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Sportsmanship seems to have gotten lost along the way. Winning, succeeding or advancing have become the curse of sport. The lesson parents seem to be teaching today is that winning, not fun, is the goal. But how can we instill the values of sportsmanship? Here are a few tips:

- Show by your actions and words every day, that you value sportsmanship. Set a good example. Actions speak louder than words.
- Expect and demand that everyone involved follows all the rules, including fans and parents. If they don’t they should not be allowed to participate. Leagues and teams should communicate the importance of sportsmanship to all participants on a regular basis, not just the beginning of the season.
- Have team discussions about sportsmanship throughout the season. Use this as a time to relate sportsmanship.
- Never tolerate violent behavior in practice or in competition.
- There should be clear and immediate penalties for unsportsmanlike actions, no matter what the surrounding circumstances are or how important a game is to a season. This applies to both athletes and parents.

Many are concerned about stress placed on youth sport participants. Is there really stress in youth sports? Of course there is! Not only do the athletes experience stress, but so do the coaches, the parents, the officials, and the administrators. But before we conclude that this is negative, ask first: What is stress? Stress is produced when someone feels that their physical and/or psychological well-being is threatened. They perceive that they may be harmed in some way.

Is stress negative? What do you think? According to study, not necessarily. This type of stress is positive and is referred to as Eustress. Many of you may now be thinking, how can there be pleasant or pleasurable stress. Competitive sports activities are a source of both eustress and distress, as are any types of competitive activity. We might argue, for example, that the video game industry exists to provide a source of eustress! The enjoyment of competition is reported by young athletes as one of the top three reasons for which they participate in youth sports.