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LockerRoom Volume 10 Number 6

How to Build Good Sportsmanship

By Rick Woelfel

Recently I found myself working some Little League tournament games for the first time in many years. At that level the emphasis is, in theory at least, on sportsmanship and just plain having fun. I enjoyed the experience and so did my crewmates, many of whom, like myself, work other levels.Sad to say, that sportsmanship emphasis doesn’t always exist at higher levels. But officials can encourage sporting behavior, and that means more than our local association handing out a sportsmanship award. It means building a sportsmanlike atmosphere one building block at a time.

Build on what you’re given. Often officials can sense the atmosphere around a contest before it begins. If your crew walks on the field and sees the two coaches glaring at each other from 40 paces, you might get the idea that the players will be on edge too. Prepare for that. Politely but firmly remind players that unsporting acts won’t be tolerated. If, on the other hand, the two coaches are chatting casually, it’s often (though not always) true that the athletes will be at ease as well. Mutual respect goes a long way. Use it to build a smooth game.

Recognize sportsmanlike acts. If a catcher retrieves a foul ball, thank him. If a player helps an opponent up after a tackle, acknowledge it. If an attacker pulls up to avoid charging into a keeper, let her know she made a good play. It’s called positive reinforcement and it works.

Talk them through it. Athletes can get caught up in the emotion of the moment. Sometimes the best way to calm them down is to appeal to their pride as athletes. If players are jawing, say something like, ‘‘You’re too good to be talking like that, don’t you think?” Often they’ll agree and go back to playing.

Don’t talk down to athletes. Sometimes athletes’ complaints are real, sometimes they aren’t. But your game will go much easier if you “hear them out” rather than brush them off. A player who asks a respectful question, whatever the level, deserves a courteous answer. Sometimes all players  — particularly teenagers — want is to have their concern taken seriously.

Someone’s watching you. It’s no secret that officials are under constant scrutiny, but remember who is watching you. Athletes, particularly younger ones, see officials as authority figures. When you’re around the gamesite, conduct yourself properly. Don’t use profanity; even the most casual remark can be taken out of context. Don’t use tobacco on school property. Don’t drink alcohol. And even if you stop at a restaurant after the game, be careful what you say and do. You never know who’s in the next booth.

Rick Woelfel is a freelance writer and baseball umpire based in Philadelphia.This article originally appeared in the 3/05 issue of Referee.

Everybody's Got a Story ... Share Yours

We all have them — those stories about a game or an incident that we’ve told so many times that our local officiating buddies probably can tell them better than we do. Your officiating recollections need a wider audience — a national audience!

Referee is accepting submissions for stories that will appear in the “Last Call.” That section of the magazine is where officials from any sport, any level of competition, tell their personal officiating stories. Maybe your story is funny, maybe it brings a tear to your eye, maybe it’s just one of those everyday experiences we all go through at some point in our careers. Whatever it is, the only requirements are that it must be something that happened to you, and it must in some way reflect any part of the officiating experience.

Send your stories or questions to “Last Call” in care of Matt Moore, Referee associate editor at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. What are you waiting for? Get typing!

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