Good Sportsmanship (Cadette badge)

The Good Sportsmanship badge is part of the Legacy badge set introduced in 2011.

Requirement 1: Create your own definition of sportsmanship
Good sportsmanship can be a lot of things:
 * Whining
 * Playing Fair,
 * Not bragging or boasting
 * Respecting officials and other players and Bragging are generally bad sportsmanship

Following the rules.
But the lines can get blurry. Is it good or bad sportsmanship to do a victory dance, taunt batters, or question an official’s call? Use this step to create your own definition using the chart on the next page.

TASK:

Watch or talk about a sports event.  Take note of as many interactions among athletes, coaches, and officials as you can. Emotions and stress can make for more good and  bad behavior, so see if you can find an event that’s part of a championship or longtime rivalry.

Your Definition of Sportsmanship

Your definition of sportsmanship should include a list of five things to do and five things not to do. As you do the steps in the badge, keep the list handy and keep revising as you get more great ideas from your network. In step 5, you’ll put your definition into action.

5 Things to Do                                                                        5 Things Not to Do

1. ______________________________________________ 1.  _____________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________ 2.  _____________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________ 3.  _____________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________ 4.  _____________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________ 5.  _____________________________________________

'''“I hope that we shall all remember the rules of Girl Scouting game of ours. '''

They are:

To play fair,

To play in your place,

To play for your side and not yourself.

And, as for the score, the best thing in a game is the fun and not the result.”

-from Juliette Gordon Low’s, 1924 birthday message to Girl Scouts

Requirement 2: Be a good competitor
You don’t have to dial it down to be a good sport. In fact, giving it your all in every game or event can be part of good sportsmanship. What else does it take to be a good competitor every time you hit the field or court or track?

TASK:

Talk to an athletic director, coach, or player you admire.  Ask them to share their experiences. Make up a list of areas you’d like to cover before you chat – perhaps preparation, frustrations, pain and setbacks, and maintaining focus.

Requirement 3: Be a good teammate
Coaches always say they don’t want a show-off, they want a team player. Teamwork skills help you on and off the field. There’s teamwork involved in every group, from Girl Scouts to debate team. Play one of these games, then, agree on three strategies that helped you build a team and three practices that got in the way.

TASK:

Play Trust, like they did on Survivor.  Get a team of at least four girls together and create an obstacle course about 20 yards long. Take turns being the caller, who yells directions to her blindfolded teammates to get them all through the course without running into each other.

Another game:

PLAY THE HANDKERCHIEF

This is a quick, fun game to improve focus.

Equipment: handkerchief,

or bandana

Space: An area about 15 square feet

Players: 6 to 12 girls

Game: Place a bandana or handkerchief on the ground. One at a time, each girl puts one foot on the kerchief. Once everyone has a foot on the kerchief (your foot can be on top of another girl’s foot), everyone has to pick up their other foot. Use each other and your own mental focus to keep one foot on the kerchief and the other in the air.

Requirement 4:
Psyhc yourself up Whether you’re involved in a team or solo sport, the biggest obstacle can be the voices in your own head. Train those voices, though, and they can be your path to success. Check out the methods sports psychologists and extreme athletes use to psych themselves up for competition and find three that work for you.

CHOOSE ONE:

But I landed my triple shot!  Judging in sports like figure skating and gymnastics is subjective. How do athletes deal with knowing that no matter what they do, some things are out of their control (you didn’t like my music? my outfit?). Find an athlete who competes in a subjectively scored sport and see what they have to say.

OR

Mind over matter.  It’s tough to find an athlete these days, from the oldest skier to the youngest X Games shredder, who doesn’t talk about visualization. Mental training can improve performance. A golfer, for example, might visualize the perfect stroke over and over to help her muscles remember it. Find out more about the technique and how it might improve your game.

Requirement 5: Put your definition of good sportsmanship into action
Consider insights you’ve gained during steps 2, 3, and 4, and, then, take a moment to make revisions to the definition you came up with in step 1. Once you’ve got your ultimate list, put your new ideas and strategies to the test.

CHOOSE ONE:

Compete.  If you’re already involved in a sport, take your definition and follow it during a big game or event. Or, try a new sport: It’s harder to fall back into old habits that way. After you play, review your definition. What’s easier said than done? Anything in your definition to adjust?

OR

Play with little kids.  Volunteer to help with Little League, to play board games or simple active games (like Red Light, Green Light, or Duck, Duck, Goose) at a nursery school, or to run a kindergarten field day. As you teach the kids, you’ll be testing the strength of your own convictions! After the event, look over your definition. How does it apply to other age groups? Do you need to change anything to make your definition more universal?