No matter what sport is your passion, being a true sportsman is actually what it’s all about. There is nothing worse than someone who is less than ethical or another player who takes losing poorly. By this point in time, most people understand what good sportsmanship is all about, but in case you’d forgotten, let’s look at one of the all-time greats of baseball. That would be Joe DiMaggio, of course!
Humble Beginnings
As a first-generation American, Joe’s parents were Italian immigrants and his father had hopes of Joe being a fisherman in a long line of fishermen. However, Joe’s passions were elsewhere. From the time he could say the word “baseball,” Joe was passionate about the sport. Having left high school at 16 to pursue his passion, well, the rest is history now, isn’t it? What this has to say about a true sportsman is that it is possible to live one’s dream, even against all odds.
A Break from Pro Ball
Another telling sign of a true sportsman is having an ability to see greater needs than their own. Even though Joe was at the top of his game, he took a break to join the war effort and never regretted one moment of his time spent serving his country. Actually, he walked back onto the field and took up where he left off as a champion. A true sportsman will serve as needed because isn’t that what good sportsmanship is all about? When the coach asks you to play another position because the team lost a player to injury, for example, you don’t moan and complain. You step up to bat, no pun intended.
A Shining Example
One of the things coaches focus on is teaching players to seek inspiration from the greats who’ve gone before them. Some like to suggest building a fantasy league with technology like Diamond Mine Online. Here, players can build a team with greats like Joe DiMaggio and get experience playing various positions and teams they build. The object is to learn what made players like DiMaggio so great and then to incorporate those plays, those attitudes in their own game. It’s great practice, especially on off-season days. Sometimes you don’t have to be physically on the field to be in the game.
A Gift That Keeps on Giving
Yes, being great at your game takes a lot of effort and years of sacrifice, but you wouldn’t make it if you didn’t have a gift. A true sportsman recognizes that a large part of their success is a gift and they, in turn, use their successes to help the communities in which they live and play. In later years, Joe DiMaggio lent his name, time, and resources to the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in South Florida. As one of the nation’s leading pediatric children’s hospitals, Joe had a gift that continued to give. It continues still to this day. A true sportsman will take their passion and put it to good use. Whether serving low-income kids in the hood or sponsoring a children’s hospital, they do what they can to be a shining example to future generations. True sportsmen are a gift that just keeps giving.
We know, a true sportsman recognizes that a large part of their success is a gift and they, in turn, use their successes to help the communities in which they live and play. Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport, or activity will be enjoyed for its must be found among all four for true sportsmanship to be illustrated.