Growing up along with Champions

6 . Ismael Esteban, in third place, was just ahead of his competitor, Agustin Navarro, with only 300 metres to the finishing line. Esteban had been cycling as hard as he could for hours and with the finishing line in sight all the cyclists began to speed up to cross it. Then, suddenly Esteban got a puncture. What should he do? Give up or continue? Esteban threw his bike over his shoulders and raced towards the finishing line.

Just a few seconds later, fourth-placed Navarro caught up with him. Surely, he could simply overtake Esteban and come third. But Navarro slowed down and let Esteban run ahead of him. The two cyclists reached the finishing line with Esteban ahead on foot, Navarro just behind him. Navarro had let Esteban finish in third place, while he came fourth. The audience was amazed at his show of sportsmanship and cheered and clapped for the cyclists. After the race, Navarro said, “I didn’t want to win that way.” Later, Esteban, who won the bronze medal, tried to give his medal to Navarro. However, Navarro refused and his response was: “Offering me the prize was worth more than what I did for him.”

7 . Good sportsmanship is one of the most important lessons that your kids can learn from competition. But how do you teach your kids good sportsmanship? Here are some tips.

    1    .

The first role model that your kids will have in games is you. What behavior you model will have the biggest influence on your kids. You need to be nice to all people on the court, even the opponents. By doing so, your kids will learn from you unconsciously and gain more popularity.

Tell your kids to listen to the coach.

    2    . This means the role of your kids may be reduced or changed. Your kids may feel upset at first.     3    , so you should teach your kids to trust the coach’s judgement.

Remember you are the parent, not the coach.

Your job as a parent is different from a job as a coach. As a parent, you are there to guide all of your kids’ experiences and not focus on demanding performance. However, if you see a coach demanding too much, speak up.     4    .

Maintain a good attitude to both winning and losing.

Good sportsmanship also requires a positive attitude to both the victory and the defeat.     5    . Instead, whatever the results are, always tell them you are proud of them. It’s also a good idea to find positive plays to talk about and discuss lessons to be learned after.

8 . In the sport of track and field, athletes compete not only with one another but against themselves, and in each race they try to achieve the new personal best.

For one Nebraska teen running in what would likely to be his final cross-country outing before graduating from high school, his personal best turned out not to be marking the fastest time but displaying the biggest heart.

Although it was a long shot when he came out from the starting position last Thursday, Brandon Schutt from Bellevue East High School knew if his time was good enough that day, he still had the potential to qualify for the upcoming state meet. A mile into the 3.1-mile race, however, Schutt realized he wasn’t going to be able to keep up the necessary momentum (势头). Rather than risking injury, he slowed to a comfortable pace that would allow him to simply get pleasure from the moment and the day.

Meanwhile, Blake Cerveny from Omaha Burke High School was running a very different kind of race. Aiming to beat his own personal record, after a fast start, he continued to push himself hard.

With less than 400 meters to go, Cerveny’s legs cramped up (抽筋), but he didn’t give up. Cerveny rose from the ground and continued on, only to fall again after another 150 meters and again…About 100 meters away from the finish line, he lay curled on the ground. His legs had simply given out.

Before Cerveny’s dad could reach his son, Brandon Schutt was at his side to offer a helping hand. The two completed the final meters of the course. Schutt even made sure the injured runner crossed the finish line first, securing his opponent a faster time.

In today’s competitive world, while the emphasis in athletics is so often on breaking records, it is inspiring to see an athlete like Brandon Schutt.

10 . Marathon is one of the most difficult races in track and field, at a little over 42 kilometers. To be a world-class marathoner, you must run that distance in two and a half hours. But for some, completing a marathon race is a lifelong dream.

Jacqueline’s dream of being a world-class runner began when she was a child in Kenya. She soon realized she had the talent and the willpower to compete. She also knew she would have to train full-time, which meant not being able to work to help support her family. But she was confident that she could bring home prize money.

Jacqueline traveled to China to compete in the Zheng-Kai marathon knowing she had a good shot at winning the race, but more importantly, the $10,000 prize that went with it. She was leading the women’s division when a male runner arrived at the water station. The man had trouble drinking water because a birth defect (缺陷) had left him without hands, and he struggled to drink from a plastic bottle. But any assistance from fans or race officials would result in his disqualification. Jacqueline noticed the man and immediately knew that he needed help. She grabbed a water bottle and helped him get the water his body needed to complete the race.

Runner after runner passed Jacqueline. Her hopes of winning were getting lost in numerous runners ahead of her. With only 4 kilometers left in the race, and certain that the male runner would now finish, Jacqueline picked up her pace and finally finished second.

That day, Jacqueline missed out on first place, but she finished something more important: humanity. She returned home with the smaller prize of second place, but to her family, she brought home something much more valuable to home: the right example.