Good Sportsmanship Tee Shirts

Dear Good Sports,

Here's an idea that Elmira City School District in New York uses to help promote Good Sportsmanship:

Each week, a boy and a girl who demonstrate good sportsmanship are given a tee shirt in honor of their behavior.

It's all part of a program they developed that won them a New York State Sportsmanship Award from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.

I think this a really great way to put some fun focus on good sportsmanship for your team's players.

At the start of the season tell the children that the player who shows the most good sportsmanship will be awarded a special tee shirt at the end of season party.

You can have the players come up with the criteria of what they think it means to be a good sport for their sport. You could ask them to design the tee-shirt. You could even have them vote on who should win it (although you may want to have Coach involvement/override so that it doesn't become a popularity contest, defeating the purpose).

By involving them in the project and keeping them excited about the award, it helps the children naturally focus on how to practice good sportmanship. Suddenly, it's not just something the grownups want them to do (and will forget about, they hope), it's something they may even start to do without consciously thinking about it!

So that it becomes part of who they are as a player -- and the values they have as a person. It could all start with a tee shirt. What could be simpler?

Let me know if you try it for your team. I'll be excited to hear how it works.

Leslie

P.S. For another team idea, check out the Good Sport Bad Sport water bottles on www.goodmannerskidsstuff.com.
P.P.S. If enough of you contact me with your tee shirt designs, maybe we could have a contest for the winning shirt design!