Sportsmanship and Success in Soccer
August 16, 2012
Ralph Polson, president of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), reports in the July/August 2012 Soccer Journal that there is a strong statistical link between sportsmanship and success in intercollegiate soccer. He cites the work of Tim Lenahan, head men’s coach at Northwestern University, who compiled total fouls, yellow cards and red cards for the 2011 season to create a “Fair Play Rating” (FPR).
Polson reports that 12 of the 20 teams with the top FPR made the NCAA tournament, while only one of the teams in the bottom 20 did. Of course, this is a statistical link, not necessarily cause and effect. But here’s how Mr. Polson concludes his column:
“How should we interpret this data? One direction is toward more disciplined teams. It seems to me the more a culture of sportsmanship and fair play is established, the more likely any team is to demonstrate the consistency needed for success. The data suggests those teams without entrenched standards, with respect to on-field behavior, should anticipate a higher likelihood of failure in today’s highly competitive environment.
“Play within the spirit of the game and more than just a win may be gained; play against the spirit of the game and much more than just a game may be lost.”
Dr. Brian Crossman, chair of the NSCAA Ethics Committee, contributes this to the discussion in the same issue of Soccer Journal:
“A five year study from 2007 to 2011 of almost 4,700 intercollegiate soccer matches in which only one player was red-carded during the match showed a strong likelihood that the player’s team would lose. Teams that had one player red-carded lost 67 percent of the matches, tied 10 percent of the matches and won 23 percent of the matches. In other words, a team that had a player red-carded at any time during the match was three times more likely to lose the match than win it. Taking steps to encourage clean and fair play, and thus to reduce the likelihood of having players ejected, will pay dividends in sportsmanship and should improve your team’s won-loss record.”
For more, go to www.nscaa.com.
Century of School Sports: Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 8, 2024
The display above greets visitors at the top of our staircase to the second floor at the MHSAA office in East Lansing – a group of guests that annually numbers well over a 1,000 administrators, student leaders, game officials and several others who are invested in school sports.
We hope these four core values – the MHSAA’s oft-referred to “four S’s” of educational athletics – also lead our guests’ interactions in school sports as they return home to their communities across the state.
They are as follows:
SAFETY
- It's not enough to provide students the opportunity to participate. The health and welfare of participants must be placed above all other considerations. Parents can be confident that their children not only will be as safe as possible in school sports, but they will also develop habits that tend to encourage a lifetime of better health.
SCHOLARSHIP
- School-based and rooted in education, school sports are a supportive part of the school's academic mission. Minimum academic standards are set as a requirement for athletic participation, thus making activities a privilege.
SPORTSMANSHIP
- The environment at interscholastic events is shaped by the attitudes and actions of players, coaches and spectators. Lessons learned in gracefully dealing with adversity in athletics translate to the classroom, the home and the workplace. Good sportsmanship is a precursor to good citizenship.
SCOPE
- School sports embrace local roots. School events attract administrators, teachers, students and parents in one venue and can be the backbone of the community. Adopting reasonable, rational limits for school sports assures a sane and sensible, student-centered educational experience.
These values were coined by John E. “Jack” Roberts, the fourth of now five full-time executive directors who have served the MHSAA during its 100-year history. He introduced them during his first days on the job in 1986 – and as he noted in an installment of his “From the Director” blog in 2015, they’ve stood the test of time.
They drove the Association’s work during his tenure, surely before it, and continue to do so today – and we will delve into all four as we continue our storytelling of a “Century of School Sports” during this 2024-25 school year.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
Sept. 25: Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18: Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4: Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28: Let the Celebration Begin - Read
PHOTO A display on the second floor of the MHSAA office outlines the four core values of educational athletics: safety, scholarship, sportsmanship and scope.