What is “sportsmanship” in the sport of archery? We don’t do “touchdown dances” and I haven’t seen a lot of “high-fives” along the shooting line lately, but we all know what it feels like to make a really good shot that you’re proud of and, also, what it feels like when your shot is not so good or doesn’t hit the target. A “sportsman” is defined as: “a person who exhibits qualities highly regarded in sport, such as fairness, generosity, observance of the rules, and good humor when losing.” It follows that sportsmanship is sportsmanlike conduct, as in fairness, courtesy, being a cheerful loser, etc.
Like in all sports, there is appropriate behavior when things go well, but also when things don’t. The issue is to figure out what that looks like for each of us.
What DOES sportsmanship look like in archery? I think it would be good for each of our archers to give this question some thought. Remember, your performance is not really affected by anyone else’s performance. Only you can determine where your next shot goes. We all make mistakes and we all get it “right” sometimes. This is one of the things I like best about the sport of archery. We can all be “winners” without having to “beat” someone else. Sure, you may not always score the most points, but does that mean your performance was bad or not good enough? I don’t think so. We should always try to do our best and, if we do, that’s a “win.” You keep shooting your personal best score each time you go out and, sooner or later, you will get that top score!
I believe sportsmanship needs to be practiced in order for us to become good at it, just like anything else. So, next time you’re at practice and you see someone make a good shot, say, “nice shot” and feel good about it. After all, you know how hard that is to do and I believe the better you feel about the other person’s shooting, the better you’ll shoot, too!
Good shooters like to hang-out together and they help each other shoot better. In that way, we can all be good sportsmen & sportswomen and enjoy our sport every time we practice or compete!
