As the month of March comes to a close so does the season of March Madness, the season of thrilling and intense men’s and women’s basketball tournaments hosted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

During March Madness, teams face off in many different tournaments to ultimately find out who is the best. Whether they win or lose, emotions are shown, but as a team the players have to know that they are being watched. Everything they do, every way they react, gets looked upon by the public. And, as we all know, the public isn’t always positive.

One situation that has been looked upon rather negatively by the public is when Kansas State Men’s basketball team upset Kentucky in the Sweet 16 section of the NCAA Men’s Tournament. Neither team took the time to shake hands after the game and eventually the Kentucky players just left and went to their locker room. This was controversial among the players and the public because they felt as though shaking hands is a necessary action at the closure of the basketball game regardless how long it takes.

Not only is it important to have good sportsmanship during the game, but after as well. This was not shown by either team as the final buzzer sounded. Showing sportsmanship is so important because, whether we like it or not, basketball is just a game.

The relationships players make on the court affect how they act and who they are. Sometimes people get different opportunities to showcase their sportsmanship, but the real key is making sure that you show respect to the other athletes and coaches present. Simply giving a high-five to another player after the game can make a world of a difference to them and the people watching. As the player, you know the opponent is mature enough to still show basic respect to one another despite their emotions.

High-fiving an opponent at the end of a tough game can be hard, but if each person makes sure to shake one another’s hand, arguments are resolved and everyone can walk off the court content with their relationships with other players.

Aside from just shaking hands at the end of the game for closure, it is also important to make sure that athletes carry their good sportsmanship throughout the game. For example, helping someone up or grabbing the ball for the ref can make a difference in how a player is treated by the refs and opposing team.

Not only is sportsmanship important for one to show to others, but it also makes a difference when sportsmanship is shown to oneself. When someone is nice and supportive toward you, you feel all the more willing to pay that forward to someone else. When someone shows their support towards you, you become all the more confident in yourself and your team, making positive sportsmanship that much easier.

Everyone should show positive sportsmanship in order to make playing sports more enjoyable for everyone participating. This also allows the people in the crowd to understand that the players really are just playing a game. They set their differences aside to play the game and let everything that happens on the court stay on the court.