The characteristics of leadership and sportsmanship taught to student-athletes should be as important as the game plan for any sport. After all, student-athletes represent the schools in which they attend.

The definition of sportsmanship is: fair and generous behavior or treatment of others, especially in a sports contest.

Student-athletes and their coaches should know that any negative behavior displayed by either is a reflection on their school, community and alumni. I once had a conversation with a great coach that told me, “You don’t have to be a senior to be a leader.”

Throughout the years I have seen underclassmen step up and take the role of a leader.

The definition of leadership is: the action of leading a group of people or an organization.

Twenty years from now, would a studentathlete want to be remembered for being a good teammate, leader or would he or she want to be remembered as the selfish teammate who only put themselves before the team?

Ponder on that for a week.

1-2-3 break.