1. Chapter 10 Sporting Behavior

2. Chapter Outline Sporting Behavior at Different Levels of Sport
Youth Attitudes
Development of Moral Values
Moral Values Applied to Sport
(continued)

3. Chapter Outline (continued)
Moral Values Taught Through Sport
Strategies for Good Sporting Behavior
Chapter Summary

4. Good Sporting Behavior
Sporting behavior, sportsmanship defined:
The ethical behavior exhibited by a sportsperson or athlete generally considered to involve participation for the pleasure gained from a fair and hard-fought contest, refusal to take unfair advantage of a situation or of an opponent, courtesy toward one’s opponent, and graciousness in both winning and losing.

5. Sporting Behavior at Different Levels
The behavior of professional athletes influences youth athletes.
Media and coaches emphasize winning and competition.
Athlete needs to be taught fair play, moral development, character.
Participation sports tend to be more balanced.

6. Youth Attitudes Toward Sporting Behavior (Josephson, 2007, 2008)
Survey of 5,275 high school athletes reports:
Girls more committed to honesty, fair play.
Baseball, football, and basketball players indicated inclination to worse behavior.
Poor behavior by coaches was reported by 25% to 33%.
(continued)

7. Youth Attitudes Toward Sporting Behavior (continued)
Survey of 5,275 high school athletes reports:
Of males, 60% thought it proper to inflict pain.
Majority said hazing, stealing, cheating okay.

8. Development of Moral Values
Some theorists believe behavior is based on moral development.

9. Kohlberg’s Six Stages of Moral Reasoning
Preconventional
1. Punishment and obedience
2. Pleasure or pain
Conventional
3. Good boy or girl
4. Law and order
(continued)

10. Kohlberg’s Six Stages of Moral Reasoning (continued)
Postconventional
5. Social contract
6. Principled conscience

11. Barriers to Good Sporting Behavior
Importance placed on winning
Intellectual understanding
Coaches’ attitudes
Parental pressure
Traditions and customs

12. Sport as a Builder of Character and Morals
Values can be learned through sport socialization.
Some factors related to sporting behavior:
Sport type
Performance level
Position

13. Key Point
Cause and effect cannot be determined because athletes may have already had good or bad traits before participating in sport.

14. Discussion First, think about this question: What is character?
Now consider this: Does sport build character?

15. Two Types of Character
Social character: Teamwork, loyalty, work ethic, and perseverance
Moral character: Honesty, fairness, integrity, and responsibility
Discussion: Where do you think individual- sport athletes, team-sport athletes, and nonathletes rank in each of these two categories?

16. Sport Ethic of High-Performance Sport (Coakley, 2004)
Striving for excellence
Competing to win
Sacrifice
Love of the game
Commitment to team
Playing with pain and adversity

17. Strategies for Good Sporting Behavior
Parents teach values to kids at young age.
Coaches and officials need to prohibit play if rules are not followed.
Parents, coaches model good behavior.
Fans decrease rowdiness and alcohol use.
Professional athletes and organizations must realize that they are role models.
We must reward good behavior!

18. Discussion
What strategies do you think could promote good sporting behavior?
Consider the possibility for success of campaigns such as Colorado High School Activities Association’s Game Management and Sportsmanship Expectation Guide (2009).

19. Program Resources for Promoting Good Sporting Behavior
True Competition (
National Sportsmanship Day
Colorado’s sportsmanship program
Josephson Institute of Ethics (