Sammy says, “Everyone WINS, when you PLAY FAIR!”
Whether you play soccer or any sport, how you attempt to win is important!
Sammy says, “cheating is unacceptable.”
Not only is cheating a cheap and wrong way to try and win, it directly effects how you feel about yourself. Even if you don’t get caught, down deep inside, you know that you don’t deserve the reward, prize or success when you get it in the wrong way. Cheating also sets a poor example for those around you, and is unfair and disrespectful to those that are honest. But one of the saddest outcomes of dishonesty is that in the long road, you really only cheat yourself. Taking a dishonest shortcut will catch up with you eventually and can even take you completely out of the game, and could remove you from the “right path” in life.
Sammy says, “it takes a habit of doing right to build a good reputation, but only one falsehood to ruin it.”
In contrast, when you “play fair,” you feel better about yourself, and also set a good example for others. When you play by the rules your performance is honest and your achievement is genuine. Sammy says, “a job worth doing is worth doing right”! Even when school or life is difficult, or when things seem unfair, it is still worth being honest and fair, because working honestly develops good character, and teaches good work ethics. “Practice makes perfect” is not just a saying, but really does work to develop good habits that will pay dividends in the long run and help to make you successful in life.
Sammy’s Favorite Teams
One of Sammy’s favorite soccer teams is the Seahorses. The year the Seahorses finished second in the old Pacific Soccer League’s Premier Division and in the League Cup to rock n roll’s Rod Stewart’s team, they not only won a lot of games, they also won the league’s “Fair Play” award. During the entire league season, they never received a single yellow or red card. The Seahorses set a great example for all their opponents and fans and most certainly felt good about their achievements!
But Sammy’s all-time favorite team is the Cascade Surge. Sammy was the team’s mascot for over ten years. In 2005 the Surge had their best season – winning the NW Division of the PDL. They also were honored with the season Fair Play award over more than sixty other PDL teams!
Spanish National Team
While you may not know them by their official name Selección de fútbol de España or their nickname La Roja (“The Red”). If you know soccer then you know that Spain has had unprecedented success on the world soccer stage – winning back to back European championships and the coveted World Cup Championship.
Sammy takes’ his “hat off’ to the Spanish team, not only for winning but winning with “flare and style.’ And the Spanish team dispelled the notion that you can’t win and be good sports, as they also won FIFA’s Fair Play Trophy.