Good Sportsmanship On-Line
Good sportsmanship continues to be a vanishing trait.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has been taking that trend head-on. In fact, it’s so important that the NFHS has made sportsmanship the number-one point of emphasis for the 2022-23 school year.
I’ve written about this subject on a number of occasions, including here and here.
It goes without saying that people who attend sporting events, especially at the youth and high school levels, must improve their behavior.
What’s been overlooked until now is extending the emphasis on sportsmanship to on-line behavior.
Christina Jontra of Neptune Navigate, an online digital citizenship course, spoke at a recent National Leadership Summit, hosted by the NFHS.
She said just as a student would respect an opponent on the field or in the debate room, the same must occur online.
Jontra noted five characteristics of good sportsmanship online:
- Honesty
- Compassion
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Courage
Cyber-bullying can be just as harmful as doing it in-person. More importantly, it can have long-term damaging effects. The voluntary release of privacy associated with social media can be exposed in future background checks for scholarships, jobs, etc.
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, chief executive officer of the NFHS stated: “Whether the setting is before hundreds of people at an actual game or event, or a private experience alone online, positive and respectful behavior should be the choice every time.”
