In this episode, Jenny and Kristine sit down with colleague, educator, and basketball coach Steven Tolbert to uncover how sportsmanship is shaped long before players ever put on a jersey. Drawing from Steven’s years working in kindergarten and coaching athletes, they explore the deep connection between early learning and character on the court.

Key Themes

• Kindergarten as the Foundation for Sportsmanship
How sharing, taking turns, collaboration, and managing emotions in early childhood create habits that matter later in athletics.

• Executive Function: The Hidden Skill Behind Great Athletes
Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child describes executive function as the brain’s “air traffic control system.” Through structured play, children learn focus, flexibility, self-control, and emotional regulation—skills that help athletes face pressure, bounce back from mistakes, make quick decisions, and work as a team.

• The Power of Rituals and Routines
Developmental science shows that predictable family rituals (like game nights, pre-game routines, and consistent expectations) build resilience, confidence, and emotional well-being—qualities that create composed kids and grounded competitors.

• Integrity Both On and Off the Court
Steven shares what true sportsmanship looks like: respecting opponents, holding oneself accountable, celebrating others, and modeling positivity regardless of the outcome.

• Lessons for Parents, Teachers, and Coaches
Practical tools for reinforcing sportsmanship at home and in the classroom through play, conversation, and connection.

Why It Matters

Sportsmanship isn’t something that magically appears in adolescence—it’s built through everyday interactions, early rituals, supportive adults, and the social-emotional skills learned in kindergarten. Those early lessons echo for a lifetime.

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.”  We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences. 

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