After a frustratingly brutal winter, the rising temperatures mean it’s time to dig out the mitts, sticks, and spikes. Though many keep up with conditioning over the colder months, game days are gradually becoming more frequent.

Now, every athlete has been lectured about sportsmanship and attitude during games, practices, or really anytime they play, but there will never come a time when it isn’t important. North Hills does not house too many bad sports, but here’s a reminder that the way you represent yourself, your team, and your school has the power to form the way we are looked at by other districts.

What do you think when you see a player throw their helmet, or cause a scene, or punch something? These are the kinds of things that stick with a school’s reputation. Remember the video of the hockey coach tripping an opposing player while shaking hands? Mishaps like that easily cost him his name. I understand the other team is your opponent and you want to see nothing but their heads hanging down in shame after a game, but that’s no excuse to be disrespectful.

Being a good sport should not just be directed towards your opponent, but also your teammates. Acting like a team is probably one of the most important things in order to be successful. This means leaving the yelling to your coach. And let’s not forget the transfer of blame; a major quality of a bad attitude is blaming others or making excuses for mistakes. Be fair to your team, and they’ll be fair right back.

The difference between a good athlete and a great one is how they carry themselves. I see it as if someone can’t control their emotions during a game, they don’t deserve to play. Fortunately, this isn’t a problem here, but this should always be kept in mind. Keep it clean, and keep it classy, North Hills.