Biddeford High School - Olympian Yearbook (Biddeford, ME)

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THE CLYMPIAN of . . . UGOQD SPQRTSlXlANSIfIIP VVhat is good sportsmanship? lt is the quality which enables men to enter into competition with an open mind, E111 earnest desire for fair play, and a may the best man win attitude. Good sportsmanship is more than a phrase: it is an essential factor in our lives. VVe need it not only in sports, but in every walk of life. Wlithout it. there is no zest in the game, no joy in win- ning, no warm glow of satisfaction in a task well-done. Good sportsmanship is team-work. In football, for instance, the most valuable player is not necessarily the star who makes all the touchdowns. The player who clears the way 'for the ball-carrier is equally important: for without him, there would be no touchdown. The. best football teams in the country today are those that work as a well-organized unit, each player doing his part for the good of the team as a whole. Ot course, there are stars, but it takes more than one man to score. Even while we read of the brilliant playing of the speedy quar- terback, we should not lose sight ol the fact that he is backed by a team of hard- working men, who are largely responsi- ble for his success. ln school, at home, and in business, situations are always arising which re- quire tactful consideration of others. There is more than one way to kill a cat, as the old saying goes. Wie have our choice of acting for our own per- sonal gain, or for the general welfare of those around us. ,ll we act sellishly, considering only our own interests, that, of course, is our privilege. ll, however, we stop to consider how our actions can beneht others, we are an asset to our community. That is how good sports- manship enters into everyday life. I can best sum up my conception oi good sportsmanship by repeating a con- versation I over-heard in the street the other day. Two grimy youngsters, about ten years old, were hurrying home for supper after a hard day on the playing lield. One of them clutched a hall'-deHated football. and the other proudly wore a leather helmet. Roth were chattering ex- citedly. As I approached them, I asked: lYell, boys. did you win the game? No, said one with a broad grin, but we had a lot of fun losin' l Moiumm Simriizo, '41 SCHQOL SPIRIT School spirit is not the enthusiasm shown after the team has just won a game, hub it is the unswerving loyalty to one's school, its traditions, and symbols, whether in ,victory or defeat. School spirit is not shown in cheering when the team is winning, it shown in cheering when it is losing. Real school spirit is shown in the wholehearted assistance and cooperation given all school activities, no matter what they may be, or who may be taking part in themg given not for praise or amusement. but lor the honor and glory of the school as a whole. School spirit is manifested outside of school as fell. for every student is a walking ad- vertisement for Biddeford High School, whether he wants to be or not. People iudge our school by us. our manners, the respect we give our teachers, and our actions at games. so it is up to us to be good. not bad advertisements for our school. CLARA VVALLACE l9l