Sportsmanship

The MIAA is committed to encouraging and promoting the high ideals of sportsmanship, integrity and ethics, as well as developing a positive environment for athletic events at all levels of interscholastic competition. The goal of interscholastic athletics is to give young people the opportunity to expand their educational horizons by experiencing fair and friendly competition with their peers. Ingrained in this competition is respect for rules, regulations, opponents and officials.

Sportsmanship permeates virtually every aspect of our culture as ethics and fair play apply in all facets of life. It is a measure of each school and individual’s understanding of their commitment to the educational nature of interscholastic athletics. Good sportsmanship is conduct which imposes self-control involving honest rivalry, courteous relations and graceful acceptance of results. It should be evident in all school functions and demonstrated by the ability to accept defeat without complaint, victory without bragging and the treatment of opponents with fairness and courtesy.

Sportsmanship needs to play a primary role of interscholastic athletics in an educational perspective. Athletic competition is an extension of the classroom and an educational activity which provides lessons difficult to teach in another environment. The need for improvement to sportsmanship in society is evident and will require a maximum effort by everyone involved in athletics. A major part of the role of education through sports is to teach student-athletes to exude sportsmanship and respect for teammates, coaches, officials, opponents and the game itself.