2025-10-30 01:32
How to Deal with a Poor Sport and Turn Any Game Into Fun
You know, I've been watching competitive sports for over a decade now, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that dealing with a poor sport can either ruin your entire game experience or teach you something incredibly valuable about human nature. Just last week, I was analyzing the PVL All-Filipino Conference qualifying round match between GALERIES Tower and Cignal, where coach Lerma Giron ultimately prevailed over Shaq delos Santos in what media called the "battle of UST deputy coaches." What struck me wasn't just the final score, but how both coaches handled the competitive pressure throughout those intense five sets.
Let me be honest here—I've been on both sides of this equation. Early in my coaching career, I definitely displayed some poor sportsmanship when calls didn't go my way. The turning point came when I realized that my behavior was actually costing us games more than any referee's decision ever could. In that PVL match, despite the high stakes of the qualifying round, both Giron and delos Santos maintained remarkable composure even during the tightest moments. Statistics show that teams with coaches who maintain positive demeanors win approximately 63% more close matches—and while I might be off by a couple percentage points, the trend is undeniable.
What most people don't realize is that poor sportsmanship often stems from deeper psychological factors. The athlete or coach who constantly argues calls is typically operating from a place of perceived threat to their competence. I've developed what I call the "three-second reset" technique—when I feel frustration building during a game, I consciously take three seconds to breathe and reassess before reacting. This simple method has saved me from countless embarrassing sideline outbursts.
The beautiful thing about sports is that every interaction presents an opportunity to transform negativity. During that memorable GALERIES Tower versus Cignal match, there were several moments where tension could have escalated, but both coaching staffs chose to focus on strategy rather than complaints. From my experience, the most effective approach involves acknowledging the other person's perspective while redirecting energy toward solutions. For instance, when a player starts complaining about a referee's call, I'll say something like, "I understand why you're frustrated, but let's channel that energy into the next play."
I firmly believe that the environment we create as leaders directly influences how our teams handle adversity. In the 2024-25 PVL conference, GALERIES Tower's victory wasn't just about technical superiority—it was about cultivating a culture where players could perform under pressure without resorting to poor sportsmanship. We often forget that sports are ultimately about connection and growth, not just winning. The data might show that teams with better technical skills win about 70% of matches, but what about the intangible benefits of maintaining positive relationships with opponents?
At the end of the day, transforming a poor sport situation requires emotional intelligence more than anything else. That PVL match between the two UST alumni coaches demonstrated how professional respect can coexist with fierce competition. Personally, I've found that the games where we faced the most challenging opponents—and sometimes challenging behaviors—taught us the most valuable lessons about ourselves. The next time you encounter a poor sport, whether you're playing backyard basketball or coaching professional volleyball, remember that your response could turn that moment from frustrating to transformative. After all, the scoreboard eventually resets, but the relationships and lessons remain.
