The State of Sportspersonship

One need not be combing the sports news airwaves these days to find stories regarding poor examples of sportspersonship.  This weekends' Super Bowl gave us a fine example with Santonio Holmes imitation of LeBron James' famous "chalk toss" following his touchdown catch.  (Of course, using the ball as a prop in any celebration is, by rule, an automatic 15-yard penalty, but that's an issue for a different forum.)  Another recent infamous example was the face-stomp suffered by Arizona's Chase Budinger during a recent basketball game.

As we're in danger of being overly negative regarding the state of sportspersonship, we can't forget the shining example set by Central Washington players carrying Western Oregon's Sara Tucholsky around the bases as she was injured rounding them after hitting a home run.

However, it does seem that sportspersonship recently has been on a steep decline.  For more examples, check out Jerry Carino's column from back east.

Given the recent negative examples peppering our sports pages, what are some strategies coaches can employ to reinforce positive sportspersonship?  Some examples include:

-Define sportspersonship.  Give definitions to athletes so they know for sure what is and is not appropriate behavior.  Some examples are respectful conduct to opponents, not arguing with referees, and not criticizing teammates.

-Reinforce appropriate behavior.  Reinforce and make examples of positive sportspersonship behavior, while penalizing negative occurances.

-Model appropriate behavior.  It's difficult to coach positive behavior while not demonstrating it yourself.

-Describe WHY sportspersonship behaviors are important.  Simply saying thayt sportspersonship is important is not enough; giving rationale for why helps give it depth and strength.  Common reasons include "Treat others the way you'd like to be treated," and "It's simply the right thing to do."

Substance Abuse Re-Visited

Surely, we're all familiar with the most recent story in the Michael Phelps saga:  alleged marijuana smoking followed by the South Carolina Sheriff's release that charges may be filed against him.  SPINW has previously discussed alcohol abuse among NFL professionals (see November 30 '08), but what are the rates and implications of substance abuse among other levels of athletics?

Some sport psychology research indicates some troubling trends, particularly among college athletes.  For example, research by the College Student Journal demonstrated that college athletes drank earlier in life, drank more overall, binge drank more frequently, and encountered more alcohol-related problems than non-athletes.  In regards to marijuana, 27.1% of college athletes reported smoking marijuana, as documented by Central Connecticut.  Those that did use marijuana said they did so for social reasons, or to feel good.

Why may athletes demonstrate higher use rates than non-athletes?  Some reasons may include:

-Stress.  Athletes, especially at high school and collegiate levels, are under more stress today than ever before, juggling practice, games, recruiting, academics, and leisure.  Easily available substances, such as alcohol and marijuana, may serve as a release.

-Social pressures.  Many institutions, especially college campuses, may have an established culture of drinking partying, which can increase rates of substance use and abuse.