Leaving a Legacy Through Sportsmanship

East Mississippi College vs. Delta College, 48-0 with the first half coming to a close, picture this: both benches cleared, with over 100 players and fans fighting each other, throwing equipment and trash cans intended to hurt the other team.
GAME OVER! But not the end of the 4th quarter.

Officials decided to end this junior college fiasco at the half when both teams decided to clear their benches and become MMA fighters rather than respectable sportsmanlike football players. 

Although this clip’s purpose was to prove a point, junior colleges are not the only ones to blame. High schools, colleges, professional sports and even FANS have contributed to this increase in violence surrounding sports both on and off the field. Though football is focused above, it’s not the only sport to blame—baseball fans almost killing an opposing fan in 2012, retaliation by fans killing a 24-year-old Dodgers fan the following year, and recently Dodgers fans (mother and son) sending a Mets fan to the hospital in critical condition. Over the years we’ve even heard of parents becoming so passionate over their kids playing that an occasional outburst may erupt.

Are these the examples we want to set for our future generations of athletes? NO. 

Sports—especially at a young age—is a great opportunity to empower our youth with the characteristics of passion, sportsmanship and hard work. The effective habits will guide athletes to become better people both on and off the field. For example, take my close friend, mentor, and business partner, Warren Moon. His dedication, knowledge, tranquility, and SPORTSMANSHIP obtained from his mother and sports experiences have led him to accomplish being named NFL “Man of the Year”, a 9-time Pro Bowler, 2-time Grey Cup MVP, being inducted into both the NFL and CFL Hall of Fame, and becoming a successful businessman and philanthropist. These achievements would have likely been nothing but fantasies had he been acting in a dishonorable manner! This behavior has become more prevalent in sports today. These great men and women are the types of role models younger generations need to help guide them to SUCCESS.

In conclusion, If there is one thing we should be striving for it’s leaving our legacy through “SPORTSMANSHIP.” Two-time Super Bowl Champion and Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis said it best in a 2012 speech he gave to Stanford’s basketball team at NIT:

If tomorrow wasn’t promised – what would you give for today? Forget everything else.

Forget everything else. Forget that there was any sunlight left. What would you spend today…thinking about? Yourself? Or the man that’s beside you? Or the man that you know you’d give everything in your heart for? What would you think about? We get one opportunity in life. One chance at life. To do whatever you’re going to do.

To lay your foundation and to make whatever mark you’re going to make. Whatever legacy you’re going to leave. Leave your legacy. And it’s found through effort. Wins and losses come a dime a dozen. But effort, nobody can judge effort.

Because effort is between you and you. Effort ain’t got nothing to do with nobody else. So that team that think they’re ready to see you… They think what they’ve seen on film… They ain’t saw what film shows. Because everyday is a new day. Every moment is a new moment. So now you’ve got to go out and show them that I’m a different creature – NOW – than I was five minutes ago.

Because I’m pissed off for greatness. Because if you ain’t pissed off for greatness that means you’re okay with being mediocre. And ain’t no man in here okay with being just basic. So lets do what we do – TONIGHT.

We ain’t got to worry about taking no breaks”
-Ray Lewis