Part IV of IV – Sportsmanship

If you are an NFL player and want to be highly regarded by the fans, the coaches, the league, the community and your teammates you absolutely must possess and exhibit on the field and off the field sportsmanship. Sportsmanship is a vitally important trait that as an NFL player (or any player) you must possess and exhibit.

Sportsmanship shows itself in many forms; so many so that there are too many to list here. Sportsmanship involves taking things in stride. Being a player that doesn’t cuss out an opponent or teammate for not doing what you want them to do. You must have football confidence and a football mental toughness to be able to be a good sport. Without these football psychology traits then it will be difficult for you to be a good sport because you will always have a chip on your shoulder and retaliate when things don’t go your way; i.e. ..poor sportsmanship.

What can you do to improve your sportsmanship? Allow someone to assist you in building up your football mind, football confidence, football mental toughness and help you understand the psychology in football, so that you don’t have a chip on your shoulder and can weather the times that call for good sportsmanship in a positive way. You must be honest with yourself and do a self assessment before it becomes a problem that is obvious to the coach and fans. In most cases it is helpful to seek a mental game coach to help you develop the skills you need to display good sportsmanship. In many cases, there will be underlining issues that’s contributing to the poor sporting behavior.

You see NFL players stepping on players that are down. This is poor sportsmanship. Others may throw a fit to the coaches or quarterback if they don’t feel enough balls are being thrown their way. Still others may spit in an opposing teams players face just for the sake of doing it. All these are examples of poor sportsmanship. Also placing blame on another player for a loss is poor sportsmanship and the biggest of all – bad attitudes. All of this can be improved if one is truly invested in importing and being a good sport.

Football psychology will allow you to see a number of things that will improve your football confidence and football mental toughness. It will give you the power and control to be a good sport and show positive sportsmanship. Do not think you are incapable of it or that you are better than it? You are not either. Being a player of good sportsmanship will improve your career and help you to be a happier and more likeable teammate as well as person.

Take Inventory of Your Character:

Sportsmanship
Do you get anger when things don’t go your way on the field?
Do you talk back to the coach when he tell you to do something you disagree with?
After a lost, do you give the other team the respect and praise they deserve?

Remember – Your Character really counts!