Sportsmanship is the characteristics that separates a good athlete and a great athlete. At Lake Ridge High School, good character is something that is expected from all athletes and students to make a better impact on their teammates and coaches. It’s more about being a better person and less about being a successful athlete. 

Some people do not think that good sportsmanship isn’t a trait that is taught but it is something that is expected when you start to mature as an athlete. Realizing that your opponents had worked hard for their skills and deserved their result. Otherwise, in the situation of a win to not be disrespectful to the other team. 

“I just do what I would want someone to do to me because at the end of the day we are just high school athletes,and it’s more important to lift each other up then break down each other,” Said Aaron Castellanos, Lake Ridge Tennis Athlete.

Good sportsmanship can be a very small task or a large one but either way it goes a long way to be kind and considerate to one another. When viewing an example  of good sportsmanship even spectating it is a mood lifter. Having the characteristic of having good sportsmanship is contagious and it makes a larger effect that you would think it would.

“A good example of sportsmanship that I have seen this past season was me and my teammates always lifting each other up. It made me feel good because it creates a great bond between all of us. Without that bond it would make our past season a lot worse,” Logan Fortenberry, Lake Ridge Football athlete.

Having good sportsmanship is a task that eventually turns athletes to be humble adults in our adult life. That is one reason it is so important to practice having good sportsmanship at this pre-adult age. Maturity and good sportsmanship go hand in hand and prepare us to be successful and humble adults. Good sportsmanship builds teamwork, character, and teaches respect, honor, discipline, kindness, inclusion, resilience and perseverance. 

“Good sportsmanship teaches you respect for your peers,when you are our competing against your opponents you have to realize both sides have worked really hard to get out their and play and both sides deserve their mutual respect,The best part of the game is at the end seeing the teams shake hands and show respect,” Said John Meyer,Lake Ridge Football coach.

Some have an athletic mentor that they look up to but everyone’s is different. Either it is their childhood coach or their parent but these good examples is where good character from an athlete starts. Having good sportsmanship is a trait that is learned from an early age and is a key to being successful. Some Peoples mentors where they learned from that having a good attitude as an athlete is so important are the partial reasons for that athletes success. 

“My athletic mentor that taught me to always have a good attitude on the field is Coach Z from Danny Jones, he taught me that as long as you give it your all and have a good attitude you will have a good athletic career, he always said to us ‘don’t be afraid to be great’ and that will stick with me forever ,” Said Fortenberry.

Good sportsmanship is something that is so important and is often overlooked. It is something that should be so much more detrimental for athletes to be successful even more. At Lake Ridge good character is expected  and having good character and that is what good sportsmanship means.