By now I’m sure most of you have heard about or seen the video of the youth league coaches in a Texas town that brawled with each other on the field in front of players and fans. That is about the worst display of poor sportsmanship and despicable conduct I’ve seen this season.
My feelings about sportsmanship – are that everyone plays a role in sportsmanship. Players, coaches, officials, parents, commentators, fans, etc. I wish that every state made sportsmanship classes mandatory for everyone prior to participation in all sports at all levels. I understand about getting excited, about supporting your team, but sometimes some people cross the line in commenting about a player, a call, etc. I will be the first to admit that officials miss calls.
You and I know that officials strive to do their best every time they officiate any sporting event. What is perceived as a bad call doesn’t give anyone the right to be belligerent. Poor sportsmanship by anyone only promotes more poor sportsmanship. Poor sportsmanship sometimes is considered acceptable by players when they see this behavior from their coaches, other players or fans.
Many times one fan will call out a missed call, example ‘that’s holding’ then, like sharks that smell blood – other fans, parents, etc will chime in with the same comment when many times they never saw the same thing. Many times fans, parents, player, or coaches don’t know the rules at the level of the sport but will scream for a certain penalty. This happens so many times at high school or at youth recreation football games. Many of the rules that most fans see from NFL games never apply or are entirely different at the high school or youth level.
Good sportsmanship is very dear to me. Parents need to learn to leave what happens on the field – on the field. Even if you think a bad call was made, what is there to gain by accosting someone, official or other fan after a game? Think of how this looks in the eyes of a child at a youth recreation league game? In the years that I have officiated I have very rarely heard of a call that ‘cost a team’ a game. Yes I have heard of it happening – but extremely rarely. Typically what fans or coaches thinks is a bad call, will not ‘cost a team’ a game. Most of the time, but not always the team that loses is the team that complains the most about the officiating.
I just wish that people could maintain good sportsmanship and leave the game on the field. As stated before, I wish all states had mandatory sportsmanship classes for everyone – even for officials to attend each and every year for each and every sport.
Comments? Let me hear what you think about this topic! Thanks for tuning in to my blog…..until next time, here’s a five yard delay-of-game penalty for ya!
