A number of personal accounts, media stories and popular books have suggested that participation in competitive athletics does little to develop sportsmanship in young athletes and may actually lead to unsportsmanlike attitudes and values. Researchers, teachers, and coaches have concluded that mere participation in youth sports does not guarantee positive psychological effects for the children involved. Rather, participation is viewed as a double-edged sword that may have either positive or negative effects on the child. The more competent the adult leaders, the more sportsmanlike attitudes and values will likely result. Thus the social environment in which the young athlete competes determines to a large extent whether sportsmanlike or unsportsmanlike attitudes will develop.
Competitive sport is a particularly important setting in which social learning takes place.
Sport sociologists have indicated that competitive youth sports are important today because they are one of the few activities in which children are intensely involved. In organized sports, children have a degree of control over their own fate and their actions are viewed as important by a large segment of the culture. Coaches should reinforce sportsmanlike behavior, penalize unsportsmanlike conduct, and should provide rationales to help children understand why a particular behavior is morally right or wrong. Implications for instilling sportsmanship in young athletes follow. Mere participation in sports does not develop sportsmanship 2.