Many people believe that winning is the most important aspect of a sport. I, however, believe that sportsmanship is the most important aspect.

To be able to compete well, a player must have respect for their teammates, the opposing team and their coaches. This is a crucial part of sportsmanship.

If a player is not respectful, they might think they are better and appear arrogant. This will affect the way they perceive and treat the opposing players.

Sportsmanship also includes being fair. A person should never cheat in a game because that will get them nowhere.

Cheating can possibly get a person the game win, but they will lose respect from the fans, teammates and opposing team.

Players do not want to lose respect from anyone, but especially their fans. Fans are always there to support their team; they are the backbone of sports. If team members lose their fans, they will have no one to cheer them on.

Sportsmanship is becoming less important in today’s world.

To many, all that matters is winning. This is evident in the way that some athletes act. While winning is very important, it is not everything.

There are still many athletes that consistently display sportsmanship, however, such as Georgia Highlands College’s basketball teams.

I have been an avid fan of Georgia Highlands’ basketball this season, and have witnessed sportsmanship at every game for the men and women.

Even though they both have opposing teams that might not demonstrate the same sportsmanship, they maintain respect for those players.