Picture a home game. The remaining seconds of the game tick down, players scrambling to score the match point. Woefully, the emanating ring of the buzzer is met with the opposing team’s victory. Maybe the defeated team and its supporters are met with silence. Sympathetic comments might be given to the players from the defeated team intermittently, cheers of congratulations swarming the opposing team in the background. Or, the audience might just be shifting awkwardly in their seats.

Whether the scene is seconds after match point was scored by a team, practice or brief interactions made with other schools, the notion of sports etiquette is constantly met with ambiguity. As there is no uniform etiquette across different sports, the variability of sports etiquette also adds another layer of complexity.

For the Nordic team, good sportsmanship is reflected through warming up with each other, greeting competitor schools, and cheering teammates on during races. Despite the solo nature of the sport, team members still cheer for each other and other skiers on during a race following their individual start times.

“It is always appreciated to cheer; you just can’t shout negative things like, ‘she’s behind you, she’s catching up, you’re too slow,’ but normal cheering is great,” ninth-grader Sophie Kannapiran said.

Comparably, fencing primarily focuses on individual competition through its three fencing sword, yet it is a sport where a lot of students can join in later grades and pick it up pretty quickly. Instances of good sportsmanship in fencing include demonstrating correct fencing techniques to others and supporting newcomers and returning fencers alike. “We’re all in this together,” captain Belle Weng said.

During day-long meets, teammates tend to filter in and out until their individual event takes place. Fencing in bouts against a single opponent is an instance in which proper sports etiquette is especially crucial; being respectful toward the referee’s calls and saluting both the referee and opponent before and after the bout by raising the blade upwards and tapping the opponent’s blade when bringing it downwards are examples of proper fencing etiquette that all fencers typically uphold.

“[To] maintain a healthy, less pressure-filled environment, we want to respect other schools and our teammates,” Weng said.

Ultimately, sportsmanship comes down to not only the game, but building respect and connection even after the final outcome.