How to Be a Good Sport: Teaching Kids Sportsmanship & Respect

The game ends. One kid is dancing around the living room. The other is crying, the board is flipped, and somebody just yelled, “You CHEATED!”

Sound familiar? Whether it’s a board game, a soccer match, or a race to the car, every parent has watched a game go sideways in about three seconds. And if you’ve ever wondered how to teach your kids to be a good sport, you’re in the right place!

What Is a Good Sport?

Let’s start simple. If your child asks, “What is a good sport?” here’s my answer: a good sport is someone who plays fair, follows the rules, and treats other people with respect, whether they win or lose.

That’s my definition of a good sport, and it can apply to sports, board games, or really anything in life. Notice what’s NOT in there: being happy every second. Kids (and adults!) can feel disappointed about an outcome and still choose to be kind. So what does it mean to be a good sport? It means your feelings can be big and your choices can still be respectful!

A good sport can:

Lose a game and still shake hands
Win a game without teasing the other team
Disagree with a call and speak respectfully about it
Help a teammate up, even in the middle of a race

Once you can define a good sport in words your kids understand, you can start pointing it out when you see it. And that’s where the teaching really begins!

Why Is Sportsmanship Important?

Games teach so many lessons to kids, and they are one of the safest places for kids to practice big feelings. Excitement, frustration, pride, embarrassment, disappointment: they can all show up in the same five minutes. That makes every game a mini lesson in how to handle real life.

So why is sportsmanship important? Because kids who learn good sportsmanship are learning to:

Respect others. Teammates, opponents, referees, and coaches all matter.
Play fair. Cheating takes away the whole point of the game.
Manage big feelings. Anger and excitement are normal. Learning what to do with them is the skill.
Work as a team. Encouraging others is part of winning together.
Bounce back. A lost game is just a lost game. It’s not a lost person!

Here’s the thing I want you to remember: kids copy what we praise. If we only celebrate the win, they’ll think the win is the whole point. But if we notice effort, honesty, and kindness, they learn that character is part of the game too.

The Hard Part: Playing With Kids Who Don’t Play Fair

Let’s be real. It’s one thing to teach your child to be kind when they lose. It’s another thing entirely when they’re playing with someone who breaks the rules, changes them halfway through, or has a meltdown the second they’re behind.

That’s HARD! And our kids need to hear us say so. Try saying:

“It’s frustrating when someone doesn’t play fair. I’d be frustrated too.”
“You can’t control how they act, but you can choose how YOU act.”
“What’s one kind thing you can say, even though that was hard?”

These phrases validate the feeling and still point toward the behavior we want. Kids look to us to show them what to do when they are playing with someone who is angry.

Driving is a great example of an everyday situation where someone might not be playing by the rules. I remember one time in particular that I was driving by a semi truck who started swerving in and out of his lane. It was dangerous to me and everyone else on the road!

But my kids were in the car with me, so I knew I needed to set a good example for how to deal with someone who was clearly breaking rules, even though I couldn’t do anything about it. I calmly but seriously said, “Wow, that semi is making me really nervous. I think I’ll just stay back here until he gets a handle on things.” I slowed my car down to give him adequate space, and finally turned onto another road when I got the chance.

I could have yelled, insulted him, or said any number of unkind things. But what purpose does that serve, and what would it teach my kids? I chose how to act myself, since I had no control over his actions, and in turn I showed my kids that I can stay calm in whatever chaos is around me.

What Is Good Sportsmanship at Home?

You don’t have to wait for a formal game to teach good sportsmanship. Tag, board games, backyard races, and even clean-up contests are all chances to practice. Here are a few ideas:

Give points for cheering. In a relay race, reward kids for encouraging teammates, not just crossing the finish line first.
Ask for a “good thing.” After any game, have each person name one positive thing someone else did.
Rotate roles. In tag, switch who’s “it” often so no one feels stuck or singled out.
Practice losing on purpose. Seriously! A low-stakes game where you model a gracious loss is one of the best lessons you can give.

And remember to watch yourself on the sidelines. Just like my experience with the crazy driver, our kids notice when we yell at referees or criticize other players. Calm, respectful behavior from us is the most powerful answer to “What is good sportsmanship?” they’ll ever see.

“Be a Good Sport” Printable Lesson

If you want a fun, simple way to teach all of this, I created a “Teach Me How” printable lesson just for it! It’s called, “Be a Good Sport: Learning How to Play Fair and Choose to Be Kind, No Matter What,” and it’s a $6 download with the cutest theme: dinosaurs at a bowling alley!

This lesson will help your child:

Focus on the moments they tried their hardest, not just who won
Understand how hard it can be to play with people who don’t follow the rules or who get really angry when they lose
Practice choosing to play fair and be kind, no matter what happens

Download it today, and give your child the tools to be the kind of player everyone wants on their team!

The Takeaway

Being a good sport means caring about the game AND the people playing it. Kids can compete hard, want to win, and still choose fairness, respect, and kindness.

So praise it when you see it, coach it when it breaks down, and model it when the pressure is on. Practicing this in small, everyday situations will make a big difference when bigger competitions come. And someday, your child will be the one who helps the other kid up, even when they’re not on the same team.

If you want more lessons on teaching sportsmanship and managing emotions, check out these resources:

Teach Me How Subscription