Contributed by Simon March.Director, USA Sport Group.
In an increasingly competitive environment, it is easy to forget the backbone of any great athlete: sportsmanship.
Regardless of the type of sport, ability level of the player or level of competition, if the next generation of superstars could follow the example set by the athletes below, sport would be a much better place for it.
Golf: Adam Van Houten
Adam Van Houten, a student at Mount Gilead High School in central Ohio, had just won the state golf championship. It appeared he’d won by a comfortable seven-stroke margin, but Van Houten noticed a mistake on his scorecard. His playing partner had accidentally given him a five on the 10th hole instead of a six. Since Van Houten signed his scorecard before he’d even noticed the mistake, as per golf rules, he had two choices. He could ignore the mistake and win the state championship or report the mistake. He reported the violation to tournament officials and was disqualified from the competition.
Soccer: Paolo Di Canio
The Premier League game entered injury time with the score tied at one. Everton keeper Paul Gerrard went down with an injury, but West Ham played on. A cross found Paolo Di Canio, open net in front of him, Gerrard on the ground to his side. Instead of tapping into the empty goal, Di Canio picked up the ball and signaled the medical staff onto the field.
