re, John Gotwals, & Bethan King


al Team Members on Spirit of the Game and Self-Refereeing Summary and Conclusion


sley ~


Our study demonstrated that ‘spirit of the game’ and self-refereeing can contribute positively to juniors’ experiences within competitive Ultimate. These two aspects of the sport helped create a strong sense of community, opportunities for personal growth, and experiences of high level competition infused with sportspersonship. However, it is also critical to recognize that self-refereeing was at times used to win at all costs—the antithesis of spirit. This was also problematic when players did not know the rules well. Based on these findings, we offer three suggestions about how to foster spirit within competitive youth Ultimate.


•Recognize the importance of enhancing players’ understanding of the rules. Telling juniors to “read the rulebook” isn’t enough. Act out scenarios at practice and discuss how those scenarios can be interpreted within the rules.


•Recognize that juniors learn by watching more experienced players and coaches. As a player, challenge yourself to model the type of spirited play you want to instill in juniors. As a coach, highlight and reward good spirit among your own players as well as your opponents.


•Teach juniors skills they can use to make and respond to calls in a spirited manner. Skills that help players control their emotions, think rationally, and communicate in a non- threatening manner would be especially useful. As evidenced by our findings, these skills may help players uphold spirit both on and off the field.


Did you find this study interesting? Would you be interested in pursuing similar research in grad school? If so, get in touch! Contact John Gotwals (john.gotwals@lakeheadu.ca) or Nancy Spencer-Cavaliere (nancy.cavaliere@ ualberta.ca).


Photo: Katherine Ho


Ultimate Canada Magazine - www.canadianultimate.com


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