Sportsmanship: athletes learn to display this most important quality when it comes to competition. But one Mira Costa athlete learned the hard way that good sportsmanship can be harmful, to himself, his team, and his competitors.
Mira Costa cross-country runner, Dillon Shambaugh paid the price for putting good manners into practice. During the Stanford Invitational on September 29, Shambaugh assisted a fellow runner, Akshay Alaghatta of Bellarmine, to the finish line in the boys seeded race. Alaghatta was in clear distress coming down the home stretch, when Shambaugh slowed down to help him to the finish line. With arms around each other Shambaugh and Alaghatta came to the finish. Although it was a heart warming display that spoke to the character and integrity of Shambaugh, it would prove costly. Shambaugh was disqualified for aiding a runner, along with Alaghatta, eliminated for receiving the aid. With Shambaugh’s elimination, Mira Costa’s four other runners fell short of the required 5 runner minimum needed to qualify for a team time.
In the standings, Shambaugh was defeated. Without a time next to his name, the six hour car drive, the night spent in a crammed hotel room and the 3.1 miles he ran were all a waste. But I believe Shambaugh accomplished more than he planned to when he mad the trip to Stanford. He represented himself and his school in the absolute best way he could, showcasing the qualities Mira Costa hopes to institute into all of its athletes. Whether Shambaugh’s trip to Stanford was a victory or not is best summarized by the Mira Costa Athletic Department’s policy. “Good sportsmanship will say positive things about you and our school and remind us all that in the end, sport is meant to be fun.” (excerpt from the Mira Costa’s Athletic Department Policy of “Pursuing Victory with Honor”). It certainly seems a victory to me.