[Mark .D.]

I have recently been playing soccer with Latino immigrants. We are only playing ‘pick up’ games, so it would seem that fun and exercise are the only real purposes of playing. We don’t even keep score most time. I am amazed at how little sportsmanship is displayed on the field. Everyone seems to be having a great time before and after the game. But during the game they play as if it were life and death, fouling and cheating the entire time. These are not untalented players trying to make up for lack of skills. My friend from Columbia tells me there is no Spanish word for sportsmanship. But surely the concept is not absent from Latino culture. Is this ‘blood sport’ mentality just a logical extension of ‘machismo’?

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Name : Mark .D., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 35, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : Carpenter, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Adam25152]

Have you ever played basketball on street courts in the United States, especially in certain neighborhoods? Aggressiveness and the ability to play through whatever your opponents do is a virtue. What you describe is how men in many societies are taught to play; some would say as practice or a substitute for hunting and/or war. Perhaps. But my main point is that it’s not unique to Latinos, or the world’s game.

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Name : Adam25152, Gender : M, Age : 25, City : Norman, State : OK, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Nelson A.]

The Royal Academy of the Spanish Tongue would feel insulted if they read this one. Sportsmanship in Spanish is “deportivismo.” You will notice the killer attitude in sports in Latin culture just as much as you would notice it in a “friendly” football game in Kansas City (been there, done that … got tackled to death). Now about the cheating and fouling: Dishonesty is a trait that is widespread in certain Latin American countries. Your friend from Colombia can tell you more about that one.

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Name : Nelson A., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 30, City : Caracas, State : NA, Country : Venezuela, Occupation : Lawyer/Business, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Nick-V]

Soccer in Latin countries is taken very seriously. It is almost a religion in South America and in countries such as Italy and Spain. People in these countries are very passionate about soccer, so the ‘win at all costs’ mentality is not unusual there.

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Name : Nick-V, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 23, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[MJ22279]

I’m sorry to tell you, but lack of sportsmanship is not limited to the Latino community. I am currently playing amateur competitive pool, both individual and team, and am constantly astounded at the lack of sportsmanship in this activity. From cheering when an opponent makes a mistake to gloating over a win or flat-out cheating, one gets the same idea that losing would mean the end of their life as they know it. Though we all want to win, very few in this game are going to make a living doing this. Therefore, it makes more sense to me to have fun playing the game. If we look at our role models, however, displays of taunting are becoming more and more commonplace in the professional ranks of all sports. You need look no further than professional football to see the worst of the human character in this area. The choreographed celebratory dances in the end zone, standing over a sacked quarterback and spiking the ball in the opponent’s face are giving the impression that winning at any cost is the goal of any participant. My favorite quote, I believe by Marcus Allen, regarding end-zone celebration is: ‘Act like you’ve been there before, and you’re going to get there again.’ Wise words for more than just the football field. I don’t believe it has anything to do with a lack of descriptive words in a certain vocabulary, it simply has to do with respect for the game you are playing and all participants of that game.

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Name : MJ22279, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Denver, State : CO, Country : United States, Occupation : Data analyst, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

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