Sportsmanship

by Sean Sullivan, 2003 ANBC National Champion

Character is defined more by how someone reacts to losing than to winning. Anyone can be a gracious winner.

Actually, even the notion that any placement outside of first is a losing one is a sign of poor attitude and a prelude to bad sportsmanship. Bodybuilders should be better than that! Bodybuilding is a sport about balance. Not just of the body, but of the mind and spirit as well.

Besides, bodybuilding is too subjective of a sport to get wrapped up in not always placing first. Take for instance a class that features a number of top-notch physiques. Any of them could take first on any given day. If they all get on stage in their best shape, the outcome could simply be a matter of opinion (the opinion of only 5 or 7 people who are serving on the judging panel that day). If some of the competitors are slightly off because they missed their peak, one of the other athletes will win… ON THAT DAY. The reverse is also true, and in that same lineup the person who took first at a previous show could end up 5th in the same lineup on a different day.

Competitors often feel they deserved a higher placement than others, and it often has to do with not being impartial. It’s difficult to be impartial when evaluating one’s self, especially when standing BESIDE others and not seeing what the judge’s see. Friends and family members have a biased opinion too. At the very least, competitors should reserve judgment until they view photos or video of their class.
Think of how poor sportsmanship at a show affects others. Some competitors don’t realize that the people on stage next to them don’t decide the outcome. They don’t score the class! There’s nothing that can bring a competitor down faster than someone making remarks, or behaving in a certain manner that is indicative of the first place finisher’s win not being deserved.

Remember, being a champion is not dependent on a placement. Attitude is an important factor. The competitors who relish in victory AND are gracious of others’ victories are the ones people will look up to. Winning is all about attitude. Whether being awarded first place or not, the real winners will be evident based on how they react.