Incivility pervades organized sports at every level – from pee-wee to pro. From parents in the stands to coaches on the sidelines, emotions run high and tempers flare. One need only tune in to social media to see the latest examples of bad behavior on and off the field. Focusing on civility in sports reminds parents, spectators, coaches, and athletes how to be good sports. Through seminars, panel discussions, and presentations, parents and coaches gained an understanding of how to prevent incidents; discovered why kids love then leave sports; and learned about the impacts of various levels of emotional intelligence on sports. In addition, the theme presented new opportunities to partner with sports organizations, resulting in tangible implementation ideas that reached a wider audience.

The Civility in Sports theme attracted sports-related organizations and resulted in a new component to the Choose Civility initiative: Choose Sportsmanship. Choose Sportsmanship features a Civility Statement (“We support respect for others, their roles and their knowledge and expertise. All coaches, athletes, parents and spectators are responsible for and expected to exemplify civility.”) that can be adopted as an introduction to existing codes of conduct. The theme was incorporated into the school system's Youth Empowerment Summit for selected students from every middle school; a poster contest presented in partnership with the school system, art center, and HCLS; and numerous seminars.

No matter where parents sign up children for sports, they see Choose Sportsmanship, which reinforces the message of civility. The Soccer Association of Columbia (SAC), the first organization to adopt Choose Sportsmanship, worked with HCLS to develop ways to implement the idea. SAC asks coaches to designate one parent per team as a sportsmanship representative. Each representative wears a green Choose Civility bracelet and is tasked with setting an example for players and spectators to behave in a sportsmanlike manner — and confronting spectators when they get rowdy. That parent’s presence will be reinforced by Choose Sportsmanship banners on SAC’s fields, the official statement on its website, and a sportsmanship weekend planned for the fall. As Choose Sportsmanship grows, the number of incidents will decline.