Every time we discuss sports programs, the matter of inculcating values education always comes up.
While engaging in sports can teach you many things, many have noticed that a lot of athletes seem to allow their talents to get into their heads.
We often hear of reports about cheating in competitions most especially when it comes to the age of the athletes.
There was even one competition that I covered for TV that had one team, which misrepresented itself by claiming to be that from one institution when they are from another.
The team, however, pulled out of the tournament and it became what sports aficionados would call a 'let go' situation.
If coaches would teach their young athletes to cheat, then these athletes would think that it is okay to do it.
There are many more bad things that athletes learn from their coaches, team officials and even parents.
Bad mouthing the officials is the most common bad teaching that our kids get during games. This is the reason why they think less of the game officials because these people are called all sorts of names by their coaches and parents.
There are also those athletes, who think so highly of themselves. A very recent case was a draft pick, who openly expressed disgust why he wasn't chosen ahead of the others.
Let us be careful when we get involved in sports especially when children are around. Our actions could be mistaken to be what is proper even if they are wrong.
It is important that more than teaching the athletes values, the adults involved must also be properly educated about such.
Although it had nothing to do about sports, I was appalled at the arrogance of somebody who asked for my opinion about a certain subject matter over Facebook chat.
Had that person been taught to properly introduce oneself before asking people questions, I would not have felt bad about the whole thing.
This takes me to that story about a 14-year-old boy, who gave up his golf championship trophy after finding out that he committed a violation by carrying one club more than the maximum allowed.
He could have just let it go, but he did not. I hope that the incident, which happened in the USA, would teach even the older golfers a lesson.
As a member of a tournament committee, I often hear of complaints of cheating that could have been prevented had the players just done the noble thing of counting the correct number of strokes including penalties.
This is not a perfect world, but we can all do something to make it better.
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MILESTONES: Happy birthday greetings to Police Sr. Supt. Ed Benigay, who is celebrating today.
The same goes to my good friend Simonette Serra-Guanzon, my classmates Ralph Daitol and Asuncion 'Ciony' Astor-Aluben, and to Police Supt. Luisito 'Chito' Magnaye.
Advance greetings go to Leni Ingking and Cynthia Judilla, who are both turning a year older tomorrow.
More power to all of you!