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Good Sportsmanship Could Elevate Our Daily Lives

By Michael Scully, The Buffalo News, 01/22/19, 12:00PM PST

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It is inspiring and heartwarming to witness countless demonstrations of good sportsmanship at all levels of sports, from midget soccer to Special Olympics, right up to senior competitions.

Many years ago as a young Buffalo sports fan, I recall local sportscaster Stan Barron signing off his reports with the exhortation “So long, be a good sport!” As we go through our lives, we remember sage words of wisdom, advice and encouragement from numerous role models such as parents and family members, teachers, coaches and even sportscasters. I believe that many of the challenges which we face in our interpersonal dealings can be eased by simply adhering to the rules of fair play, or good sportsmanship.

True, life is not a game and the playing field is by no means level for all participants, but much can be gained by simply following the rules that have been established and respecting the other “players” with whom we engage. Just as our sports teams don’t win them all, we all experience setbacks in life.