Good Sportsmanship: What It Means and How to Teach It

By DITR staff · Updated November 14, 2026

Key takeaways

• Good sportsmanship is a set of habits: fair play, respect, honesty and grace in both winning and losing.
• Kids copy what they see, so parents and coaches teach it mostly through their own behavior.
• Bad sportsmanship usually comes from strong emotion with no plan, so give young athletes a plan.
• Practice sportsmanship the same way you practice a skill: name it, model it and repeat it.
• Sportsmanship helps a team play better, because respect and trust make teammates easier to play with.

What does good sportsmanship mean?

Good sportsmanship is playing fair, following the rules and showing respect to everyone in the game, including teammates, opponents, coaches and officials, whether you win or lose. It is the way an athlete acts when the score is close, when a call goes the wrong way and when the game is over.

Notice what that definition does not say. It does not say you must win. It also does not say you must stay quiet or never care. Competitive athletes care a great deal. Good sportsmanship is about what you do with that caring.

People searching for the sportsmanship meaning often expect a one-line answer, and the line above is a good one. The rest of this guide shows what it looks like in real situations.

What are examples of good sportsmanship?

Examples of good sportsmanship are easiest to see in specific moments. Here are common ones from baseball, softball and just about any team sport.

• Shaking hands or giving high-fives after the game, even after a hard loss.
• Accepting an umpire’s or referee’s call without arguing or showing off.
• Congratulating an opponent who made a great play.
• Helping an opposing player up after a collision or a slide.
• Telling the truth when you know you were tagged out or the ball was foul.
• Cheering for a teammate who is taking your spot in the lineup.
• Thanking the coaches, umpires and volunteers who made the game possible.
• Picking up trash and equipment after the game without being asked.
• Staying calm and following the plan after a mistake.

None of these actions are complicated. They are small choices, repeated many times, that add up to the kind of player others want on their team.

What does bad sportsmanship look like?

Bad sportsmanship is any behavior that disrespects the game or the people in it. It often looks like this:

• Yelling at officials, opponents or teammates.
• Throwing a bat, helmet or glove in anger.
• Trash talking or mocking an opponent.
• Cheating, or bending the rules when no one is watching.
• Blaming teammates after a mistake.
• Refusing to shake hands or leaving the field before the game is over.
• Parents or coaches shouting at kids, officials or other families from the sideline.

Most bad sportsmanship does not come from bad kids. It comes from strong feelings, such as frustration, embarrassment or fear of letting someone down, without a plan for what to do with them. That is good news, because a plan can be taught.

If teasing or mocking turns into repeated mistreatment of a teammate or opponent, it may be bullying. Parents and coaches can find guidance at stopbullying.gov.

Why is sportsmanship important?

People often ask why sportsmanship is important when the goal of the game is to win. There are a few honest reasons.

• It makes the team better. Teammates who respect each other communicate more, support each other after mistakes and are easier to coach.
• It keeps the game safe and fair. Rules only work when players follow them, including when no one is looking.
• It builds character. Handling a loss well, or a win humbly, is practice for school, work and relationships.
• It protects the game itself. Youth leagues depend on volunteers, officials and families. Respect keeps good people involved.
• It shapes reputation. Coaches, teammates and recruiters notice how a player carries themselves.

Sportsmanship is also a form of mental strength. Staying composed after a bad call or a tough loss takes self-control, a skill we cover in our guide to building mental toughness in young athletes.

How can parents teach good sportsmanship?

Kids copy what they see. Parents are the most visible example a young athlete has, so the sideline is where much of this teaching happens.

1. Model it. Speak respectfully about officials, coaches, opponents and other parents, including in the car ride home.
2. Keep the post-game talk simple. Start with, “I loved watching you play.” Save feedback for later, and let the coach handle coaching.
3. Praise effort and conduct. Notice hustle, honesty and kindness, not only results.
4. Talk through hard moments. Ask, “What was the hardest part of the game? What would you do next time?”
5. Set the expectation early. Before the season, agree on how your family acts at games.
6. Own your mistakes. If you lose your cool, apologize. That teaches more than any speech.

How can coaches teach sportsmanship to a team?

Coaches set the tone for a team. Players take their cues from how a coach treats officials, handles a loss and talks to a player who just made an error. In our clinics (next season in planning), players work on skills, and they also work on how to act while they do it.

A few practical habits help any coach:

• Name the standard on day one and write it down: respect, honesty, effort, and a positive attitude.
• Make handshakes and thank-yous part of every game, win or lose.
• Teach a reset routine for frustration, such as a deep breath and a quick focus on the next pitch or play.
• Praise good sportsmanship out loud when you see it, in front of the whole team.
• Address poor behavior right away, privately when possible, and explain what you expect instead.
• Rotate roles so every player practices leading, from picking up equipment to leading warm-ups.

Coach Murphy Su’a, DITR’s co-founder and head coach, has coached for more than 40 years at the high school, college, professional and international levels. Our free baseball and softball clinics for all ages are built around these same habits. You can learn more on our free youth clinics page.

How do you teach sportsmanship after a hard loss?

A loss is when sportsmanship matters most, because the feelings are strongest. Give young athletes a simple script and let them practice it.

• Take a breath before speaking.
• Shake hands and say something genuine, such as “Good game.”
• Thank the umpires and coaches.
• Wait until you have calmed down to talk about what went wrong.
• Name one thing you did well and one thing to work on.

Give kids room to be disappointed. Good sportsmanship does not require pretending a loss does not hurt. It asks athletes to be honest about the feeling and respectful in how they show it. For more on bouncing back, see our guide to mental skills for young athletes.

How does sportsmanship connect to leadership?

Players who show good sportsmanship are often the ones teammates follow. Treating others fairly, owning mistakes and staying steady under pressure are the same habits that make a strong leader. They are also the habits behind a good team captain, which we explain in what makes a good team captain.

DITR’s youth leadership program teaches public speaking, accountability, conflict resolution, team building and mental skills, all of which support sportsmanship on and off the field.

Sources and further reading: StopBullying.gov