National Sportsmanship Day is celebrated on the first Tuesday of March every year. This day has been celebrated since 1991. The International Sports Institute first established National Sportsmanship day in order to promote good sportsmanship around the country and to set high standards for future generations of athletes.
The objective of this day is to tell people about the importance of sportsmanship. It encourages fair play, good etiquette, and good character. This day is to remind athletes and sports fans alike that being good at a sport isn’t the only important quality of an athlete — showing good sportsmanship is equally important.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word ‘sportsmanship’ has its origins in the 1700s where it was used in England among upper-class men who participated in country sports, such as hunting and fishing. The word is one of the most popular words still in use today.
In the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, the racist sentiment of the Nazi party was at an all-time high. Despite this, German competitor Luz Long, who was participating in the long jump event, helped an African American opponent named Jesse Owens to improve his form. Owens was representing the United States and had African roots. Long saw Owens struggling because of his form and gave him some great advice, despite the negative sentiment in Germany at the time towards people of color. This act of sportsmanship helped Owens secure the gold medal in the event.
In 1956, at the Australian National Championships, Australian runner John Landy showed a great example of sportsmanship when he helped his 19-year-old opponent, Ron Clarke, who had tripped and fallen. Landy, who was behind Clarke, stopped running and helped his opponent get back on his feet. After this, Landy resumed running and was somehow able to win the race. A statue was built to commemorate this display of sportsmanship.
During the 2005 Rome Masters, Andy Roddick showed remarkable sportsmanship in his tennis match against Fernando Verdasco. Roddick was announced as the winner of the match by mistake when in reality both Roddick and Verdasco were still at match point. Roddick called out this mistake and pointed out that the shot didn’t count. Verdasco went on to win that match.
