Recently, I had the displeasure of being the target of some disrespectful and violating verbal abuse during a soccer contest, and while I will abstain from disclosing any specifics about the nature of the abuse, I will say that it spawned some major concerns.

What troubles me most is that in my experience, it seems that the progression of age (and supposed maturity) and subsequent higher levels of play leads to a regression in the exhibition of good character and values. The older we become, the more childish our antics on the field. Little League sportsmanship is crudely replaced with unsportsmanlike conduct. Where apology once sufficed for a breach of conduct, retaliation now reigns. Where once alien to sport, defamation and trash talk are as much a part of the game as physicality.

Game time. Opponent vs. opponent; rival vs. rival. A heated game between two evenly matched teams in skill and physicality. An unintentional illegal collision occurs. Fouler asserts, "You suck. You got nothin'." Advantage: goon.

All of us live our lives according to the character within us, whether we are conscious of it or not. Character is the direct result of our values personified, and thus the way we act is simply an extension of the way we think. To respect an opponent on the athletics field is to show a general respect for that opponent as a person; to undercut and malign that opponent is to show the opposite.

Now, being an athlete, I understand the competitive spirit and how it can overpower even the strongest of characters. But given my recent experience and observations, it appears as if the value of character and integrity in sport is being dictated by the extrinsic rewards of success.

But what truly defines success? Contemporary American society typically defines success in very cut-and-dried terms. If you are not the very best at your respective endeavor, you are not truly successful. Applied to athletics, the team that accumulates the stats, that dominates the field, that gets the hardware, is the team that achieves success.

I would contend, however, that our society's image of success is dangerously skewed. Too often the product is viewed without regard for the process. Success cannot just mean the accomplishment of a given objective. Rather, success must mean the accomplishment of that objective with commitment and integrity. Success, then, is not in the win, but in the process of getting there and getting there well. In the words of coaching legend John Wooden, "Success is the peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming." When integrity is compromised, true success is compromised.

At the risk of sounding too preachy, I want to make a confession: I understand fully that the issue of integrity and character extends far beyond the athletics arena and addresses the depravity of human nature, not just the conduct of student-athletes. Athletics simply are taking society and putting it in front of an audience, thus subjecting athletes to more criticism and scrutiny than the average person.

But the validity of this confession in no way diminishes the weight of my message. The value of sportsmanship, of personifying good character and of respecting opponents is in danger of being lost forever in the corrupt ideals of success that have infiltrated our society and our sports.

Can we not return to the purity of sport, devoid of antagonistic trash talk? Can we not strive to tear down societal definitions of success and redefine them in terms of integrity and sportsmanship? As athletes, we have a tremendous window of opportunity to effect positive change, not just in the world of sports, but in the world at large. It's time to swallow our pride and start acting our age.

Game time. Opponent vs. opponent; rival vs. rival. A heated game between two evenly matched teams in skill and physicality. An unintentional illegal collision occurs. Fouled player helped up by fouler. Apology offered. Advantage: everyone.

Bess Watson is a women's soccer student-athlete at Gordon College.