National Sportsmanship Day

What is NSD?

National Sportsmanship Day was founded by Institute for International Sport Executive Director Dan Doyle in 1991 with several important objectives:

To designate a special day each year during which thousands of student-athletes, coaches, administrators and parents would engage in thoughtful and reasoned discussion about the role of sportsmanship.

To provide participating schools, clubs, and other athletic organizations with a number of tips on how to successfully celebrate the day. At the core of this important objective is the Institute’s belief that good discussion is fatal to bad sportsmanship, a belief that has been confirmed since watching the many positive results generated by schools who actively participate in National Sportsmanship Day.

To make participation in National Sportsmanship Day an anchor event which fosters good sportsmanship on a year-round basis.

Why Hold a National Sportsmanship Day?

As noted above, a key goal of National Sportsmanship Day is provoke thoughtful discussion and well-planned activities on this issue. Our goal is that the well-planned discussions and activities – and the critical thinking skills that will be developed through such engagement - will help enable sports to reach its full potential as a positive force in society.

A vital component of National Sportsmanship Day is to help athletes, parents, coaches and administrators use sports to promote self-control and non-violence. In his newly released book, The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting, Institute for International Sport Executive Director Dan Doyle describes this quality as “competitive self restraint.” During 2008, the Institute will further develop this competitive self restraint concept through its work with many organizations throughout the World. Click here for information on The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting.

Please keep an eye on our website for further information on an important related activity to National Sportsmanship Day, the Institute’s Non-Violence Initiative, which will be launched in 2008 (click here for preliminary details).