SPORTSMANSHIP: LEARN BY EXAMPLE
By Wendy Rutherford

I remember a local competition some years ago when an irate parent
charged up the stairs of the main judging tower, berating the judges
for taking his sons gate in slalom, when everyone on the beach knew
that his son had skied within the two gate buoys.  This example is not
unusual at water ski competitions, and its not limited to local
events.  But this example provides us with several points to consider
and discuss with our families and friends.

1.      Good sportsmanship The first lesson deals with good
sportsmanship.  What lessons was this parent teaching his/her child?
Thats its acceptable to treat the judges decisions with disrespect?
That the best way to succeed is by confrontation?  That the judges are
always wrong?

Judges make mistakes.  Theres no doubt about it.  But there are better
ways of voicing a disagreement than this parent demonstrated.  A better
choice would have been to wait until after the event was over and ask
the judges in question - respectfully - why they ruled the gate was
missed.  Include your child in the discussion so he/she can learn how
to question situations without being disrespectful or exhibiting poor
sportsmanship.

Remember, the rule book has provisions that could lead to
disqualification for the athlete if he, his coach or representative
(and that could include parents) are found guilty of poor
sportsmanship.

2.      The judges are usually right!  While I said, just two
paragraphs ago, that judges make mistakes, in most instances, the
judges are right - especially in areas where positioning is vital.

In the case of slalom gates, the judges tower is placed at a certain
height and angle from the gate to ensure proper vision of the skiers
path through the gate.  Spectators sitting on the ground (at a lower
level) and on a different trajectory, cannot make the same informed
decision the judge in the correct position can.

3.      Know the rules The corollary to point 2 is to know the rules.
Many skiers, for example, are unaware that a gate is considered missed
if the skier jumps over the buoy, never mind ski over or outside the
gate.  The rules do not allow a skier to jump the buoy - as long as hes
on the inside portion of that buoy!

By knowing the rules, youll understand what the judges are looking
for.

4.      Learn from experience Perhaps a key lesson the skier in our
example should have learned from this experience was that even if the
judges were wrong, he was taking a chance by being so close to the
gate.  Dont make it easy for the judges to make mistakes!  Watch the
top skiers - they dont take any chances that the judge might rule the
gate missed.

5.      Respect the judges and officials Weve all seen the referees and
umpires in professional sports being verbally abused by athletes and
team officials.  This is a bad example for young skiers as they assume
they can behave in the same way.

Disrespect for any official is not acceptable.  But when the official
in question is a volunteer, whos given up his/her time to learn how to
officiate and to sit in the hot sun or rain doing the best he/she can
for hours on end, disrespect is grossly unacceptable.

Even at double or triple the pay water ski officials now get (thats
still $0!), demonstrating disrespect towards a judge is one of the
worst forms of poor sportsmanship.

6.      Volunteer your services to spread the workload Currently, a few
individuals do all the officiating at local events.  Perhaps if more
family and friends became involved, the officiating load could be
spread over more people, reducing the strain on the few.  This would
result in less fatigue and probably reduce errors as well.

7.      Promote good sportsmanship at all times And even the spectators
sitting on the shore could have played a better role as well by
promoting good sportsmanship as well.  Spectators questioning judging
decisions in a disparaging way is also poor sportsmanship.

So this summer, lets all play a role in helping younger athletes learn
from their mistakes and lets all practice good sportsmanship.