The handshake line after a game rarely gets shown on highlight reels.
Watching the victors and the vanquished greet each other after the game and share a few words isn’t exactly going to draw a lot of attention. But next time you see one on TV or in person, maybe you should make sure the nearest young set of eyes is watching.
When it comes to teaching sportsmanship, it’s better to start early rather than wait until you see your child do something that makes you cringe, or another does something that makes your blood boil.
Sportsmanship isn’t an easy concept to pin down. There’s no fixed set of rules that determine when celebrating becomes showboating, when competing becomes contentious or when disagreeing becomes disrespectful. Yet most people know when one crosses the line to become the other, and it becomes an issue.
Dealing with sportsmanship before it becomes a regular issue is the best place to start, though it’s never too late to teach the right way to go about things.
Kokomo High School boys tennis coach Shawn Flanary stresses sportsmanship as an elementary PE teacher, and as a high school coach. He remembers when he was on the other end of those lessons.
“Trust me, I was there as a youth. I had a dad who pulled me off the court and kicked me in the rear when I needed it,” Flanary said.
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June 6, 2009
Grow a good sport
Parents, coaches need to teach sportsmanship early in the game
- Howard County Living Magazine
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HCL EXTRA: Kokomo Parks info and locations map
The Kokomo area has its fair share of recreational facilities. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing nature walk or a turn at the world class skate park, the Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department has you covered.
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Couple enjoys progressive dinner in Kokomo
The evening began with tender, marinated grilled beef skewers on a bed of onion curls, progressed to a cup of mushroom and brie soup, followed by a hearty “farmhouse” salad, and concluded with broiled salmon and hollandaise sauce.
The brownie á la mode with hot fudge sauce? Well, perhaps that was a bridge too far. -
Freemasons have long history
A protractor and a square with the letter G in the middle is much more than a symbol — it’s a way of life for many.
“It’s really about friendship — being around guys you don’t mind being around and the friendship,” Dave Trobaugh said of the Freemasons. -
Bavarian Inn offers unique experience
Entering the Bavarian Inn Bed & Breakfast, visitors are welcomed with a warm, friendly greeting from innkeeper Roswitha Wesson.
The 72-year-old native of Germany is queen of the inn that sits atop a hill overlooking Dixon Road.
She greets everyone with a big smile and a hearty welcome thick with her German accent. -
Crossing the generations
Cadillac introduced its revamped SRX Crossover for 2010 after replacing the larger 2004-09 generation.
After circuiting the car shows in 2009, the kid brother has won over auto buyers, said Travis Shedron, new car sales manager at HE McGonigal Inc. in Kokomo. -
HCL: The finishing touch
When most people purchase a new house, they fill it with factory-made furnishings to make it feel more like a home.
Not Mike Bolinger.
Every room of his home in Kokomo’s Silk Stocking District includes a special touch — furniture Mike made himself.
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HCL: Taste of the holidays
This year could be the perfect year to add new touches to the traditional holiday foods, and some of Kokomo’s best cooks have come up with a few ideas.
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HCL: Oh, Christmas tree
Wooded groves have sprung around Howard County.
Many of the trees are actually plastic and aluminum. Some have lights poking through as they illuminate the branches, while others are as naked as their real-life counterparts. -
HCL: We Care, a Kokomo tradition
When WWKI’s Dick Bronson took a phone call in 1973 from a laidoff auto worker who couldn’t afford Christmas for his family, a tradition began.
Bronson gave the caller $20, half of what was in his wallet. -
HCL: The Taurus re-imagined
With the release of the 2010 Taurus, the car’s rebirth is complete.
While it was the company’s top-selling sedan nearly from its 1986 inaugural, Ford pulled the plug on the Taurus nameplate for the 2007 model year. - More Howard County Living Magazine Headlines
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Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
