If you're into sports, you've seen it happen. You've probably
even experienced it: Football players shaking hands after four
quarters of knocking each other around. Tennis players leaping
over the net to shake hands with their opponents after a hard-
fought match. Soccer players exchanging jerseys after an intense
90 minutes. Even boxers touching gloves at the beginning of each
round, then hugging each other after beating each other into a
pulp for 12 rounds. It seems like competitors in every event,
from spelling bees to hockey, behave this way. What's going on?
It's all part of sportsmanship, a great tradition in sports and
competition that means playing clean and handling both victory
and defeat with grace, style, and dignity. What Is
Sportsmanship? Sportsmanship is defined as: following the rules
of the game respecting the judgment of referees and officials
treating opponents with respect Some people define good
sportsmanship as the "golden rule" of sports — in other words,
treating the people you play wit