Show-Me 4-H Character
Module 5, Part 2
Competing with Honor
2005
Make a List
As a parent or caring adult of
young people make a quick list
of the characteristics you want
your special young person to
have.
2005
What did your list
include?
• Uses unfair advantages to get ahead
• Lies, cheats or steals when it is in their
best interest
• Uses drugs and other illegal substances
OR
• Can be trusted
• Is responsible
• Cares for others
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Is competition good
or bad?
It depends upon the intent and how
the competition is viewed and
conducted.
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Constructive
Competition
• Those who truly love to compete
want to compete against the best,
on everyone’s best day. The
competition is more exciting even it
if lessens the likelihood of winning.
• The most memorable and
rewarding competitions are those
that conducted fairly with close
results.
2005
Cheating
• A 2004 study from the Josephson
Institute of Ethics show:
– 62% of teens say they cheated
during a test at school within the
past 12 months.
• 38% did so two or more times.
– 74% admitted to cheating in
2002.
2005
Stealing
A 2004 study from the Josephson
Institute of Ethics show:
• 27% stole something from a store within
the past 12 months – and 13% did so two or
more times.
– 38% admitted stealing from a store in
2002
• 22% admitted stealing from a parent or
other relative within the past 12 months.
– 28% admitted to the same thing in 2002
2005
Lying
A 2004 study from the Josephson
Institute of Ethics show:
• 82% admitted they lied to parent
within the past 12 months about
something significant
– 57% lied two or more times
• 62% lied to a teacher within the
past 12 months
– 35% lied two or more times
2005
Consider 4-H
examples
• Coaching from parents or
coaches during competitions
• Copying a past National
Congress winner’s application
• Pumping livestock
• Falsifying or changing
registration documents
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How does character
fit with
competition?
• Make character the ground rule
for all competition
• Teach the difference between
gamesmanship and
sportsmanship
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Build a Foundation using
the Six Pillars of Character
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• Trustworthiness – demand integrity, honesty,
promise-keeping, loyalty
• Respect - control violent instincts, demonstrate
class; be a good sport, don’t talk trash or be
boastful, respect officials
• Responsibility - be accountable, pursue
excellence
• Fairness - never cheat, use recognized
standards, don’t show partiality or prejudice
• Caring – show empathy and compassion, be
unselfishness
• Citizenship - play by the rules, acknowledge
acts of good sportsmanship
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Help Put Winning
in Perspective
• Honor is more important than winning
• Strive to win but not at any cost
• Trying to win is essential. It means you have
given it your all.
• Emphasize the importance of following the
rules
• Cheating and bad sportsmanship are not
options
• Principles of ethics and sportsmanship are the
ground rules
• Follow the Six Pillars of Character
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Parents
• A person’s first and most
important character teacher
• Provide lifelong significant
influence
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Volunteers
• Teach by example
• Always emphasize the Six
Pillars
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T.E.A.M.
• Teach
–The importance of character
in competition
–What proper and improper
conduct looks like
–The Six Pillars of Character
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Enforce
• Praise positive acts of character
• Express disappoint in negative
acts of character
• Demand following the rules
• Expect respectful conduct
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Advocate
• Tell young people clearly,
continuously and vigorously the
importance of character to the 4-H
program
• Don’t be neutral or noncommittal
on issues of character
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Model
• Lead by example
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Making Good Choices
• Is there possible danger of
physical harm to you or anyone
else?
• Could you or someone else suffer
serious emotional pain?
• Could the decision hurt your
reputation?
• Could the decision impede
achieving any important goal?
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Making It Practical
• Establish rules or a Code of Conduct
based on the Six Pillars of Character.
– Put it in writing
– Make sure everyone understands
them
– Announce expected behaviors at
the beginning of events
– Enforce the rules and code
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More Ideas…
2005
References
Jeffrey Pratt Beedy, Ed.D., Sports
Plus Positive Learning Using
Sports, Developing Youth Sports
Programs that Teach Positive
Values, Project Adventure, 1997
Josephson Institute of Ethics,
Pursuing Victory with Honor, 2004
2005