Hello, Good Sports!
Today I want to switch gears and write just a little bit about Good Sportsmanship -- not in Sports, but in Science!
I came across an article about a District High School Science Olympiad Tournament where the winning team gave the second place team a standing ovation during the awards ceremony.
It would have been easy -- and human nature -- for the winning team to celebrate their win and not even think about the other team (except for maybe some polite applause or an unfortunate boo). They'd studied hard and deserved their win. But the fact that they looked outside of themselves and the situation to honor a worthy opponent says worlds about their character and the adults who have guided them over the years.
(I forgot to say that only two points separated the two teams from each other, and the win could have very easily gone the other way!)
I imagine it made the second place team feel better about their performance by having their hard work recognized by the winners and also giving them a well-deserved moment of celebration. After all, although they lost, they had studied hard to get to the Olympiad, and their participation was deserving of a place in the spotlight, too.
So, being a Good Sport doesn't just happen on the playing field. It's values and behaviors that we and our children can use all throughout life!
And that's my little post about Good Sportsmanship and Science! I just had to squeeze it in while it was still fresh in my mind before the Olympics start tomorrow!
Leslie
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Good Press for Good Sportsmanship
Dear Good Sports,
I wanted to share a review by Perry Perkins, a writer for the Portland Examiner, of The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship, here.
Perry had expressed an interest in seeing a copy of the book, and I was very excited when he contacted me with his review much sooner than I expected. I can't thank him enough!
Word about the book is starting to spread via cutting edge technology (press releases on the web, links, blogs, forums) and simple, practical efforts (one of the Good Sport daughters and I spent the afternoon dropping off book marks at two libraries, the grocery store, a pizzeria, and a toy store, while last week a book store took some actual books to sell). I'm planning a fundraising kit offering the book, a discount that goes to the event and a Good Sport Bad Sport water bottle that I hope to start offering to day cares, schools and sports associations.
(Speaking of cutting edge technology, it's allowing me to multi-task right now by blogging on the web while we watch the New Orleans Saints and the Vikings play for the NFC championship. Not sure who I want to win because the Good Sport Aunt and Uncle and Cousins are transplants to New Orleans ... but the Vikings have their Brett Farve story. And I like purple.)
The younger Good Sport Daughter is starting indoor lacrosse next week, and the older Good Sport daughter is taking tennis lessons, so I'm sure that I'll very soon have some real life good sport/bad sport examples to share.
In the meantime, enjoy the football game! (And, I hope you'll check out the review if you get a chance.)
Leslie
I wanted to share a review by Perry Perkins, a writer for the Portland Examiner, of The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship, here.
Perry had expressed an interest in seeing a copy of the book, and I was very excited when he contacted me with his review much sooner than I expected. I can't thank him enough!
Word about the book is starting to spread via cutting edge technology (press releases on the web, links, blogs, forums) and simple, practical efforts (one of the Good Sport daughters and I spent the afternoon dropping off book marks at two libraries, the grocery store, a pizzeria, and a toy store, while last week a book store took some actual books to sell). I'm planning a fundraising kit offering the book, a discount that goes to the event and a Good Sport Bad Sport water bottle that I hope to start offering to day cares, schools and sports associations.
(Speaking of cutting edge technology, it's allowing me to multi-task right now by blogging on the web while we watch the New Orleans Saints and the Vikings play for the NFC championship. Not sure who I want to win because the Good Sport Aunt and Uncle and Cousins are transplants to New Orleans ... but the Vikings have their Brett Farve story. And I like purple.)
The younger Good Sport Daughter is starting indoor lacrosse next week, and the older Good Sport daughter is taking tennis lessons, so I'm sure that I'll very soon have some real life good sport/bad sport examples to share.
In the meantime, enjoy the football game! (And, I hope you'll check out the review if you get a chance.)
Leslie
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Enter to win a free copy of The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship
Dear Good Sports,
Just a quick post to let you know that The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship has been entered in a free giveaway contest on Goodreads, a social website for book lovers of all kinds.
The deadline to enter is January 15th, so if you're interested, check out the site.
I'll be back in the New Year with more good and bad sport news and observations.
Happy New Year,
Leslie
Just a quick post to let you know that The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship has been entered in a free giveaway contest on Goodreads, a social website for book lovers of all kinds.
The deadline to enter is January 15th, so if you're interested, check out the site.
I'll be back in the New Year with more good and bad sport news and observations.
Happy New Year,
Leslie
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Good Sportsmanship is Everyone's Responsibility
Dear Good Sports,
While we are enjoying our surprising and exciting down time due to today's blizzard (and while the family puts off cleaning the basement and playroom) I thought it's the perfect time to post a little blog about Good Sportsmanship!
This popped up in my Google Alerts for Good Sportsmanship: The City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation Sports Registration Form.
A Form? Usually just articles pop up, so I was surprised to see a pdf of an actual registration form. But, in this instance, I couldn't have clicked on anything more interesting or informative.
At the top of the form, below the City's header and above the words Sports Registration Form is the subhead: Good Sportsmanship is Everyone's Responsibility ... Be a Good Sport
Then, within the form on the front is this section requiring a signature:
PARENT'S OATH TO KIDS
I promise to demonstrate good sportsmanship by being a positive role model and encouraging you to play and have fun while supporting you
and your team in both victory and defeat.
Parent/Guardian Signature Date
Then, the entire back of the form is devoted to Good Sportsmanship. The left side is the Player's code of conduct, the right side is the Parent's code of conduct.
Wow -- it's awesome! They're really taking Good Sportsmanship seriously.
Check it out here: The City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation Sport Registration Form.
The Form really sums it all up! In fact, it makes it so obvious, I don't really even have anything to add. Which means I can't put off cleaning for blogging any longer.
Enjoy the snow if you are in one of the affected parts of the country! Hopefully we'll speed through cleaning and go sledding soon.
Leslie
P.S. Unabashed plug: The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship makes a great gift for kids and parents. Just click the book link to order.
While we are enjoying our surprising and exciting down time due to today's blizzard (and while the family puts off cleaning the basement and playroom) I thought it's the perfect time to post a little blog about Good Sportsmanship!
This popped up in my Google Alerts for Good Sportsmanship: The City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation Sports Registration Form.
A Form? Usually just articles pop up, so I was surprised to see a pdf of an actual registration form. But, in this instance, I couldn't have clicked on anything more interesting or informative.
At the top of the form, below the City's header and above the words Sports Registration Form is the subhead: Good Sportsmanship is Everyone's Responsibility ... Be a Good Sport
Then, within the form on the front is this section requiring a signature:
PARENT'S OATH TO KIDS
I promise to demonstrate good sportsmanship by being a positive role model and encouraging you to play and have fun while supporting you
and your team in both victory and defeat.
Parent/Guardian Signature Date
Then, the entire back of the form is devoted to Good Sportsmanship. The left side is the Player's code of conduct, the right side is the Parent's code of conduct.
Wow -- it's awesome! They're really taking Good Sportsmanship seriously.
Check it out here: The City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation Sport Registration Form.
The Form really sums it all up! In fact, it makes it so obvious, I don't really even have anything to add. Which means I can't put off cleaning for blogging any longer.
Enjoy the snow if you are in one of the affected parts of the country! Hopefully we'll speed through cleaning and go sledding soon.
Leslie
P.S. Unabashed plug: The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship makes a great gift for kids and parents. Just click the book link to order.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Blind Side
Dear Good Sports,
Just a quick update to tell you that if you haven't seen The Blind Side yet, run, don't walk, to see it.
Good Sport Dad, one of the Good Sport Daughters and I went to see it over the weekend, combining it with a trip to Lowes and Target to find a new, tasteful Christmas inflatable for the front yard. (Besides Thanksgiving weekend last weekend, this was our first weekend without outdoor soccer or outdoor tennis ... and it snowed!)
We really enjoyed the movie. The theatre was full of people of all ages, and everyone loved it. Do yourself a favor and see if it you get the opportunity.
On another subject, I'm excited to tell you that our marketing for The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship is starting to move forward.
Our press release should be going out in the next week or so, and I am in the process of building a Fan Page on Facebook. (The book's actually showing a rank on Amazon as sales start trickling in -- wow.)
And, as soon as I publish this post, I'll be tweeting about it!
That's it for me. Here's hoping you had a great, sports-viewing filed weekend.
Leslie
P.S. About 6 weeks ago, one of my car radio's pre-set FM stations changed from music to ESPN. I have to tell you that I've gotten hooked on all the sports talk shows! In fact, I'm wondering what's going to happen tomorrow (Monday) when Allen Iverson plays with the 76ers!
P.P.S. The inflatable is Snoopy and Woodstock in an airplane with a sign that reads "Seasons Greetings." Good Sport Dad assures me it's tasteful. Hum?
Just a quick update to tell you that if you haven't seen The Blind Side yet, run, don't walk, to see it.
Good Sport Dad, one of the Good Sport Daughters and I went to see it over the weekend, combining it with a trip to Lowes and Target to find a new, tasteful Christmas inflatable for the front yard. (Besides Thanksgiving weekend last weekend, this was our first weekend without outdoor soccer or outdoor tennis ... and it snowed!)
We really enjoyed the movie. The theatre was full of people of all ages, and everyone loved it. Do yourself a favor and see if it you get the opportunity.
On another subject, I'm excited to tell you that our marketing for The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship is starting to move forward.
Our press release should be going out in the next week or so, and I am in the process of building a Fan Page on Facebook. (The book's actually showing a rank on Amazon as sales start trickling in -- wow.)
And, as soon as I publish this post, I'll be tweeting about it!
That's it for me. Here's hoping you had a great, sports-viewing filed weekend.
Leslie
P.S. About 6 weeks ago, one of my car radio's pre-set FM stations changed from music to ESPN. I have to tell you that I've gotten hooked on all the sports talk shows! In fact, I'm wondering what's going to happen tomorrow (Monday) when Allen Iverson plays with the 76ers!
P.P.S. The inflatable is Snoopy and Woodstock in an airplane with a sign that reads "Seasons Greetings." Good Sport Dad assures me it's tasteful. Hum?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Good Sportsmanship book just published!
Dear Good Sports!
I am writing you today with some exciting news! I've just published The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship through Good Manners Kids Stuff Press.
(As I mentioned last post, you probably aren't surprised to see that it's about good sportsmanship -- since this is the Good Sport Bad Sport Blog!)
I was so excited to check Amazon this morning and see that it was live! I've put the link to Amazon on the side of the blog. Isn't the cover cute?
The book is perfect for children between the ages of 4and 8 to read with their parents. The children will enjoy reading examples about the sports and activities done by children just like them, and you'll pick-up some tips, too. At the end of the book you'll find a cute certificate that child and parent can sign together when you've learned all the ways to be a Good Sport. I hope you'll check it out when you have a moment.
The last month and a half was a flurry of activity getting this book and my other one (a children's fantasy, The Month of Zephram Mondays, available at Good Manners Kids Stuff Press) ready to be printed, so I wasn't able to post at all! I hope not to leave you so long between posts again. In fact, I can't believe that the last time I posted was during the World Series.
Guess I'll do my best to check back in before the Super Bowl!
Leslie
P.S. Looking back over the post for those typos that usually only become blatantly obvious once the blog is published, I see that I used the word cute twice. Hardly a sports-like word. But the cover and certificate really are cute! If I changed one of the cutes to adorable, that would be even worse, don't you think? So, I'm going to leave the cutes there for now!
...although fun could be a fall back choice, too!
I am writing you today with some exciting news! I've just published The Kids' (and parents', too!) Book of Good Sportsmanship through Good Manners Kids Stuff Press.
(As I mentioned last post, you probably aren't surprised to see that it's about good sportsmanship -- since this is the Good Sport Bad Sport Blog!)
I was so excited to check Amazon this morning and see that it was live! I've put the link to Amazon on the side of the blog. Isn't the cover cute?
The book is perfect for children between the ages of 4and 8 to read with their parents. The children will enjoy reading examples about the sports and activities done by children just like them, and you'll pick-up some tips, too. At the end of the book you'll find a cute certificate that child and parent can sign together when you've learned all the ways to be a Good Sport. I hope you'll check it out when you have a moment.
The last month and a half was a flurry of activity getting this book and my other one (a children's fantasy, The Month of Zephram Mondays, available at Good Manners Kids Stuff Press) ready to be printed, so I wasn't able to post at all! I hope not to leave you so long between posts again. In fact, I can't believe that the last time I posted was during the World Series.
Guess I'll do my best to check back in before the Super Bowl!
Leslie
P.S. Looking back over the post for those typos that usually only become blatantly obvious once the blog is published, I see that I used the word cute twice. Hardly a sports-like word. But the cover and certificate really are cute! If I changed one of the cutes to adorable, that would be even worse, don't you think? So, I'm going to leave the cutes there for now!
...although fun could be a fall back choice, too!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Rain, Rain Go Away!
Dear Good Sports,
As I write to you we have been rained out of all activities for the last 4 days!
Soccer practice, the soccer game, the soccer rain date make-up game and a lacrosse clinic! At least it doesn't seem to be raining on the Phillies as they play the Dodgers right now at Citizen's Bank Park (although the fans are all bundled up because of the cold).
This is just a quick post to stay in touch. In addition to normal back to school and other activities, I've been working on getting 2 books published by Good Manners Kids Stuff press that should be available on Amazon in several weeks. One of the books (surprise, surprise) is on Good Sportsmanship. Nothing preachy, but I think kids and parents will find it cute and easy to relate to!
Quick interruption: the score is 8 - 0 Phillies top of the 6th!
Have no fear, I'll let you know when the books are ready in case you want to check them out.
In the meantime, enjoy the playoffs!
Go Phillies.
Leslie
As I write to you we have been rained out of all activities for the last 4 days!
Soccer practice, the soccer game, the soccer rain date make-up game and a lacrosse clinic! At least it doesn't seem to be raining on the Phillies as they play the Dodgers right now at Citizen's Bank Park (although the fans are all bundled up because of the cold).
This is just a quick post to stay in touch. In addition to normal back to school and other activities, I've been working on getting 2 books published by Good Manners Kids Stuff press that should be available on Amazon in several weeks. One of the books (surprise, surprise) is on Good Sportsmanship. Nothing preachy, but I think kids and parents will find it cute and easy to relate to!
Quick interruption: the score is 8 - 0 Phillies top of the 6th!
Have no fear, I'll let you know when the books are ready in case you want to check them out.
In the meantime, enjoy the playoffs!
Go Phillies.
Leslie
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