A sign in our kitchen says, “ Do what’s right. Do the very best you can. Treat others like you want to be treated.” I believe these rules are examples of good sportsmanship. Being a good sport is the right thing to do. If you are a bad sport your opponents will think you are a bad player. Good sportsmanship can be as little and shaking someone’s hand and saying good game. Good sportsmanship will help you throughout life because it shows that you are a good person. Well, I wasn’t the best sport years ago.

I was traveling to Portland for a soccer tournament. I was on a team called Elite Player Development (EPD). EPD is the Washington State soccer team. We were chosen to represent the state of Washington in a soccer tournament. We were playing a team called Portland Timbers, our rivals. It was near the end of the game and our cleats felt like they were going to melt because the turf was so hot. One of the defenders tripped me and a foul was called. He tripped me again and this time he called me “Weak”. This made me very mad. At the end of the game, when you are supposed to shake hands with the other team, I purposely avoided him and didn’t shake his hand. Ooh!

After the game, I felt really bad and embarrassed because I was a bad sport. Also, I wasn’t being myself nor was I treating others like I wanted to be treated. I learned the lesson to be a good sport because I didn’t want to feel bad and embarrassed ever again. Now, after every game, I shake everyone’s hand and thank the referees. What is being a good sport to you?