A Sportsmanship Self-Test. (A.D.ministration).

OVER THE YEARS, THE topic of sportsmanship has never strayed far from the forefront of high school athletics. It is often difficult to understand and it is always a challenge to deal with, especially when parents are involved.

In our setting, we are always looking for ways of getting the message across to our parents. The accompanying self-test is a subtle, non-threatening tool that we have been using in our pre-season parents' meetings.

It takes only two or three minutes to administer and usually yields some interesting information.

We ask the parents to check the word "Agree" or "Disagree" before each of the following questions.

1. It is normal to complain about officials' calls.

2. Yelling at an official is OK if he makes a very questionable call or one with which you don't agree.

3. Taunting is just part of the game. It's part of the gamesmanship that goes on and is no big deal.

4. Ignoring a negative comment by an opponent or fan is the thing to do in a heated contest.

5. When an opponent reacts to a great play or a score by one of his teammates, you do not react. You stay calm.

6. Sincerely congratulating an opponent on a good play or victory is the way it should be in sports.

7. Cheering should be done for your team, not against your opponent.

8. Both participants and fans should walk away from confrontations or potential fights.

9. During or after a contest, if you can't say something nice or positive, you shouldn't really say anything at all.

10. If a player is injured, you should be supportive and cheer for him when it has been determined that the injury is not severe.

11. Inappropriate language during a contest is natural because of the intensity and emotion involved.

12. This push for sportsmanship is important for high school athletics.

13. It's important to exhibit good sportsmanship, even when your opponent and their fans do not.

14. If pushed, provoked, or attacked, one should retaliate. It is always important to stand up for your rights.

15. It's OK to gain the edge in a game anyway you can.

Award one point for agreeing on questions 4-10, 12-13, and add one point for disagreeing on questions 1-3, 11, 14-15. For each wrong answer, deduct a point.

Following is how you can rate the person taking the test with respect to sportsmanship:

11-15: Pretty darn good. You certainly are on the right track.

6-10: There's some work to do, but you probably understand what sportsmanship is all about.

1-5: Basically, you are clueless. A massive effort will be needed. Seek advice and help immediately. Your attitude is totally unacceptable.

If anyone scores poorly, give him a homework assignment -- define and learn to use the following words in a sentence with an athletic basis: fairness, respect, courtesy, generosity, restraint, and class.

In most cases, sportsmanship revolves around these words. Obviously, a low score indicates little or no knowledge of the meaning, impact or use of these words.

Students who score well probably have a basic understanding of sportsmanship. But can they put the concept into action? This is the real test. Even though this test was designed for parents, it can be easily used with athletes and coaches.

While this self-test is certainly not the definitive answer to improving sportsmanship, it may work well with parents. In various individual settings, other questions can be added or the given questions altered. You can judge all this for yourself.