competitively compassionate — you can’t lose all your morals just to be competitive.” If you lose, it’s not the end of the world, and “failure is a good way to succeed,” she said.

People have strong opinions on whether participation trophies are helpful or harmful. Alexander supports giving them to youth. “There is no harm in giving everybody a trophy when they’re 8 years old, because what you want to do is spend as much time as you can filling up your kid’s cup,” he explained. “Because the rest of the world for the rest of their lives will try to tear them down. If a cheap trophy makes them feel good that day” and makes them want to come back the next day, it’s worth giving.

The National Sportsmanship Foundation recognizes extraordinary sportsmanship through its annual Musial Awards . Alexander cited the example of one winner, Josh Zuchowski . When he was 10, his main swimming rival was Reese Branzell — the two would often trade first and second place. When Reese was hospitalized and couldn’t compete at a meet, Josh dedicated his race to Reese and won. Then he gave Reese his trophy, along with a note that said: “I would rather get second with you at the meet than win with you absent. I won this trophy for you today. I hope to see you back in the pool.” It shows that even a 10-year-old “can make difference in somebody’s life,” Alexander said.

Allison Torres Burtka is a freelance writer and editor based in metro Detroit. You can read more of her work here .

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Teaching Children Good Sportsmanship

Parents and kids alike love sports, and it's easy to get caught up in a game and become focused on winning. Yet there is much more to be gained from the sports experience than a winning record. When children and teens are involved in sports, they are able to learn and put into practice values that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Good sportsmanship is one of the life lessons that children can learn from sports. You can help your children understand and value good sportsmanship while making sure they have a safe and fun sports experience.

Good sportsmanship may seem hard to define, but its hallmarks include being able to win without gloating, respecting one's opponents, and being able to lose gracefully. Here are some important principles to instill in your children:

If you lose, don't make up excuses.

If you win, don't rub it in.

Learn from mistakes and get back in the game.

Always do your best.

If someone else makes a mistake, remain encouraging and avoid criticizing.

Show respect for yourself, your team, and the officials of the game.

Parents are important role models, so let your children see you upholding these principles, whether you play a sport yourself or root for your child's team from the sidelines.

Tips for teaching good sportsmanship

Good sportsmanship includes following certain guidelines for good behavior. Share these concepts with your children:

Follow the rules of the game. It might seem easier to win by doing things a different way (cheating), but everyone has to follow the rules. Explain to your child that rules are created so that sports can be played in an organized way.

Avoid arguing. Stay focused on the game instead of giving in to anger with teammates, coaches, or referees. Always avoid using bad language and negative words.

Everyone should have a chance to play. In youth sports, it's important to encourage even those players who are the least skilled to have fun playing in the game. Parents, coaches, and even other players have an important role in allowing less talented teammates time to participate.

Play fair. Good sportsmen want to win because they followed the rules and played the best game they could. Never support any effort to win that attempts to go around the rules. Cheating is not acceptable.

Follow directions. Emphasize the importance of listening to coaches and referees and following their directions while on the field and involved in team activities.

Respect the other team. Whether your team wins or loses, it's important to show respect for the effort of the other team. If the other team wins, accept defeat, acknowledge their abilities, and move on. If your team wins, resist bragging—that's what it means to be a gracious winner.

Encourage teammates. Team sports work best when each individual supports the team. Praise teammates for what they do well and encourage them when they make mistakes. Avoid criticism and unkind actions. Parents should model this behavior for children by praising them for specific things they have done well, even if they made a mistake or may not have played as well as hoped.

Respect the decisions of referees and other officials. These people are charged with making difficult decisions about plays in the game. Good sportsmanship requires that you accept a call, even if you disagree with it. Remember that it's only one call in a long game—get back into play and focus on the game.

End with a handshake. Good sportsmen enjoy sports and know how to end a game on a positive note, whether or not they won. Threats, anger, criticism, and other negative expressions are not acceptable.

Amazing Olympic Moments: Stories of sportsmanship

With athletes going head-to-head on an international stage, it’s easy to get caught up in the competitive nature of the Olympic Games and medal counts, losing sight of what really matters.

But time after time, Olympians have shown us that there’s more to sport than just the game. Being a good sport, team player, and showing compassion for others can mean so much more. Through athleticism, selflessness and sportsmanship, these athletes and coaches have reminded us what the Games should really be about.

While most examples of sportsmanship aren’t a matter of life or death, there is at least one exception to that rule.

Lawrence Lemieux – Seoul 1988

Canadian sailor Lawrence Lemieux helped define the word sportsmanship when he abandoned his race mid-competition to help Singaporeans Joseph Chan and Shaw Her Siew, whose 470 class boat had capsized under 35-knot winds, leaving the pair in danger of being carried out to sea. Lemieux, who was on course to finish second in that day’s Finn class race, threw away his medal chances to help them out. He battled through harsh currents and forceful winds to ensure Chan and Siew’s safety.

In many sports, the equipment is as vital to success as the training the athlete undertaken. But when that equipment fails, an athlete can only hope to have the help that these received.

Justin Wadsworth – Sochi 2014

Russia’s Anton Gafarov falls with a broken ski during his men’s semifinal of the cross-country sprint at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Justin Wadsworth was the head coach of Canada’s cross-country ski team during Sochi 2014 . While watching the men’s sprint semifinals, Wadsworth saw Russian Anton Gafarov fall multiple times on a broken ski. The Canadian coach was on the sidelines with a spare ski for Alex Harvey , who had disappointingly not advanced. Seeing the Russian struggle to continue, he immediately ran onto the course and knelt down to replace the broken ski. Without this act of kindness, Garafov likely wouldn’t have made it to the finish line with the dignity that he did.

Bjørnar Håkensmoen – Turin 2006

Wadsworth certainly wasn’t the first coach to display great sportsmanship towards his opponent. Flashback to Turin 2006 , where Norwegian coach Bjørnar Håkensmoen’s Olympic spirit allowed Canadian Sara Renner to claim a silver medal in cross-country skiing team sprint with Beckie Scott . After an opponent stepped on Renner’s ski pole and broke it, Håkensmoen quickly handed her a new one. It may have been a bit too long for her, but it allowed Renner to finish her leg of the race. The Canadian duo won silver, while Norway’s cross-country team just missed the podium in fourth place, meaning that Håkensmoen’s sportsmanship may have cost his own team a medal.

Eugenio Monti – Innsbruck 1964

Italian bobsledder Eugenio Monti was the first recipient of the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship and rightfully so. During the 1964 Olympic Winter Games , he helped not one, but two opposing teams in need. His first act of sportsmanship came in the two-man event when British bobsledders Tony Nash and Robin Dixon suffered a broken axel bolt in their first run. Monti, the most dominant pilot of the era, selflessly lent them one of his spare bolts. The Brits ended up winning the gold medal, while Monti and his partner came in third. If that wasn’t enough, during the four-man event that followed, the Canadian team piloted by Vic Emery suffered damage to their rear axel. Monti offered up his own crew of mechanics to fix it for them. In a similar fate, Canada went on to win gold while the Italian team took home another bronze.

Sometimes, it’s the body that fails an athlete at the most inopportune time. But if they’re lucky, a helping hand is there to get them to the finish.

Abbey D’Agostino and Nikki Hamblin – Rio 2016

United States' Abbey D'Agostino after competing in a women's 5000-meter heat during the athletics competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

One of Rio’s most memorable moments didn’t come from an outstanding medal performance, but from American Abbey D’Agostino and New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin in the women’s 5000m heats. The competitors were four and a half laps from the finish when Hamblin tripped and fell to the ground, causing D’Agostino to stumble over her and onto the racetrack as well. Instead of sprinting off after she got up, D’Agostino went over and lent Hamblin a hand, encouraging her to get up and finish. The pair headed down the track until D’Agostino fell for a second time, due to an injury sustained in the mix-up. Hamblin returned the favour – giving away any chance she had at advancing to the final – to help D’Agostino get back on her feet. After finishing, they embraced in a hug. The unlikely duo proved the importance of sportsmanship and received the International Fair Play Committee Award for their actions.

Derek Redmond – Barcelona 1992

British sprinter Derek Redmond and his father Jim showed the world at the 1992 Summer Games that finishing something is more important than the end result. In the men’s 400m semifinal, Redmond was heavily favoured to win gold – that is until he tore his hamstring during the race, fell to the ground and lost any chance of reaching the podium. But, instead of heading out of the race on a stretcher without finishing, he picked himself up and began limping down the track in obvious pain, Redmond’s father Jim left the sidelines and ran onto the track to lend himself as a crutch to his son. Together, the pair crossed the finish line with a crowd of people cheering them on.

Or perhaps that helping hand comes in the form of great advice.

Luz Long and Jesse Owens – Berlin 1936

FILE – This 1936 file photo shows Jesse Owens in action in a 200-meter preliminary heat at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin. Hop on the Underground at “Jesse Owens” station. After one stop change at “Carl Lewis.” And then ride the Tube all the way to “Michael Phelps.” That, sports fans, will get you from central London right to the Olympic Stadium. (AP Photo/File)

American Jesse Owens’ incredible four gold medal performance at Berlin 1936 might not have happened without the wise words of German rival Luz Long in men’s long jump. Owen’s first two attempts at qualifying for the final resulted in fouls, leaving his dreams of reaching the podium hanging by a thread. Before his third jump, Long approached him and suggested laying a towel in front of the takeoff board and jumping from a few inches back to avoid fouling out. Owens took the advice and succeeded, eventually going on to win gold, while Long stood behind him in second place. In an era defined by political and cultural tensions, Long took a huge risk in offering Owens a few pointers, but reminds us that doing the right thing should always be our number one priority.

It’s also important to remember the saying that there’s no “I” in “team”.

Gilmore Junio and Denny Morrison – Sochi 2014

Canadian speed skaters Denny Morrison and Gilmore Junio perform their signature move following a a news conference at the Sochi Winter Olympics Sunday February 16, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

At Sochi 2014, speed skater Gilmore Junio made the surprising decision to withdraw from the 1000m to give his spot to fellow Canadian Denny Morrison . Why did he do it? Because Junio thought Morrison offered a better chance of earning a medal for Canada. During the national trials, Morrison had been just 50m away from qualifying for the 1000m, but clipped a skate and fell. He was given another shot, but just didn’t have the same energy. The 1000m was a specialty of two-time world champion Morrison while Junio was better at the shorter 500m. For the good of the country, Junio recognized this and selflessly put his entire nation ahead of himself when he gave away his spot. This action was something that paid off as Morrison went on to win silver.

Sometimes, sportsmanship isn’t about what you do – it can be about what you don’t do.

Evan Dunfee – Rio 2016

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Evan Dunfee (@evandunfee)

Canadian race walker Evan Dunfee didn’t make a fuss after a back and forth fight for bronze with Japan’s Hirooki Arai. Arai and Dunfee were neck-and-neck in the 50km race walk when Arai bumped into Dunfee causing him to wobble and lose his rhythm. That allowed Arai to move ahead into third place. After an appeal and review, Arai was disqualified, moving Dunfee into bronze medal position. But a counter-appeal by the Japanese returned Arai to third place. It was then left to Dunfee as to whether or not he wanted to further appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Ultimately, he decided not to, Instead, holding his head up high and accepting the fourth place spot like a champ, proud of the effort he had made.

And then there are those times that even if the results book can’t be changed, the medal ownership can.

Shawn Crawford – Beijing 2008

In this Aug. 18, 2008, file photo, Shawn Crawford of the United States competes in a heat of the men's 200-meter race during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In the finals Crawford finished fourth, only to move up two spots when Netherlands Antilles sprinter Churandy Martina and American Wallace Spearmon were disqualified for running outside their lanes. But each time Crawford looked at his medal, he felt stabs of guilt. So he gave it back to Martina, who in his opinion beat him fair and square, even though the rules said differently(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

FILE – In this Aug. 18, 2008, file photo, Shawn Crawford of the United States competes in a heat of the men’s 200-meter race during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In the finals Crawford finished fourth, only to move up two spots when Netherlands Antilles sprinter Churandy Martina and American Wallace Spearmon were disqualified for running outside their lanes. But each time Crawford looked at his medal, he felt stabs of guilt. So he gave it back to Martina, who in his opinion beat him fair and square, even though the rules said differently(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

The Beijing 2008 men’s 200m final saw Usain Bolt set a world record of 19.30 seconds to win gold and take all the headlines. But what happened behind him was as equally interesting. Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles crossed the line second ahead of American Wallace Spearmon in third. However, upon review, both Martina and Spearmon were disqualified for stepping out of their lanes. This moved Americans Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix into second and third place. This didn’t sit well with Crawford, who had jumped from fourth to the silver medal. So, following the Games, Crawford made the decision to send Churandy his Olympic silver medal with a note that said, “Churandy I know this can’t replace the moment, but I want you to have this because I believe it’s rightfully yours!”

Medal of Eternal Friendship – Berlin 1936

Japanese pole vaulters Shuhei Nishida and Sueo Oe took the scoring charts into their own hands when they made the unprecedented decision to cut their 1936 Olympic medals in half and solder them together to make a mixed medal of bronze and silver. But why? The pair had been in a three-way jump-off for second and third with American Bill Sefton. But after Sefton was eliminated, the jump-off ended, reportedly because Japanese officials stepped in and chose to give Nishida the silver and Oe the bronze. Among the possible reasons, Nishida was older and had cleared 4.25m on his first jump while Oe had missed that height on his first attempt. But that reasoning apparently wasn’t good enough for the two competitors. When they returned to Japan, they cut the medals in half to create the Medal of Eternal Friendship.

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Essays on Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship Essay in English

The sporting spirit is another name of sportsmanship. It means the fair, honest, earnest and generous way in which a game is played. The best players all over the world play the game with the sporting spirit.

In the play field sportsmanship is needed most. The law of game requires That we should play in a fair manner. We must not take an undue advantage of our opponents; nor should we try to deceive them.

The play must be neatly carried on. Even if our party is being defeated, we must no get impatient and run into a passion. The true sporting spirit wants even a losing game to be played honestly and in conformity with the rules.

The sporting spirit requires that the players must obey the referee the umpire. Whatever decision is given by him, the players must not grumble nor murmur. If he makes an error of judgement, we must respect his announcement and not ridicule his error.

Sportsmanship is rightly estimated at the time when a party is defeated. It is then that we have to see how a player takes his defeat. If he grows sulky and sad and begins to quarrel and fight with his opponents, he is not a true player. He is said possess no sporting spirit.

The baser instincts that are jealousy, meanness, quarrelsomeness are not worthy of a sportsman. He must take success and failure with the same equanimity. A true sportsman does not hesitate to praise the superior game of his opponents and rejoices even at their victory.

The sporting spirit is not merely confined to the playfield. It must also be carried into the other walks of life. In everyday life we need it. There are so many mishaps, worries and troubles in the world that a man needs sportsmanship at every step.

A man gifted with the sporting spirit has an optimistic view of life. He considers the world a big play field and pays his part without grumbling. He is satisfied with doing his duty best. His is not the job to think of consequences. He leaves them to God. He takes pleasure in what he does not remains cheerful under all circumstances.

Play up! play up! play up the game.

450 Words Essay on Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship does not mean only taking part in sports and playing the game in conformity with the rules prescribed, but also playing the game of life in the spirit imbibed on the playing fields.

A true sportsman is he who observes all those rules in life which he has been taught to observe in games. One who has achieved skill or proficiency in games but does not learn to apply the principles of sports to life in general does not deserve to be called a sportsman.

On the contrary, a man who gives evidence of possessing a sporting spirit in games is still a sportsman. Usually those who play games develop into true sportsmen because their character is molded by the training they are given on the field.

It implies fair play. Just in games if any player plays foul, the side to which he belongs is penalized, similarly in the bigger game of life one must always be fair in one’s dealings with others.

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Fairness, honesty, integrity, openness of heart and frankness -these are the qualities that a sportsman must display in life. One should not practice deception, should not bluff, should not cheat others and should indulge in diplomacy or humility. A sportsman never takes undue advantage of the weakness of his adversary nor does he hit below the belt.

The art implies obedience to the leader. In games the players have to obey their captain and yield to him on points on which they are in disagreement with him. They must repose the fullest confidence in him. In life too, a sportsman yields to his superior even if he does not agree with him. Respect for discipline is an essential part of sportsmanship.

Team spirit is another important element of sportsmanship. In games the various players must cooperate with one another if they wish to win a match. Without mutual co-operation success is impossible. Similarly in whatever sphere of life one may be, one must aid and be aided by one’s friends if one is a true sportsman.

Sportsmanship consists in working in full harmony with others. In cooperation indeed lies strength. Wherever a common aim binds a number of people together, they must display their sportsmanship by working harmoniously, without friction or mutual jealousy.

Finally, the spirit of sportsmanship demands cheerfulness even in the face of a defeat. When two players play a tennis match, the loser does not cherish any grudge against the winner. In fact the loser congratulates his opponent on his success and shakes hands with him.

Fair play, respect for discipline, recognition of the need for teamwork and cheerfulness even in the event of defeat are thus the dominant marks of a sportsman. Sportsmanship is worthy of admiration

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Sportsmanship - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Sportsmanship is the spirit of fair play, courteousness, and respect that is exhibited by athletes, coaches, and fans in a sports setting. It involves treating others with kindness, showing humility in victory and graciousness in defeat, and playing within the rules and spirit of the game. Good sportsmanship values the opponent as much as the self, and discourages bad behavior such as cheating, disrespect, and aggression. It promotes healthy competition and creates a positive environment for all involved.

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Voter Guide

SPORTSMANSHIP ESSAY WINNER

KYLE HUNTER, Marietta, Fifth-Grade Winner

Children get lessons in sportsmanship from athletes on TV. However, a lot of the time it's not good sportsmanship. Therefore, someone has to teach them what good sportsmanship really is - playing by the rules, respecting your opponents and the officials and putting hard work over winning.

Good sportsmanship should first be taught by parents. If a child is pushed by a parent to win at all cost, chances are that sportsmanship may get lost along the way. Parents should be good role models for kids. They should always show good sportsmanship themselves. Kids learn from what they see.

Children should be taught good sportsmanship, starting at a very young age. Being considerate, showing respect and playing fair can be taught early in life. If this is done, being a good sport should become natural for them. Also, when these kids get on the playing field or ball court, good sportsmanship should come easier for them. They can be good examples for others to follow.

If parents will take that first step in teaching their kids to always play by the rules - don't talk trash or tease opponents; admit when you make a mistake, don't make excuses or blame others; always try your hardest even if you are getting beat; don't argue with calls by officials; don't show off, and have fun - good sportsmanship can be saved.

KARI AMES, Seminole, Eighth-Grade Winner

"Dare to play fair." Have you ever been told this?

I have always been taught good sportsmanship and the importance it plays in my life and the outcome of the sports I play. That's why I think sportsmanship plays a vital role in sports.

Sportsmanship is very important when you play sports and are involved in other activities. When you have sportsmanship, you have better games. You don't get angry when calls don't go your way. Also, you get along better with everyone, including your opponents. When you use good sportsmanship you have a chance at better teamwork and a good attitude. Using sportsmanship helps the team work together as one on and off the courts. You also gain a better perspective of things, and you feel good for playing fair. So it's important to have sportsmanship.

Good sportsmanship comes from players who are determined to give it 100 percent all the time. You gain sportsmanship by playing fair and controlling your actions. Sportmanship can take you high in life. People who have good sportsmanship have better games. Sportsmanship can do a lot for your future. You can be recognized for all sorts of things, such as awards, spots on your team, and maybe if you're lucky, you could even get a scholarship. So having good sportsmanship can help you in the long run.

There is also bad sportsmanship. Unfortunately, this route is taken far too often. It's easier to be a bad sport. Bad sportsmanship is shown when you down another player, hurt someone on purpose or throw a fit because things don't go your way. Bad sportsmanship comes from not having the desire to give it whatever it takes. I think when you have bad sportsmanship you are upset or want to take the easy road. People who have bad sportsmanship on the courts are going to have bad attitudes off the courts. So bad sportsmanship can ruin things for you now and in the long run.

So next time you hear it's good to show sportsmanship you will understand why. Also remember "Dare to play fair!" It will help you go far in life and in everything you do. Also, having good sportsmanship will help you succeed in life.

ASHLEY FOSTER, Ninnekah, Ninth-Grade Winner

What is sportsmanship? Sportsmanship, by definition, is the qualities or conduct of a good sportsman, especially insistence on fair play accompanied by the capacity to win or lose gracefully, without arrogance in victory or whining in defeat.

So what's involved in good sportsmanship? Start with a sense of fair play, instead of playing dirty or trying to beat the rules. Show respect for others, rather than putting them down, finding fault, or promoting yourself at their expense. Humility fits into the picture, too. This comes down to not bragging or getting a big head when you score, not showing off, being big enough to ask for help, admit your mistakes, walk away, or just say I'm sorry. The good sport also can take criticism without taking it personally.

Sportsmanship requires that you show grace - for example, forgiving teammates who foul up, and sharing the spotlight when you're the hero. You also have to remember it's not always important to be the hero, you just gotta play and work with your team, not in front of them. It calls for a sense of humor. Instead of taking yourself too seriously, make sure you can take a joke and laugh at yourself. To be a good sport you must compromise and share, rather than having to get your way. You face many moments of truth on the sportsmanship issue. Like when you lose. When you win. When you don't get your way. When you're under pressure. Even during the daily routines of just doing your job and dealing with others.

Good sports grease the wheels of group interaction. They promote togetherness and harmony. Poor sports, on the other hand, put a strain on team relationships. And if people in the group have trouble getting along, the team can't come close to achieving its true potential. Your character, your attitude are constantly on display. Teammates pay attention to how to handle yourself. Make sure they have no reason to charge you with unsportsmanlike conduct. No selfishness, you win, you win. And you leave it at that. You can celebrate, but don't rub it in. You lose, well you just lose, that's all. I don't like people who get mad if somebody fouls 'em, or they get mad when they lose and blame it on someone on their team. You have to realize that if you make a mistake, it's your mistake, and you can't pawn it off on someone else. I like people who play hard and put the team first. You don't ever do it by yourself. No way.

People appreciate a good sport. Refs appreciate that extra little effort to hand them the ball instead of just letting it lie where it is. Give the other team a smile while shaking their hands after the game. Helping them up when they fall, giving a pat on the back and shaking their coach's hand are all appreciated and will probably be returned with the same kindness. After all, good sportsmanship is contagious.

LARRY M. DINKINS, Shawnee, Adult Winner

The pivotal sixth-grade soccer match had been aggressive and physical. The competition on the pitch was matched by the heated rhetoric of parents on both sides who seemed to question the referee's every call. After the game, a losing parent vented his frustration at my son's coach. Instead of answering his critics, the coach turned and walked away. This response upset the parents even more; and in a fit of rage, he threw a donut at the back of the coach's head! I will never forget what happened next. Instead of turning the challenge into a fight or brawl, the coach picked up the missile, took a bite, and said nonchalantly, "Thanks for the donut."

My son's coach had spoken volumes by the simple act of eating a donut. Throughout the fall, he had taught the team to accept the "hard knocks" that are part and parcel of a competitive team sport like soccer. He encouraged his players to be aggressive and accept the "give and take" of physical contact that is characteristic of team sports. One thing he didn't encourage, however, was a win-at-all-cost attitude of retaliation.

In life, as in soccer, the key lesson is how to play hard, yet to follow the rules. Even if others break the rules in order to win, a person still has no reason to earn a "red card" by retaliating. The instigator of the Olympics, Baron de Coubertin, would have agreed; he stated, "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle."

These days when I observe the too frequent on-field machismo of fighting and brawling in sports, a question recurs in my mind - is it really necessary? When a bench clears in baseball or a basketball player is ejected for a thrown elbow - is that really a sport? Fighting is so acceptable in ice hockey that brawls by the players are treated as a part of game strategy and is roundly cheered by the crowd. Competitive sports do require physical contact, but not excessive violence that endangers the players and damages their character.

My son's coach taught his players more than how to dribble a ball or make a corner kick. He taught them the joy of friendship and how to work as a team to achieve a mutual goal. Through the long practice sessions, he instilled the value of discipline and sacrifice. Sure, winning was fun; but he also showed the value of rebounding from adversity through the inevitable losses. Most importantly, he taught my son to take the "hard knocks" of soccer and life without retaliating.

I've often wondered how I would have responded if someone had hit me in the back of the head with a donut. I could name a few responses (all unacceptable), which makes me grateful that an exceptional coach had the presence of mind to bend over, take a bite, and say, "Thanks for the donut." BIOG: NAME: UPD:

Archive ID: 754132

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sportsmanship

Definition of sportsmanship

Examples of sportsmanship in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sportsmanship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1897, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near sportsmanship

sports medicine

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“Sportsmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sportsmanship. Accessed 24 Jun. 2024.

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Kids definition of sportsmanship, more from merriam-webster on sportsmanship.

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The Motivated Ignorance of Trump Supporters

They can’t claim they didn’t know.

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Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.

O n the morning of August 8, 2022 , 30 FBI agents and two federal prosecutors conducted a court-authorized search of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, estate. The reason for the search, according to a 38-count indictment , was that after leaving office Trump mishandled classified documents, including some involving sensitive nuclear programs, and then obstructed the government’s efforts to reclaim them.

On the day before the FBI obtained the search warrant, one of the agents on the case sent an email to his bosses, according to The New York Times . “The F.B.I. intends for the execution of the warrant to be handled in a professional, low key manner,” he wrote, “and to be mindful of the optics of the search.” It was, and they were.

Over the course of 10 hours, the Times reported, “there was little drama as [agents] hauled away a trove of boxes containing highly sensitive state secrets in three vans and a rented Ryder box truck.”

On the day of the search, Trump was out of the state. The club at Mar-a-Lago was closed. Agents alerted one of Trump’s lawyers in advance of the search. And before the search, the FBI communicated with the Secret Service “to make sure we could get into Mar-a-Lago with no issues,” according to the testimony of former Assistant FBI Director Steven D’Antuono. It wasn’t a “show of force,” he said. “I was adamant about that, and that was something we all agreed on.”

The search warrant itself included a standard statement from the Department of Justice’s policy on the use of deadly force. There was nothing exceptional about it. But that didn’t prevent Trump or his supporters from claiming that President Joe Biden and federal law-enforcement agents had been involved in a plot to assassinate the former president.

In a fundraising appeal, Trump wrote,

BIDEN’S DOJ WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME! It’s just been revealed that Biden’s DOJ was authorized to use DEADLY FORCE for their DESPICABLE raid in Mar-a-Lago. You know they’re just itching to do the unthinkable … Joe Biden was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger.

On May 23, Trump publicly claimed that the Department of Justice “authorized the use of ‘deadly force’ in their Illegal, UnConstitutional, and Un-American RAID of Mar-a-Lago, and that would include against our Great Secret Service, who they thought might be ‘in the line of fire.’”

Read: The two-time Trump voters who have had enough

Trump supporters echoed those claims, as he knew they would. Steve Bannon, one of the architects of the MAGA movement, said , “This was an attempted assassination attempt on Donald John Trump or people associated with him. They wanted a gunfight.” Right-wing radio hosts stoked one another’s fury, claiming that there’s nothing Trump critics won’t do to stop him, up to and including attempting to assassinate him and putting the lives of his Secret Service detail in danger.

The statement by Trump went beyond inflaming his supporters; it created a mindset that moved them closer to violence, the very same mindset that led thousands of them to attack the Capitol on January 6 and threaten to hang Vice President Mike Pence. Which is why Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a motion asking the judge overseeing Trump’s classified-documents case to block him from making public statements that could put law enforcement in danger. “Those deceptive and inflammatory assertions irresponsibly put a target on the backs of the FBI agents involved in this case, as Trump well knows,” he wrote.

M otivated ignorance refers to willfully blinding oneself to facts. It’s choosing not to know. In many cases, for many people, knowing the truth is simply too costly, too psychologically painful, too threatening to their core identity. Nescience is therefore incentivized; people actively decide to remain in a state of ignorance. If they are presented with strong arguments against a position they hold, or compelling evidence that disproves the narrative they embrace, they will reject them. Doing so fends off the psychological distress of the realization that they’ve been lying to themselves and to others.

Motivated ignorance is a widespread phenomenon; most people, to one degree or another, employ it. What matters is the degree to which one embraces it, and the consequences of doing so. In the case of MAGA world, the lies that Trump supporters believe, or say they believe, are obviously untrue and obviously destructive. Since 2016 there’s been a ratchet effect, each conspiracy theory getting more preposterous and more malicious. Things that Trump supporters wouldn’t believe or accept in the past have since become loyalty tests. Election denialism is one example. The claim that Trump is the target of “lawfare,” victim to the weaponization of the justice system, is another.

I have struggled to understand how to view individuals who have not just voted for Trump but who celebrate him, who don’t merely tolerate him but who constantly defend his lawlessness and undisguised cruelty. How should I think about people who, in other domains of their lives, are admirable human beings and yet provide oxygen to his malicious movement? How complicit are people who live in an epistemic hall of mirrors and have sincerely—or half-sincerely—convinced themselves they are on the side of the angels?

Throughout my career I’ve tried to resist the temptation to make unwarranted judgments about the character of people based on their political views. For one thing, it’s quite possible my views on politics are misguided or distorted, so I exercise a degree of humility in assessing the views of others. For another, I know full well that politics forms only a part of our lives, and not the most important part. People can be personally upstanding and still be wrong on politics.

But something has changed for me in the Trump era. I struggle more than I once did to wall off a person’s character from their politics when their politics is binding them to an unusually—and I would say undeniably—destructive person. The lies that MAGA world parrots are so manifestly untrue, and the Trump ethic is so manifestly cruel, that they are difficult to set aside.

If a person insists, despite the overwhelming evidence, that Trump was the target of an assassination plot hatched by Biden and carried out by the FBI, this is more than an intellectual failure; it is a moral failure, and a serious one at that. It’s only reasonable to conclude that such Trump supporters have not made a good-faith effort to understand what is really and truly happening. They are choosing to live within the lie, to invoke the words of the former Czech dissident and playwright Vaclav Havel.

One of the criteria that need to be taken into account in assessing the moral culpability of people is how absurd the lies are that they are espousing; a second is how intentionally they are avoiding evidence that exposes the lies because they are deeply invested in the lie; and a third is is how consequential the lie is.

It’s one thing to embrace a conspiracy theory that is relevant only to you and your tiny corner of the world. It’s an entirely different matter if the falsehood you’re embracing and promoting is venomous, harming others, and eroding cherished principles, promoting violence and subverting American democracy.

I n his book The Bible Told Them So: How Southern Evangelicals Fought to Preserve White Supremacy , J. Russell Hawkins tells the story of a June 1963 gathering of more than 200 religious leaders in the White House. President John F. Kennedy was trying to rally their support for civil-rights legislation.

Among those in attendance was Albert Garner, a Baptist minister from Florida, who told Kennedy that many southern white Christians held “strong moral convictions” on racial integration. It was, according to Garner, “against the will of their Creator.”

“Segregation is a principle of the Old Testament,” Garner said, adding, “Prior to this century neither Christianity nor any denomination of it ever accepted the integration philosophy.”

Two months later, in Hanahan, South Carolina, members of a Southern Baptist church—they described themselves as “Christ centered” and “Bible believing”—voted to take a firm stand against civil-rights legislation.

“The Hanahan Baptists were not alone,” according to Hawkins. “Across the South, white Christians thought the president was flaunting Christian orthodoxy in pursuing his civil rights agenda.” Kennedy “simply could not comprehend the truth Garner was communicating: based on their religious beliefs, southern white Christians thought integration was evil.”

A decade earlier, the Reverend Carey Daniel, pastor of First Baptist Church in West Dallas, Texas, had delivered a sermon titled “ God the Original Segregationist ,” in response to the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education . It became influential within pro-segregationist southern states. Daniel later became president of the Central Texas Division of the Citizens Council of America for Segregation, which asked for a boycott of all businesses, lunch counters included, that served Black patrons. In 1960, Daniel attacked those “trying to destroy the white South by breaking the color line, thus giving aid and comfort to our Communist enemies.”

Now ask yourself this: Did the fierce advocacy on behalf of segregation, and the dehumanization of Black Americans, reflect in any meaningful way on the character of those who advanced such views, even if, say, they volunteered once a month at a homeless shelter and wrote a popular commentary on the Book of Romans? Readers can decide whether MAGA supporters are better or worse than Albert Garner and Carey Daniel. My point is that all of us believe there’s some place on the continuum in which the political choices we make reflect on our character. Some movements are overt and malignant enough that to willingly be a part of them becomes ethically problematic.

Read: The voters who don’t really know Trump

This doesn’t mean those in MAGA world can’t be impressive people in other domains of life, just like critics of Trump may act reprehensibly in their personal lives and at their jobs. I’ve never argued, and I wouldn’t argue today, that politics tells us the most important things about a person’s life. Trump supporters and Trump critics alike can brighten the lives of others, encourage those who are suffering, and demonstrate moments of kindness and grandeur.

I understand, too, if their moral convictions keep them from voting for Joe Biden.

But it would be an affectation for me, at least, to pretend that in this particular circumstance otherwise good people, in joining the MAGA movement, in actively advocating on its behalf, and in planning to cast a vote for Trump, haven’t—given all we know—done something grievously wrong.

Some of them are cynical and know better; others are blind to the cultlike world to which they belong. Still others have convinced themselves that Trump, although flawed, is the best of bad options. It’s a “binary choice,” they say, and so they have talked themselves into supporting arguably the most comprehensively corrupt man in the history of American politics, certainly in presidential politics.

Whichever justification applies, they are giving not just their vote but their allegiance to a man and movement that have done great harm to our country and its ideals, and which seek to inflict even deeper wounds in the years ahead. Many of them are self-proclaimed evangelicals and fundamentalists, and they are also doing inestimable damage to the Christian faith they claim is central to their lives. That collaboration needs to be named. A generation from now, and probably sooner, it will be obvious to everyone that Trump supporters can’t claim they didn’t know.

China has become a scientific superpower

From plant biology to superconductor physics the country is at the cutting edge.

The 500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in Pingtang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

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I n the atrium of a research building at the Chinese Academy of Sciences ( CAS ) in Beijing is a wall of patents. Around five metres wide and two storeys high, the wall displays 192 certificates, positioned in neat rows and tastefully lit from behind. At ground level, behind a velvet rope, an array of glass jars contain the innovations that the patents protect: seeds.

CAS —the world’s largest research organisation—and institutions around China produce a huge amount of research into the biology of food crops. In the past few years Chinese scientists have discovered a gene that, when removed, boosts the length and weight of wheat grains, another that improves the ability of crops like sorghum and millet to grow in salty soils and one that can increase the yield of maize by around 10%. In autumn last year, farmers in Guizhou completed the second harvest of genetically modified giant rice that was developed by scientists at CAS .

The Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) has made agricultural research—which it sees as key to ensuring the country’s food security —a priority for scientists. Over the past decade the quality and the quantity of crop research that China produces has grown immensely, and now the country is widely regarded as a leader in the field. According to an editor of a prestigious European plant-sciences journal, there are some months when half of the submissions can come from China.

A journey of a thousand miles

The rise of plant-science research is not unique in China. In 2019 The Economist surveyed the research landscape in the country and asked whether China could one day become a scientific superpower. Today, that question has been unequivocally answered: “yes”. Chinese scientists recently gained the edge in two closely watched measures of high-quality science, and the country’s growth in top-notch research shows no sign of slowing. The old science world order, dominated by America, Europe and Japan, is coming to an end.

One way to measure the quality of a country’s scientific research is to tally the number of high-impact papers produced each year—that is, publications that are cited most often by other scientists in their own, later work. In 2003 America produced 20 times more of these high-impact papers than China, according to data from Clarivate, a science analytics company (see chart 1). By 2013 America produced about four times the number of top papers and, in the most recent release of data, which examines papers from 2022, China had surpassed both America and the entire European Union ( EU ).

Metrics based on citations can be gamed, of course. Scientists can, and do, find ways to boost the number of times their paper is mentioned in other studies, and a recent working paper, by Qui Shumin, Claudia Steinwender and Pierre Azoulay, three economists, argues that Chinese researchers cite their compatriots far more than Western researchers do theirs. But China now leads the world on other benchmarks that are less prone to being gamed. It tops the Nature Index, created by the publisher of the same name, which counts the contributions to articles that appear in a set of prestigious journals. To be selected for publication, papers must be approved by a panel of peer reviewers who assess the study’s quality, novelty and potential for impact. When the index was first launched, in 2014, China came second, but its contribution to eligible papers was less than a third of America’s. By 2023 China had reached the top spot.

According to the Leiden Ranking of the volume of scientific research output, there are now six Chinese universities or institutions in the world top ten, and seven according to the Nature Index. They may not be household names in the West yet, but get used to hearing about Shanghai Jiao Tong, Zhejiang and Peking (Beida) Universities in the same breath as Cambridge, Harvard and ETH Zurich. “Tsinghua is now the number one science and technology university in the world,” says Simon Marginson, a professor of higher education at Oxford University. “That’s amazing. They’ve done that in a generation.”

Today China leads the world in the physical sciences, chemistry and Earth and environmental sciences, according to both the Nature Index and citation measures (see chart 2). But America and Europe still have substantial leads in both general biology and medical sciences. “Engineering is the ultimate Chinese discipline in the modern period,” says Professor Marginson, “I think that’s partly about military technology and partly because that’s what you need to develop a nation.”

Applied research is a Chinese strength. The country dominates publications on perovskite solar panels, for example, which offer the possibility of being far more efficient than conventional silicon cells at converting sunlight into electricity. Chinese chemists have developed a new way to extract hydrogen from seawater using a specialised membrane to separate out pure water, which can then be split by electrolysis. In May 2023 it was announced that the scientists, in collaboration with a state-owned Chinese energy company, had developed a pilot floating hydrogen farm off the country’s south-eastern coast.

China also now produces more patents than any other country, although many are for incremental tweaks to designs, as opposed to truly original inventions. New developments tend to spread and be adopted more slowly in China than in the West. But its strong industrial base, combined with cheap energy, means that it can quickly spin up large-scale production of physical innovations like materials. “That’s where China really has an advantage on Western countries,” says Jonathan Bean, CEO of Materials Nexus, a British firm that uses AI to discover new materials.

The country is also signalling its scientific prowess in more conspicuous ways. Earlier this month, China’s Chang’e-6 robotic spacecraft touched down in a gigantic crater on the far side of the Moon, scooped up some samples of rock, planted a Chinese flag and set off back towards Earth. If it successfully returns to Earth at the end of the month, it will be the first mission to bring back samples from this hard-to-reach side of the Moon.

First, sharpen your tools

The reshaping of Chinese science has been achieved by focusing on three areas: money, equipment and people. In real terms, China’s spending on research and development ( R & D ) has grown 16-fold since 2000. According to the most recent data from the OECD , from 2021, China still lagged behind America on overall R & D spending, dishing out $668bn, compared with $806bn for America at purchasing-power parity. But in terms of spending by universities and government institutions only, China has nudged ahead. In these places America still spends around 50% more on basic research, accounting for costs, but China is splashing the cash on applied research and experimental development (see chart 3).

Money is meticulously directed into strategic areas. In 2006 the CCP published its vision for how science should develop over the next 15 years. Blueprints for science have since been included in the CCP ’s five-year development plans. The current plan, published in 2021, aims to boost research in quantum technologies, AI , semiconductors, neuroscience, genetics and biotechnology, regenerative medicine, and exploration of “frontier areas” like deep space, deep oceans and Earth’s poles.

Creating world-class universities and government institutions has also been a part of China’s scientific development plan. Initiatives like “Project 211”, the “985 programme” and the “China Nine League” gave money to selected labs to develop their research capabilities. Universities paid staff bonuses—estimated at an average of $44,000 each, and up to a whopping $165,000—if they published in high-impact international journals.

Building the workforce has been a priority. Between 2000 and 2019, more than 6m Chinese students left the country to study abroad, according to China’s education ministry. In recent years they have flooded back, bringing their newly acquired skills and knowledge with them. Data from the OECD suggest that, since the late 2000s, more scientists have been returning to the country than leaving. China now employs more researchers than both America and the entire EU .

Many of China’s returning scientists, often referred to as “sea turtles” (a play on the Chinese homonym haigui , meaning “to return from abroad”) have been drawn home by incentives. One such programme launched in 2010, the “Youth Thousand Talents”, offered researchers under 40 one-off bonuses of up to 500,000 yuan (equivalent to roughly $150,000 at purchasing-power parity) and grants of up to 3m yuan to get labs up and running back home. And it worked. A study published in Science last year found that the scheme brought back high-calibre young researchers—they were, on average, in the most productive 15% of their peers (although the real superstar class tended to turn down offers). Within a few years, thanks to access to more resources and academic manpower, these returnees were lead scientists on 2.5 times more papers than equivalent researchers who had remained in America.

As well as pull, there has been a degree of push. Chinese scientists working abroad have been subject to increased suspicion in recent years. In 2018 America launched the China Initiative, a largely unsuccessful attempt to root out Chinese spies from industry and academia. There have also been reports of students being deported because of their association with China’s “military-civilian fusion strategy”. A recent survey of current and former Chinese students studying in America found that the share who had experienced racial abuse or discrimination was rising.

The availability of scientists in China means that, for example in quantum computing, some of the country’s academic labs are more like commercial labs in the West, in terms of scale. “They have research teams of 20, 30, even 40 people working on the same experiments, and they make really good progress,” says Christian Andersen, a quantum researcher at Delft University. In 2023 researchers working in China broke the record for the number of quantum bits, or qubits, entangled inside a quantum computer.

China has also splurged on scientific kit. In 2019, when The Economist last surveyed the state of the country’s scientific research, it already had an enviable inventory of flashy hardware including supercomputers, the world’s largest filled-aperture radio telescope and an underground dark-matter detector. The list has only grown since then. The country is now home to the world’s most sensitive ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray detector (which has recently been used to test aspects of Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity), the world’s strongest steady-state magnetic field (which can probe the properties of materials) and soon will have one of the world’s most sensitive neutrino detectors (which will be used to work out which type of these fundamental subatomic particles has the highest mass). Europe and America have plenty of cool kit of their own, but China is rapidly adding hardware.

Individual labs in China’s top institutions are also well equipped. Niko McCarty, a journalist and former researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was recently given a tour of synthetic biology labs in China, was struck by how, in academic institutions, “the machines are just more impressive and more expansive” than in America. At the Advanced Biofoundry at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, which the country hopes will be the centre of China’s answer to Silicon Valley, Mr McCarty described an “amazing building with four floors of robots”. As Chinese universities fill with state-of-the-art equipment and elite researchers, and salaries become increasingly competitive, Western institutions look less appealing to young and ambitious Chinese scientists. “Students in China don’t think about America as some “scientific Mecca” in the same way their advisers might have done,” said Mr McCarty.

Students visit Handan Artificial Intelligence Education Base during the science and technology week in Handan City, north China's Hebei Province.

Take AI , for example. In 2019 just 34% of Chinese students working in the field stayed in the country for graduate school or work. By 2022 that number was 58%, according to data from the AI talent tracker by MacroPolo, an American think-tank (in America the figure for 2022 was around 98%). China now contributes to around 40% of the world’s research papers on AI , compared with around 10% for America and 15% for the EU and Britain combined. One of the most highly cited research papers of all time, demonstrating how deep neural networks could be trained on image recognition, was written by AI researchers working in China, albeit for Microsoft, an American company. “China’s AI research is world-class,” said Zachary Arnold, an AI analyst at the Georgetown Centre for Emerging Security and Technology. “In areas like computer vision and robotics, they have a significant lead in research publications.”

Growth in the quality and quantity of Chinese science looks unlikely to stop anytime soon. Spending on science and technology research is still increasing—the government has announced a 10% increase in funding in 2024. And the country is training an enormous number of young scientists. In 2020 Chinese universities awarded 1.4m engineering degrees, seven times more than America did. China has now educated, at undergraduate level, 2.5 times more of the top-tier AI researchers than America has. And by 2025, Chinese universities are expected to produce nearly twice as many P h D graduates in science and technology as America.

To see further, ascend another floor

Although China is producing more top-tier work, it still produces a vast amount of lower-quality science too. On average, papers from China tend to have lower impact, as measured by citations, than those from America, Britain or the EU . And while the chosen few universities have advanced, mid-level universities have been left behind. China’s second-tier institutions still produce work that is of relatively poor quality compared with their equivalents in Europe or America. “While China has fantastic quality at the top level, it’s on a weak base,” explains Caroline Wagner, professor of science policy at Ohio State University.

When it comes to basic, curiosity-driven research (rather than applied) China is still playing catch-up—the country publishes far fewer papers than America in the two most prestigious science journals, Nature and Science . This may partly explain why China seems to punch below its weight in the discovery of completely new technologies. Basic research is particularly scant within Chinese companies, creating a gap between the scientists making discoveries and the industries that could end up using them. “For more original innovation, that might be a minus,” says Xu Xixiang, chief scientist at LONG i Green Energy Technology, a Chinese solar company.

Incentives to publish papers have created a market for fake scientific publications. A study published earlier this year in the journal Research Ethics , featured anonymous interviews from Chinese academics, one of whom said he had “no choice but to commit [research] misconduct”, to keep up with pressures to publish and retain his job. “Citation cartels” have emerged, where groups of researchers band together to write low-quality papers that cite each other’s work in an effort to drive up their metrics. In 2020 China’s science agencies announced that such cash-for-publication schemes should end and, in 2021, the country announced a nationwide review of research misconduct. That has led to improvements—the rate at which Chinese researchers cite themselves, for example, is falling, according to research published in 2023. And China’s middle-ranking universities are slowly catching up with their Western equivalents, too.

The areas where America and Europe still hold the lead are, therefore, unlikely to be safe for long. Biological and health sciences rely more heavily on deep subject-specific knowledge and have historically been harder for China to “bring back and accelerate”, says Tim Dafforn, a professor of biotechnology at University of Birmingham and former adviser to Britain’s department for business. But China’s profile is growing in these fields. Although America currently produces roughly four times more highly influential papers in clinical medicine, in many areas China is producing the most papers that cite this core research, a sign of developing interest that presages future expansion. “On the biology side, China is growing remarkably quickly,” says Jonathan Adams, chief scientist at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate. “Its ability to switch focus into a new area is quite remarkable.”

The rise of Chinese science is a double-edged sword for Western governments. China’s science system is inextricably linked with its state and armed forces—many Chinese universities have labs explicitly working on defence and several have been accused of engaging in espionage or cyber-attacks. China has also been accused of intellectual-property theft and increasingly stringent regulations have made it more difficult for international collaborators to take data out of the country; notoriously, in 2019, the country cut off access to American-funded work on coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. There are also cases of Chinese researchers failing to adhere to the ethical standards expected by Western scientists.

Despite the concerns, Chinese collaborations are common for Western researchers. Roughly a third of papers on telecommunications by American authors involve Chinese collaborators. In imaging science, remote sensing, applied chemistry and geological engineering, the figures are between 25% and 30%. In Europe the numbers are lower, around 10%, but still significant. These partnerships are beneficial for both countries. China tends to collaborate more in areas where it is already strong like materials and physics. A preprint study, released last year, found that for AI research, having a co-author from America or China was equally beneficial to authors from the other country, conferring on average 75% more citations.

Several notable successes have come from working together, too. During the covid-19 pandemic a joint venture between Oxford University’s Engineering Department and the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research developed a rapid covid test that was used across British airports. In 2015 researchers at University of Cardiff and South China Agricultural University identified a gene that made bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin. Following this, China, the biggest consumer of the drug, banned its use in animal feed, and levels of colistin resistance in both animals and humans declined.

In America and Europe, political pressure is limiting collaborations with China. In March, America’s Science and Technology Agreement with China, which states that scientists from both countries can collaborate on topics of mutual benefit, was quietly renewed for a further six months. Although Beijing appears keen to renew the 45-year-old agreement, many Republicans fear that collaboration with China is helping the country achieve its national-security goals. In Europe, with the exception of environmental and climate projects, Chinese universities have been effectively barred from accessing funding through the Horizon programme, a huge European research initiative.

There are also concerns among scientists that China is turning inwards. The country has explicit aims to become self-reliant in many areas of science and technology and also shift away from international publications as a way of measuring research output. Many researchers cannot talk to the press—finding sources in China for this story was challenging. One Chinese plant scientist, who asked to remain anonymous, said that she had to seek permission a year in advance to attend overseas conferences. “It’s contradictory—on the one hand, they set restrictions so that scientists don’t have freedoms like being able to go abroad to communicate with their colleagues. But on the other hand, they don’t want China to fall behind.”

Live until old, learn until old

The overwhelming opinion of scientists in China and the West is that collaboration must continue or, better, increase. And there is room to do more. Though China’s science output has grown dramatically, the share that is conducted with international collaborators has remained stable at around 20%—Western scientists tend to have far more international collaborations. Western researchers could pay more attention to the newest science from China, too. Data from a study published last year in Nature Human Behaviour showed that, for work of equivalent quality, Chinese scientists cite Western papers far more than vice versa. Western scientists rarely visit, work or study in China, depriving them of opportunities to learn from Chinese colleagues in the way Chinese scientists have done so well in the West.

Closing the door to Chinese students and researchers wishing to come to Western labs would also be disastrous for Western science. Chinese researchers form the backbone of many departments in top American and European universities. In 2022 more of the top-tier AI researchers working in America hailed from China than from America. The West’s model of science currently depends on a huge number of students, often from overseas, to carry out most day-to-day research.

There is little to suggest that the Chinese scientific behemoth will not continue growing stronger. China’s ailing economy may eventually force the CCP to slow spending on research, and if the country were to become completely cut off from the Western science community its research would suffer. But neither of these looks imminent. In 2019 we also asked if research could flourish in an authoritarian system. Perhaps over time its limits will become clear. But for now, and at least for the hard sciences, the answer is that it can thrive. “I think it’d be very unwise to call limits on the Chinese miracle,” says Prof Marginson. “Because it has had no limits up until now.” ■

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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Soaring dragons”

The rise of Chinese science: Welcome or worrying?

From the June 15th 2024 edition

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Two recent papers by Stefanie Stantcheva explore Americans’ perceptions of inflation.

Photo courtesy of Stefanie Stantcheva

Americans hate inflation, full stop

No traction for more positive economic developments, research says

Harvard Correspondent

Say “inflation” these days and the minds of most Americans jump to steep grocery bills and high interest rates.

As highlighted by two recent papers by Stefanie Stantcheva , the Nathaniel Ropes Professor of Political Economy, the majority are much less likely to focus on the more positive economic trends of the past few years, including wage growth and strong employment prospects. What’s more, Americans overwhelmingly oppose the tools that policymakers use to mitigate inflation’s worst effects. In fact, many see inflation as only getting worse when the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, as it did 11 times between spring 2022 and last summer.

“There hasn’t been enough work to see how people understand inflation, what policies they want to support in order to fight inflation, and also how inflation actually impacts them,” Stantcheva said.

For a paper titled “ People’s Understanding of Inflation ,” Stantcheva and graduate student co-authors Francesco Nuzzi (Harvard) and Alberto Binetti (Princeton) conducted a large-scale survey through which they found that most Americans believe inflation has been caused by government action, trailed by supply-chain disruptions and other COVID-related issues. Respondents expressed skepticism about rate hikes as an effective countermeasure.

75% Of Republican voters surveyed blamed inflation on the government vs. 60% of Democrats

Clear partisan differences surfaced in the findings. Republicans were more likely to blame inflation on the government (more than 75 percent of GOP voters vs. 60 percent of Democrats) and less likely to blame private companies. All respondents saw inflation as more harmful to lower-income people, but Republicans were less likely to support policies that might help these households, such as expanding access to food stamps (supported by 80 percent of Democrats vs. 50 percent of Republicans) or boosting the minimum wage (80 percent for Democrats vs. 50 percent of Republicans).

The most cited burden of inflation was the impact on family budgets, notably the way it raises the stakes on household purchases and standard of living.

Among the details that caught Nuzzi’s attention was the lack of ambiguity in survey responses. “People perceive inflation as unequivocally negative, rarely associating it with positive economic developments or with a good economy,” he said.

Discussing the second paper, “ Why Do We Dislike Inflation ?,” Stantcheva noted that inflation typically plays out in one of two ways. The first is a product of a booming economy: “There’s high demand, things are going well, and that can actually generate inflation.” The other possibility, “stagflation,” is associated with high unemployment and stagnant demand.

Most respondents viewed all inflationary episodes as “stagflation,” Stantcheva said. “There is a perception that inflation is unambiguously a bad thing.”

Views on the tools policymakers use in attempts to control inflation echoed findings from “People’s Understanding of Inflation.”

“People tend to think that policymakers do not face harsh trade-offs when it comes to fighting inflation,” she said.

This is important, she added, because “when you ask people what type of policies they support to fight inflation … contractionary monetary policies like increasing interest rates or reducing money supply have very low support.”

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Guest Essay

What Exactly Did Justice Alito Say That Was Wrong?

Justice Samuel Alito looks back over his shoulder as he and others applaud at one of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union addresses.

By Marc O. DeGirolami

Mr. DeGirolami is a law professor at the Catholic University of America who specializes in law and religion.

Justice Samuel Alito has been widely criticized this week for remarks he made to a self-described documentary filmmaker who on two occasions engaged him at social events, secretly taped him under false pretenses and released the recordings. What did he say that was wrong?

Nothing. None of his remarks was improper for a judge to make. Furthermore, he did not even say anything especially controversial — or at least nothing that would be controversial in a less polarized moment.

For those who have not heard the recording, here is what happened: Justice Alito assented to the filmmaker’s remark that the country is deeply polarized, and he said that given the depth of our disagreements over various issues and the inability to compromise on them, “one side or the other is going to win.” He stated that nevertheless “there can be a way of working, living together peacefully.”

He said that “American citizens in general need to work on this” — that is, polarization. But he said that solving polarization is not something that the Supreme Court can do, because “we have a very defined role, and we need to do what we’re supposed to do.” He added: “That is way above us.”

In perhaps the most discussed exchange, he assented to the filmmaker’s statement that it is important to win “the moral argument” and “return our country to a place of godliness.”

To start with the question of judicial ethics: Where was the justice’s error? He did not mention any pending case or litigation. He did not name any person or party. He did not discuss any specific political or moral matter. Most of the exchange consists of the filmmaker’s own goading remarks, followed by the justice’s vague and anodyne affirmations and replies. About what you might expect when cornered at a boring cocktail party.

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