It's just a game...or is it?

Baseball and racing seasons are coming to a close, football season is well underway, and basketball season is just on the horizon. For those avid sports fans, this is the sign of transitioning from spring/summer into the chilly fall/winter seasons. While I do not consider myself a big sports fan, I do enjoy taking in the occassional baseball, football, or basketball game. I'm not one for watching sports on television, as I enjoy attending the games in person.

Being one that prefers being in the middle of the action, this means navigating through large crowds, being surrounded by strangers, and fighting pre-game and post-game traffic. I'm not neccessarily a fan of all of the aforementioned situations. However, I feel like it is all part of the total experience. I can pay the price of tolerance in order to experience a great game.

It seems that poor sportsmanship is quickly becoming another part of the total live sporting event experience. We've all experienced a little frustration over a bad call. It is normal to become annoyed when our favorite team isn't doing well. While these emotions are fairly common, does it mean we have to scream, yell, curse, pick a fight, or make a huge scene? It is just a game, right? You aren't out there running the bases, blocking the other players, or trying to make a basket. As a fan sitting in the stands, your view of the game is completely different from an official in the middle of all the chaos.

This type of conduct may seem to be more common at professional and semi-pro games, since these events typically have heftier costs associated with them. Alarmingly, one probably could witness poor sportsmanship by paying a few dollars and driving to the local recreation center or YMCA. You probably won't find the children acting in this manner. Sadly, this unacceptable behavior is more common among those who call themselves adults. As adults, we are supposed to be role models for children. If you're a parent, the role model responsibility is intensely magnified.

Little Johnny saw and heard daddy shout and curse at the officials when they went to the Charlotte Bobcats game last week. Little Johnny decides that since he didn't like the fact that the referee called a foul on him, he would shout and curse just like his daddy. While this is a made up incident, it is a prime example of how poor sportsmanship can trickle down to children. When did it become more than just a game? What ever happened to the days of just having fun? Are the days of playing a sport because you liked it gone?

Sports are a good way of teaching life lessons. Life isn't necessarily about winning or losing. In the end, the only thing that matters is HOW you lived your life. The same thing is true about sports. As long as you are having fun and learning, does it matter if you win or lose? We all like the euphoria of winning, but we need to be able to accept the heartache of defeat. As adults, it is our job to educate future generations about this. But, if we continue to act like an idiot, we will never be able to effectively educate the future about the importance of being a good sport. Next time you want to scream, shout, or curse because of a game; be careful of the little eyes that may be watching. It is after all, just a game!