Sportsmanship isn't the consolation prize.

I grew up playing in the Ronceverte Lions Club Youth League. Like most kids, I wanted to be the best and maybe go pro, and that drive made me work. I won my share of MVP trophies.

I also won the Sportsmanship trophy every year, in more than one sport, and I wanted no part of it. I thought it was the add-on award, the one they give you so you don't go home empty-handed. It took me years to understand what coaches and parents across different leagues were seeing: a kid who competed hard and still respected the game, the refs, the other team.

As an adult I see it the other way around. Sportsmanship is the foundation everything else is built on. The kid who learns it keeps it long after the jump shot is gone.

That's why iHOOP iNDEED offers the Sportsmanship Award to kids in every partnering league. We want kids striving for sportsmanship, not perfection.