Sportsmanship at the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Assocation's state field hockey championships over the past three weeks has been first class on and off the field.

Along the way teams have won by the slimmest of margins — take Severna Park's 4-3 strokes victory over South River in the 4A East Regional final. While others have been blown away. Some teams played in good weather, others in the worst, with heavy rain, cold and swirling winds.

But in all cases fans and players took the weather, the refs' calls and the outcome of games with grace.

Paint Branch lost to Westminster, 4-0, in the state semifinals, and its fans earned the MPSSAA sportsmanship award for the tournament.

But my on own personal sportsmanship nod goes to the young boy who was hanging over the grandstand railing Saturday after his previously undefeated Westminster Owls had lost in the 4A title game.

Most of the young women who had seen their undefeated dream ended by Severna Park, 2-1, at Washington College were in tears as they crossed the playing field to cheers from fans for both teams. As they stood waiting to receive their second-place tournament awards, this young boy shouted:

"No matter what," he yelled, "you'll always be good."

It was so purely from the heart it had to bring a smile. And one of the nicest things about it is that it could have been directed at any of this year's tournament teams in appreciation of jobs well done.

Sandra McKee