THE SPORTSMANSHIP RESOURCE CENTER
Bad Acts Sportsmanship Rules and Regulations - Alphabetical By State Sports Parent Issues Character Development Cyber Bullying Discrimination - Social Equity Governmental Legislation Hazing Running up The Score Special Reports Spectator Restrictions Spectator Education & Conduct Codes Post-Game Handshakes Other Restrictions Comprehensive Sportsmanship Programs Links to Organizations That Promote Sportsmanship and Values Collins's Sportsmanship Articles Other Sportsmanship Articles Books on Sportsmanship Videos on Sportsmanship:
The Bad Acts pages list specific acts of unsportsmanlike conduct. Due to the extensive number of these incidents, these acts are listed on the current bad acts page and in the bad acts archives.
Good Acts
September, 2008 - Colorado Cheer Coach Wins NFHS Spirit of Sport Award. Tammy Dufford, cheerleading coach at Evergreen (Colorado) High School, and her freshman cheerleader, Megan Bomgaars, are the 2008 national recipients of the NFHS "National High School Spirit of Sport Award." Bomgaars, who has Downs Syndrome, joined the Evergreen Cheer team. Her mother was grateful, and told Coach Dufford that she'd understand if Bomgaars wasn't used in competition. Coach Dufford said nonsense, we're a team (not an exact quote). The Coach worked with Bomgaars, and the team placed third at the Jefferson County league meet and won the small varsity division in regional competition. This is an excellent example that sports can help people maximize their abilities - even if they are developmentally challenged. It also shows us the meaning of character, and that a coach can instill team values under any circumstances. See Colorado Cheer Coach Puts Individual Ahead of Team Championship.
August 2008, Football Players from Lowell High School, in Lowell, Michigan, Use Football As A Community Service Tool To Fight Breast Cancer. The Lowell Red Arrows donned pink jerseys and became the Lowell Pink Arrows in their September 12, 2008 home game, with all game proceeds donated to breast cancer charities. See Lowell Football Team Thinks Pink For Cancer by Jane Bos, Grand Rapids Press, August 12, 2008; for video see Lowell Red Arrows Turn Pink, WZZM 13 in Michigan, August 28, 2008
May, 2008 Sportsmanship Like No Other (opponents carry injured player around bases in college game) ABC News, May 1, 2008, and Central Washington Offers The Ultimate Act of Sportsmanship, ABC News, May 2, 2008.
February 2008 - The Edwardsville High School (Illinois) Wrestling Team: Edwardsville advanced to the Illinois State Wrestling Tournament, defeating Granite City High School. Edwardsville coach Jon Wagner realized a scoring error had been made and self-reported. The Illinois High School Association initially upheld the result because it was too late to change the result. Edwardsville insisted, and the IHSA ultimately reversed the result. Edwardsville won by losing. Click here for this and other acts of sportsmanship
October 29, 2006 - Framingham Women's Soccer: The Framingham State College women's soccer team were awarded a goal, but realized that the shot actually went through the side netting instead of the front of the goal. The team informed the officials, but a call's a call and the officials let the goal stand. So Framingham took matters into their own hand by allowing their opponent, Bridgewater State, to score to even up the game. Yes, it cost them. Framingham eventually lost the game. However, they did the right thing. Click here for Framingham State Women's Soccer Team Receives NCAA Sportsmanship Award., a Sept. 25, 2007 press release from the Framingham State Athletic Office.
Upswing in Rise of Coach/Player Inappropriate Relationships Is Clear. Do Coaches Need Psycho-Social Training? Chris Stankovich, an Ohio Psychologist says, "Let's Start Now." See Psychologist: Coaches Lack Ample Training by Jim Halley and Jeff Zillgit, USA Today, August 22, 2008. Also, see Counselor Lobbies For Coaches To Get More Training by Aaron Blankenship, Upper Arlington (Ohio) This Week, October 1, 2008 (detailing Stankovich's on-going efforts). Is Stankovich correct? Well, in the last month or so we've seen an Idaho volunteer volleyball counselor accused of having sex with a student, a lacrosse coach convicted of assault for "goosing" one of his players, an AAU coach indicted on 13 counts of sex with an underage member of his girls' basketball team, and an Indiana PE teacher (granted she isn't a coach) enjoying a nude sauna while on a field trip with underage students.
Sportsmanship Education In Schools: Click Here for Massacusetts Rep. Patricia Haddad's Proposal to Introduce Sportsmanship and Character Education In Schools. Also, the Arizona Sports Tax Credit Bill Provides Tax Credits For Donations To School Based Character Education Programs. Click Here To See The Arizona Statute.
University of Idaho Professor Sharon Stoll's landmark studies have shown that athletes score worse on tests of moral reasoning than the general population. This Section provides links to organizations that are dedicated to moral reasoning, and ethics instruction in athletes.
Character Combine Character Counts Sports Institute for International Sport Sports Ethics Institute STAR Sportsmanship program University of Idaho Center For Ethics Winning With Character
You can find out more about these organizations, as well as organizations for coaches, parents, and administrators in the Section of this page entitled Links to Organizations That Promote Sportsmanship and Values.
SPORTSMANSHIP RULES AND REGULATIONS - Alphabetical By State
Alabama
2006 - The Alabama High School Athletic Association implements the STAR Sportsmanship program. Click here for AHSAA's 11/21/06 posting, STAR program Helps Reduce Ejections. Alabama had 350 ejections in football in 2005 and only 205 in 2006 after implementing the STAR program and taking other sportsmanship actions.
2006 -Alabama has taken strong sportsmanship steps in the last few years. In 2006, Alabama passed its new coaches and conduct player rule, fining schools where coaches and players are ejected. The more ejections a school has the steeper the fine gets: 1st ejection - $300, 2d ejection - one game suspension plus $500 fine, and third ejection - suspension for year plust $750 fine. Click here for more.
Canada
2007 - Manitoba Soccer League Says, "If You Curse, You're Gone!" See Manitoba Soccer To Enforce Foul-Mouth Policy, Slam Sports, August 1, 2007.
Connecticut
50 Point Rule In Football - 2006. Under this rule, a coach of a high school football team gets a one game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct if his team wins by more than 50 points. Click here for opinions on this rule from: Arizona Republic, May 31, 2006 by Ben Stapley; Hartford Courant, May 27, 2006 by Jeff Jacobs; Lower Hudson Journal News, May 25, 2006; New Jersey Star Ledger, Jersey Coaches Not Buying into Connecticut's New 50 Point Suspension Rule, May 25, 2006 by Mike Helfgot. Click here for more on the 50 point rule.
Hawaii
OIA Muzzles Swearing By Players and Coaches, Honolulu Star Bulletin, August 7, 1996.
Massachusetts
Click Here for the MIAA's Spectator Expectations
Michigan
Michigan Kids Want The Right Things! Click Here For MHSAA's Student Advisory Council's Belief Statement About School Sports. December 12, 2007. For related story, see Who's The Bos by Jane Bos, The Grand Rapids Press, December 12, 2007.
Mississippi
Mississippi increases its focus on sportsmanship: 15 Counties to adopt STAR Sportsmanship Program in 2007. Click here for press release.
North Carolina
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association's Ejection Policy Requires Ejected Players and Coaches To Take The On-Line STAR Sportsmanship Program Before Returning To Action. See Ejected Players Must Take Sportsmanship Course by Tim Stevens, Raleigh News & Observer, December 3, 2008.
Cumberland County Schools' Use New Fine Policy As Sportsmanship Incentive.
High school students who fight or enter field of play during a fight to face monetary fines of up to $1,000. See Cumberland High School Athletes Face New Rules by Gilbert Baez, ABC 11 - WTVD North Carolina, August 10, 2007.
North Carolina's High School Athletic Association, Coaches Association, and Athletic Directors Association Encourage Sportsmanship By Selecting An Exemplary School - criteria includes having no ejections, condition of facilities, and the general atmosphere at athletic events. See Exemplary School To Be Picked, Raleigh News and Observer, September 6, 2006 by Tim Stevens.
Ohio
Athlete-Fan Fight Rule - Under this rule, if an athlete leaves the playing area and has a verbal or physical altercation with a spectator, the athlete is suspended for the rest of the school year. Additionally, the athlete's school is placed on probation until it has conducted an investigation and reported the cause of the incident to the Ohio State Athletic Association, and what steps the school will take to ensure that the incident does not repeat.
Pennsylvania
2006 - The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association implemented the STAR Sportsmanship program in conjunction with the State of Pennsylvania. Click here for the Governor's press release announcing program implementation.
2006 - Philadelphia School District - Employs 450 full-time and 250 part-time officers, carrying a security budget of $35 million. Donald Albertson, author of Catch A Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports, and Bruce Svare, author of Crisis on Our Playing Fields: What Everyone Should Know About Our Out of Control Sports Culture and What We Can Do to Change It, advocate the Philadelphia approach, saying schools need to: Be a good example; Focus on security; and Respond quickly and severely to those who break the rules. See Fighting To Win: School Basketball Takes It To Another Level, Rob Parent, Jeff McLane, and Rick O'Brien, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 21, 2006.
Tennessee
Maryville Board of Ed Bans Fans From Carrying The Confederate Flag: The Maryville Board of Ed. didn't want to violate the First Amendment so they couched this as a safety issue - The Maryville Board of Ed banned sharp pointed objects, including the flag. Is it unsportsmanlike for fans to fly the Confederate Flag? Well, it does carry negative racial symbolism, which would seem inappropriate and unsportsmanlike at an athletic contest. Click on the following links on Confederate Flag Banning: National School Boards Association Article on Flag Banning Confederate Flag Advocates Chime In Click here for regional news coverage
Utah
In 2007, the Utah High School Activities Association placed the entire sports of boys' soccer on probation - a warning that more harsh penalties could come if players, coaches, and fans don't comport themselves better. See Boys' Soccer Teams On Probation, ksl.com, June 20, 2007; Penalty Kick by Michael Popke, Athletic Business, October 2007; Soccer Teams Get Probation by Amy Donaldson, Deseret Morning News, June 19, 2007. For original publication click here; and Sportsmanship, Not Steroids, Called Nation's Top High School Issue by Jake Trotter, morriscountyvarsity.net, July 13, 2007. The UHSA has taken quite a stand here. They monitored an increase in player ejections during the soccer season, observed spectator and player misconduct at their championship game, and even had a referee attacked in their championship game.
Virginia
Chesapeake Schools Put Good Sports Into Sports by Cindy Clayton, Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot, August 30, 2006. The 6 schools in a South Hampton Roads, VA. league enact a nine point sportsmanship program, including sportsmanship evaluation by administrators, student pledges, and parent education.
West Virginia
MSAC Gets Tough On Bad Sports, By Rick Ryan, Charleston Gazette August 17, 2005.
Mountain State Athletic Conference's Sportsmanship Policy, May 18, 2005 (a comprehensive policy covering hand shaking, trash talking, fighting, abusing game implements and throwing objects, and placing team penalties on schools that have multiple unsportsmanlike incidents in a single season - the policy also places enforcement burdens on officials with possible sanctions for non-enforcement).
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Moves To Ban Bare-Chested Fans. See Prep Talk: Stock In Chest Paint Could Plunge If This Rule Gains by Rob Hernandez, Wisconsin State Journal, June 5, 2008; Associated Press Story by Robert Imrie, published in Green Bay Gazette.com as Update: WIAA Wants You To Keep Shirt On At Prep Games, June 5, 2008 and in San Francisco Chronicle, June 6, 2008 page C6 as Wisconsin Might Not Bare It, and Miller: Banning Bare or Painted Chest A Bad Idea, Waussau Daily Herald, June 6, 2008.
Wyoming, Ohio - June 9, 2008 - Wyoming, Ex-Coach Settle by Tom Groechen, Cincinnati Enquirer. Pressure from a parent led Wyoming High School to fire Deb Gentile, a very successful girls' basketball coach. She sued the school district, won, and the school district is now liable for $398,831.04 (don't ask me why the figure is so precise- I have no idea). Interestingly enough, Gentile won an age-discrimination suit but she's only 53 years old. It is extremely unlikely that the jury really thought she was fired for age. This reads like a case where a jury decided that the school was just wrong and found a way to make the school suffer. Sometimes sports parents can get a school into a world of trouble.
Detroit, MI - Feb. 16, 2008 - Detroit Renaissance Parents Go Too Far In Trying To Get Coach Fired In Playing Time Dispute. See There's a Truce at Renaissance by Terry Foster, The Detroit News, February 19, 2008. For an excellent discussion of how playing time issues should be handled see Coach vs. Parents, Terry Foster's SportsInferno.com Blog, February 19, 2008. To see the general perception of pushy parents in these types of matters, see Players' Revolt is so Revolting by Mick McCabe, The Detroit Free Press, February 22, 2008.
Madison, WI - Jan. 22, 2008 - Wisconsin Sheriff Goes Too Far To Try To Help Son's Team - Gets Fired For Using His Sheriff Position To Try To Get Opposing Player Suspended. See Wis. Sheriff's Lt. Fired For Leaking Investigation of Football Team That Faced His Son's Team, Stevens Point Journal; See Details Behind Haney Firing Revealed by Matthew DeFour, Wisconsin State Journal, Jan. 16, 2008.
Fall, 2007 - Sports Parents Take Note: You're Embarrassing Your Child: University of Minnesota Ph.D. candidate Jens Omli's study of adult behavior at sports contests finds that kids don't want their parents yelling negative comments, and even positive comments can be embarrassing. Basically, kids want parents to shut up, cheer for good plays, and then shut up again. See A Sporting Chance by J. Trout Lowen, Connect Magazine (a publication of the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development), Fall 2007 (reporting on Omli's research). Even the best sports parents can unintentionally embarrass their child. Recently, a high school basketball player whose parent is not particularly loud was asked whether the parent heard in the gym was her parent. She replied, "Unfortunately, yes." See High School State Championships: Irish Wins a Title, Rogers Wins Hearts by Gwen Knapp, San Francisco Chronicle, March 16, 2008 page D1.
Parents: The Sportsmanship X Factor by Michael Sudhalter and Roger Phillips, Stockton Record - Recordnet.com, August 11, 2007.
Parents vs. Coach: Battle Goes Wild by C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle, October 22, 2006 page A-1 (parents to coach: play my kid or I'll make your life a living hell).
Spinola Resigns As Matadors Coach by Robert Jordan, Contra Costa Times, September 29, 2006. Parent complaints force successful basketball coach to resign at Miramonte High School in California. Just 3 years earlier, parent complaints over playing time forced out Spinola's predecessor, Tom Blackwood. Blackwood had coached for 39 years and won 653 games. So what's the deal here? Well, this is a wealthy community with involved, demanding parents who spend lots of money and want to see their kids play. To read about Blackwood's ouster, see Can Parents Be Too Involved? Pressure Driving Out High School Coaches in Wealthy Lamorinda by Mark Fainaru-Wada, Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, July 13, 2003 page B-1.
Parents Physically Attack Coaches, Too - As Stakes Rise, More Parents Are Directing Rage at Coaches by Bill Pennington, New York Times, June 28, 2005
Going For the Pros: Being A Good Sports Parent by Jane Weaver, MSNBC Health Editor, MSNBC On-Line April 14, 2004.
Parents "sideline rage" Hurts Youth Sport, CBC Sports (Toronto), June 2, 2001.
Out of Control by William Nack and Lester Munson, Sports Illustrated, July 24, 2000 page 86 (are today's parents out of control - read this article).
Sports Parenting Books
Parenting Young Athletes the Ripken Way (Gotham Press 2006). Click here for Amazon.com review.
Click here for an excerpt from Rick Wolff's The Sports Parenting Edge: The Winning Edge: The Winning Game Plan for Every Athlete-from T-Ball to College Recruiting, Pond Lake Productions 2003.
Click here for an excerpt from George Selleck's Raising A Good Sport In an In-Your-Face World, McGraw-Hill 2002.
It's Just a Game: Youth Sports and Self Esteem (A Guide for Parents) by Dr. Darrell J. Burnett (Author's Choice Press 2001). Click here for Amazon.com review. Click here for article in Ventura County Star: Burnett Encourages Kids To Play Sports, Focus On Positive Skills, Ventura County Star, May 2, 2006 by Rich Romine.
Just Let The Kids Play: How To Stop Other Adults From Ruining Your Child's Fun and Success In Youth Sports by Bob Bigelow, Tom Moroney and Linda Hall (HCI Press 2001).
Raising Winners: A Parent's Guide To Helping Kids Succeed On and Off The Playing Field by Dr. Shari Young Kuchenbecker (Three Rivers Press 2000). Dr. Kuchenbecker's book is an excellent resource for a sports parent. Click here for Amazon.com review.
Sports Parenting Videos
Click Here For What Kids Wish Their Parents Knew About Sportsmanship - From The MHSAA website (note - this video has been licensed to high school state associations throughout the country; contact your state's sports governing body and you can probably get a copy to use at your school).
September - 2008 - Media Blogs Create Concerns About High-Tech Bullying by Bill Boyle, NFHS High School Today, September, 2008, page 18.
April 8, 2008 - Cheerleader Targeted For Cyber-Beating - 8 Kids Film Beating, Plan To Post It To MySpace and You Tube. See Mulberry Cheerleader Recovering From Beating by Jeremy Maready, Polk County Ledger (Florida), April 8, 2008. For Video of beating and court appearances, plus reactions see, Beaten Teen's Mom Says Video Was Hard To Watch, by Amy L. Edwards, Susan Jacobsen, and Walter Pacheco, Orlando Sentinel, April 9, 2008. For more, see silobreaker.com's coverage with links to numerous articles and video. This is another example of a sports person suffering from a real-world problem. Beatings recorded on video is an increasingly commonplace problem. A Baltimore schoolteacher was beaten during the very same week as the cheerleader's beating. The beating wasn't delivered for the express purpose of videotaping it, but once under way the student-witness's primary motive was recording the beating - not stopping it. See Teacher Attack Recorded by Cell Phone, WMAR ABC 2 News, April 10, 2008.
Jan. 22, 2008 - Now You Can Track Your Athletes' On-Line Misconduct! But should you? See Extra Eyes For Athletics Staff, Inside Higher Ed.com, Jan. 22, 2008. YouDiligence (a product of mvp sports media training) can run keyword searches on your athletes' Facebook and MySpace pages. You can catch threats, taunting, etc... Should you use it? Well, just remember that you can't be negligent if you don't have a duty to do something and schools and youth programs have no obligation to track their athletes on-line. You can, however, be negligent if you assume a duty and then botch it up. So, if you do this and you blow it you could create a legal problem that didn't exist before. On the other hand ... you may feel a moral obligation to track your athletes.
Sept., 2007 - On-Line Taunting Takes Us Into a Faceless New World by Nate Dougherty, Athletic Management Magazine. This problem does not start in the athletic world, but like many bad trends it has spilled over. To see the non-athletic impact, see Online Schoolyard Can Be A Pretty Scary Place, Burlington Union, April 3, 2007; and Web Sites Add Fuel To Fights by Anica Butler, Baltimore Sun, November 22, 2006.
Boston, MA Aug. 31, 2006 - Teams Take Aim At Online Taunting by Lisa Kocian, Boston Globe, August 31, 2006.
Chattanooga, TN. January 19, 2007 - Ooltewah High Coach Suspended After Alleged Racial Remark, The Chattanoogan.com (the coach later admits to using the "N" word to describe the opposing team and is fired). For more, see Ooltewah Basketball Team Captain Supports Coach Baker, by Abena Williams, WDEF News 12 January 21, 2007. The team captain says if a black coach used the "N" word, "Nobody would be going to the school board." Is the captain right? This seems like the topic for a broader discussion. One may wish to refer to Harvard Law Professor Randall Kennedy's book, Nigger: The Strange Career of A Troublesome Word. Click here for more information on this book. Click here for WRCB TV's coverage on the coach's termination.
Chicago, IL. July 17, 2006 - One-Eyed Ref Sues Big Ten Over Termination (CBS 2 website - story from Chicago Sun-Times Newsgroup Wire). For More, See UM Coach Carr Responds To Blind Ref Lawsuit (Sports Law Blog Aug. 2, 2006).
Pennsylvania, May 11, 2006 - Former player Jennifer Harris sues Penn State Coach Rene Portland sued for sexual discrimination. See Harris Stands Tall In Painful Battle, USA Today, May 11, 2006 page 3C by Jill Lieber. Click Here for NCLR coverage. Read the federal complaint in Harris v. Portland. Click here to see Portland fighting back! Penn State Coach Accuses Group of Trying To Exploit Bias Case, USA Today, May 18, 2006. For more see: Portland Vigorously Defends Her Integrity and Penn State Program, USA Today, May 11, 2006 page3C by Jill Lieber; Others Make Allegations, USA Today, May 11, 2006 page3C by Jill Lieber; and Penn State Coach In The Line of Fire, October 25, 2005 Press Release from NCLR. (A strange note to this case - Coach Portland allegedly harrased Harris for being gay, but Harris has always stated that she is a straight woman who simply doesn't carry herself in a feminine manner). The case is over! See Ex-Penn State player, Portland Settle Discrimination Complaint, espn.com, February. 5, 2007. See also, Penn State Settlement Leaves Unsettling Feeling by Mechelle Voepel, Special to espn.com, February 6, 2007. Finally, Portland does us all a favor: she resigns. See Portland Resigns As Women's Coach at Penn State by Dick Patrick, USA Today, March 22, 2007
Chicago, Illinois - April, 2006 - Suburban Black School Districts Accuse White Schools of Racism in Illinois High School Re-leaguing Controversy. See Federal Lawsuit Cites 'White Flight', Comcastsports.net April 11, 2006. Listen Here: Racial Concerns Over Suburban Athletic Realignment, WBEQ Feb. 28, 2005, reported by Jay Fields. To hear NPR Report Click Here - High School Sports and Race In Chicago, NPR March 28, 2005, reported by Jay Fields.
California Bill Sidelines Convicted Athletes. Click here for the bill's text. Click here for the Assembly's bill analysis. Click here for Governor Schwarzenegger's Bill Signing Video. Click here for USA Today Story: Calif. Bill Targets Felons In Athletics, USA Today, September 6, 2006 Page 3C by Jack Carey. Click here for LA Times's story on Bill's impact: Two-Year Schools Run Into Troubles, Los Angeles Times August 24, 2006. For the opposing viewpoint, see Community Colleges: Director Calls Foul on Bill Proposal, Sacramento Bee, September 1, 2006 Page C2 by Quwan Spears.
Legislative Protection For Sports Officials - Some states have passed legislation specifically criminalizing batteries committed against sports officials. Click here for National Association of Sports Officials' Special Report on Legislative Protection For Sports Officials. Click here for link to article about batteries against sports officials and how laws can help.
The following organization provides excellent information on hazing:
For a rather detailed report on hazing, see the Palo Alto Viking report from December 2007: See Hazing: A Look Inside The Dark Side of Paly Sports, by Peter Johnson, The Viking (a Palo Alto High School Student Publication) page 16 (also published in the Paly Voice) . This article garnered national attention and generated these Palo Alto High School follow ups: Drawing The Line: When Fun Stops and Hazing Begins by Viking Staff in the Paly Voice, December 3, 2007; Principal McEvoy Releases Administration Response To Hazing by Paly Voice Web Staff and Connie Yang, December 10, 2007; Campus Reacts To Hazing Story by Courtney Hancock, Paly Voice, December 10, 2007; and Hazing Special (podcast) by Emily Merrit and Courtney Hancock, Paly Voice, December 20, 2007. Click here for podcast only.
Click here for the Running Up The Scores Page
No Spectators At All - Empty Gym - This means exactly what it says. The game is played in front of no fans. This usually happens when the fans are out of control. Usually, the community reacts poorly when this occurs and many schools will create an exemption for family members or people accompanied by family members. An example of the exemption for immediate family members occurred in Florida where community pressure led a school to change from an empty gym to a ban on all but immediate family members. See Palatka Softens Ban On Basketball Spectators by Justin Barney, St. Augustine Record, January 16, 2008. Also, see No Arrests Expected in Football Game Fight, NBC 4, Frederick, MD, September 9, 2008. Spectator brawls at a high school contest between Frederick and Tuscarora high schools leads to game being played in an empty stadium.
The Chaperone Policy: Under this plan, no student could attend a contest unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. This plan clearly intends to limit student disciplinary problems. It is not so much a plan designed to teach or promote sportsmanship as it is is a plan to quash the problems created by unruly, poorly supervised youth. The plan was not well received when enacted at Rich South High School in Rich Township, Illinois as it was perceived as punishing innocent parties and restricting student access to extracurricular activities. Click here for Rich South High School's decision to back away from this plan.
Silent Sidelines: Many national youth programs use silent sidelines days. On a silent sidelines day, spectators can come to the game, and they can applaud, but they can't make comments to players, coaches or referees. The Connecticut Junior Soccer Association uses this concept. They have silent sidelines weekends. Andrea Duffy, the CJSA President, has been quoted as saying, "The object of the weekends are to provide each player with one weekend free from all the distractions caused by parents or coaches screaming or yelling directions at them."
SPECTATOR EDUCATION & CONDUCT CODES
Spectator Conduct Codes: An excellent idea: Tell the parents and spectators what you expect from them in advance. You can do this in a pre-season parents' meeting, and you can supplement it by handing out conduct cards at the game sites. Click here for a sample spectator conduct code from the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation.
Spectator Education: Click here for information on Sioux Falls's spectator education efforts. Crossing The Line: Administrators Struggle To Keep Cheers From Turning Personal, Sioux Falls Argus, Feb. 22, 2004 by Brenda Wade Schmidt.
Spectator Education: Click here for the Wake County, North Carolina Public School System's Sportsmanship Education Brochure
Florence, SC - August 28, 2008 - This Post-Game Incident Happened Right After The Game Before The Teams Could Reach The Handshake Line. Bench Clearing Brawl, Multiple Arrests, Helmet Swinging Mar Season Opener for South Carolina's Defending Football State Champs. See Brawl Mars Lake City's Upset Win Over Wilson by Kevin Smetana, South Carolina Now, August 29, 2008. The end of the game is an inherently dangerous time as the threat of in-game penalties no longer exists to deter angry players, coaches and spectators. Here, the attack occurred right after the final whistle before the teams could get into a post-game line. The normal remedies people take to prevent post-game handshake violence would not have worked here as these players simply waited for the final whistle and then went at it.
Parma, N.Y., June 30, 2008 - Post-Game Handshake Attack Kills Adult Softball Player. See Hilton Man Dies After Assault At Parma Softball Game by Claudia Vargas, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. For more on this story see Hilton Ballplayer Dies After Punch To Head In Parma Softball Game by John Boccacino and Claudia Vargas, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, July 1, 2008 and Upstate Man Dies After Softball Game Altercation, WNBC TV New York, N.Y, July 1, 2008, and Police: NY Man Dies After Assault At Softball Game by Ben Dobbin, Associated Press Wire Service in San Francisco Chronicle, July 1, 2008, and Athlete Accused of Fatally Punching man Spent Time in Prison Washington Post, July 2, 2008 page E02. version. This game was marred by trash talk. Sadly that trash talk spilled over into a post-game handshake line attack. Worse, Sean Sanders, the man accused of delivering the fatal blow, punched the victim, Daniel Andrews, in the back of the head. A lot of bad elements combined here. First, trash talk is something that athletic administrators constantly work to quash. Often athletes say it's harmless fun. It's not. Trash talk often leads to retaliation, and sometimes that retaliation is physical. Second, post-game handshakes may be an excellent and traditional display of sportsmanship, but they also offer angry people a free cheap shot at opponents. There are a lot of post-game handshake line incidents. In heated games, post-game handshake lines need to be monitored closely. There's no harm in suspending a post-game handshake where conditions warrant - although if one looks at the post-game handshake line incidents on the sportsmanship page of this site one will see that any sports administrator who tries to eliminate post-game handshakes - even temporarily - will come under an immediate media assault (remember, the local press isn't responsible for actually running the games and they have no idea of some of the problems that may occur in someone's leagues - in other words, they're uninformed). Third, blows to the back of the head are cowardly and they're also extremely dangerous.
Long Island, N.Y. - March 31, 2008 - Post-game handshake problems in New York where a Hofstra University assistant football coach playing in a touch football Rec League punched an opponent in a post-game handshake line after a game. See Hofstra Asst. Football Coach Arrested In Touch- Football Assault by Bill Mason, New York Newsday.
Layton, UT - March 15, 2008 - Post-Game Handshake Problems Mar Utah Baseball Game. See High School Baseball: Fight Mars Pirates' Comeback Over Lancers by Michael Black, Deseret Morning News.
November 2, 2007 - Razor Blade Attack After High School Football Game, WUSA9.com, Rockville, MD, Nov. 3, 2007. Also See The Cruelest Cut, by Sarah Barr, Montgomery County Sentinel, Nov. 2, 2007, and Handshake Incident Stuns Colonels by Alan Goldenbach, Washington Post, November 7, 2007 page E10.
Tampa, FL - October 4, 2007 - High School Football Game Ends, Brawl Begins by Beth Gaddis, Tampa Bay Online.com. Six players engage in post-game handshake line brawl during the Alonso and Jefferson High School Junior Varsity football game.
Sioux City, Iowa, January 17, 2007 - Wrestler's Parents Press Charges Against East High Coach, KTIV News Channel 4. Students, parents, coaches involved in post-wrestling match handshake line dust up. Another bad post-game handshake - this one involved a hard hand slap, a retaliatory shove, a coach allegedly pushing a student in the face, and a parent dashing out of the stands because of the post-game handshake dust-up.
Hudson Valley, N.Y., November 2, 2006 - Cops Arrest Girl After Post-Game Attack by Justin Rodriguez, Times Herald-Record (girls' teeth knocked out in unprovoked post-game handshake attack after girls' soccer match - Jasmine Crespi, the puncher, was arrested), Nov. 2, 2006. For follow up, see Girl Heads To Trial For Felony Charges In Post-Soccer Game Punch by Justin Rodriguez and Oliver Mackson, Times Herald-Record, March 31, 2007. The charges were later reduced to a misdemeanor. See Judge: No Felony for Soccer Punch, The Cornwall Local, August 31, 2007. For a coach's view, see Coach's Playbook: Violence In Sport by Gus Alfieri, December 14, 2007, Long Island Ultimate Athlete Magazine (liultimateathlete.com).
Hampton Roads, Va. October 22, 2006 - Oscar Smith Still Reigns Over Deep Creek by Jami Frankenberry, Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot, October 22, 2006 (at the conclusion of this game, Oscar Smith High did not go to mid-field to shake hands. Oscar Smith's coach stated he wished to avoid any potential problems resulting from vandalism to Oscar Smith High's new $10,000 victory bell). Hampton area schools enact a sportsmanship education program in 2006 to prevent further incidents of this nature. See Chesapeake Schools Put Good Sports Into Sports by Cindy Clayton, Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot, August 30, 2006. Click here for a local sportswriter's reaction to this incident.
Terre Haute, IN. August 26, 2006 - Post-Game Confrontation Mars West Vigo-Paris Contest, Terre Haute Tribune Star, August 26, 2006 by Todd Golden (coaches involved in post-game fight).
July 21, 2006 - Post-Game Handshake Lines Should Be Banned If Fights Keep Breaking Out In Them: True/False, Rise Magazine On-Line: The Truth Section, July 21, 2006. Click here for the Sports Illustrated On-Line Reprint.
New York, N.Y., May 21, 2006 - 43 Year Old Softball Coach Allegedly Taunts 11 Year Old From Other Team and Then Gives Her a Hard Slap in Post-game Handshake Line. (New York Newsday, May 21, 2006 by Susana Enriquez).
Cincinnati, Ohio, May 5, 2006 - Post-Game Handshake Turns Into Fight Between Teams and Parents In Fifth Grade Girls Basketball Game. (Channel 5 News Cincinnati).
Port St. Lucie, Fl., April 5, 2006 - Top Florida High School Star Beaten and Injured In Post-Game Fracas. (South Florida Sun - Sentinel, April 5 & 6, by Shandel Richardson) (note: Richardson is one of the few media people who does not think that administrators are out of line when they temporarily bar post-game handshakes or institute pregame handshakes).
Roanoke, VA. 2005 - Too Many Fights Lead 5 Principals In Eastern Virginia To Ban Post-Game Handshakes. See Media Reaction Here - Postgame Handshake: A Tradition To Keep, Roanoke Times Editorial November 14, 2005. (Roanoke did produce a postgame handshake feel-good story in 2006: See McElwees Vow To Settle Matters On Court, By Robert Anderson, Roanoke Times, January 26, 2006, writing about the postgame handshake where a dad coached against his daughter's high school team).
Charleston, WV 2005 - MSAC Gets Tough On Bad Sports, By Rick Ryan, Charleston Gazette August 17, 2005.
Mountain State Athletic Conference's Sportsmanship Policy, May 18, 2005 (a comprehensive policy that covers post-game hand shaking; also covers trash talking, fighting, abusing game implements and throwing objects, and placing team penalties on schools that have multiple unsportsmanlike incidents in a single season).
Westchester, NY, January 5, 2005 - Shake It! Win or Lose, Athletes Shake On It by Srikanth Reddy, Westchester JournalNew.com, Jan. 5, 2005.
Illinois, April 21, 2004 - Illinois High School Association Sportsmanship Advisory Committee Recommends Pre-Game Handshake - not to replace the post-game handshake ... of course. It's just that, "emotions between competitors tend to run high after the game..." Click here for more.
Honolulu, HA. 1997 - Pregame Handshakes Instituted in Hawaii After Huge Postgame Spectator Brawl - Columnist Objects: See Pat Bigold in The Honolulu Star Bulletin on September 30, 1997, Keep Games Safe With Better Security; and on September 223, 1997, Bring Back the Postgame Handshake.
California, 1995 - The Post-Game Handshake: and the 40 days that shook the Marmonte League (CA) by Terry Dobbins, Scholastic Coach, May, 1995.
Postponed Games: There are occasions where a school simply has to postpone a game due to threats of violence or concerns about violence. This occurred in Ramapo, N.Y. in January, 2006. Click here for details.
COMPREHENSIVE SPORTSMANSHIP PROGRAMS
Christian Leagues/Other Religious Leagues - These leagues stress religious values, and that leads them to sportsmanship (please note that they don't all succeed, though, as there are incidences of unsportsmanlike conduct in religious leagues). For an example of religious values imbuing a league with sportsmanlike values see Prayer, Sportsmanship Rule Christian Game by Tim Davis, The Sedalia Democrat, January 28, 2007 (Sedalia, MO).
The National Capital Soccer League in Virginia is an age group league that requires signed conduct agreements, specifies conduct requirements, requires coaches and participants to be trained by the Positive Coaching Alliance, and provides a comprehensive disciplinary evaluation of any incident of poor sportsmanship no matter how small. Click here for the National Capital Soccer League's Rules and Discipline page.
Sports Done Right is The University of Maine's comprehensive sportsmanship report that defines what a healthy sports community should look like.
The STAR Sportsmanship program is a part of Learning Through Sports, Inc.'s behavioral skills educational programs. The STAR program uses innovative video game technology. STAR also includes an excellent sportsmanship blog that rivals the bad acts section of this site.
LINKS TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE SPORTSMANSHIP AND VALUES
The following organizations have made valuable contributions to improving our sports culture. These organizations provide a significant amount of educational tools on sportsmanship matters.
The American Sport Education Program (ASEP)
ASEP works in conjunction with the National Federation of State High School Associations to provide what is widely recognized as the nation's best coaching education program. ASEP also provides training to sports parents, sports administrators, and sports officials.
The American Sports Institute recognizes that there are lessons that we learn through sports, physical education, and recreation. Those lessons transcend the mere playing of contests or engagement in athletic activity. The American Sports Institute attempts to identify those lessons, distill them, refine them, and apply them to the educational system. We often speak of teaching life skills to people involved in sports. The American Sports Institute teaches sports skills that people can use in life.
Joyce Bassett's Albany Times Union Blog
Ms. Bassett's blog tracks bad acts in youth sports - and does a pretty thorough job of it.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics In Sport
The Centre tackles a broad array of the issues that confront us in sports today, provides comprehensive information, thorough analysis, and attempts to provide some measure of guidance that can help all parties involved in sports.
Character Combine
Former Baltimore Colt Joe Ehrmann works with coaches, offering training, motivation, mentoring, and practical application in developing well-rounded players. Joe focuses on academics, substance abuse, lifestyle choices, and counseling so coaches can work to make their students winners on and off the field.
Character Counts Sports is a broad based coalition devoted to the teaching and study of ethics in every aspect of life, including athletics. Character Counts Sports is part of the Josephson Institute Of Ethics. Character Counts Sports, and the Josephson Institute of Ethics are probably the leading ethical and character education institutes in the country. Their Pursuing Victory With Honor program and the Arizona Sports Summit Accord have been adopted by hundreds of organizations, including the NCAA and the National Federation, and hundreds of high schools and colleges.
Citizenship Through Sports Alliance
This coalition of twelve of the nation's largest amateur and professional sports governing bodies has a comprehensive program that focuses on sportsmanship and citizenship through participation in sports. If you want sportsmanship information from the major sports organizations in the country, this is the place to go.
Coaching Boys Into Men: A Project of The Family Violence Prevention Fund
The Coaching Boys Into Men Project uses sports coaches as a tool for teaching boys the socialization skills that will lead to a reduction of violence against women. Click here for the 2007 Coaches' Playbook - an excellent example of what this program can do for boys in sports.
Mitch Lyon's organization attempts to ensure sportsmanship by emphasizing the need to teach everybody involved in youth and amateur sports how to govern their emotions in the crucible of athletic competition. Get Psyched Sports has a heavy focus on teaching psychological and emotional skills that correlate to good sportsmanship. Get Psyched Sports also has a legislative agenda to enact multistate legislation requiring sports organizations to teach these skills as part of an ongoing athletic curriculum.
Heart of A Champion is a character education program that uses research based tools geared to reach today's "sight and sound" generation. Click here for a sample educator's guide.
Institute for International Sport
The Institute for International Sport sponsors the annual national sportsmanship day, and provides comprehensive information on sportsmanship and ethical matters in sports. The Institute sponsors annual World and U.S. Scholar Athlete Games and provides well respected programs for parents through its Center For Sports Parenting.
Institute for the Study Of Youth Sports
This Michigan State University program studies and provides academic information on youth sports, and the issues confronting youth sports today. The Institute has a vast array of information on sportsmanship and other matters, and provides teaching resources and publications on youth sports issues.
Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
The Knight Commission studies issues designed to promote academic values and citizenship in college sports.
This organization does exactly what its name implies: they provide the information that a responsible parent would need about how to create a safe and sportsmanlike environment for children participating in youth sports.
National Alliance For Youth Sports
NAYS provides complete programmatic advice, support, and advocacy for youth engaged in sports. This includes programs and training for coaches, administrators, and parents engaged in youth sports. NAYS has worked through a national panel of leaders to develop the widely followed National Standards For Youth Sports. NAYS's founder, Fred Engh's, excellent book, Why Johnny Hates Sports examines a vast array of problems that lead a surprisingly large number of youth to abandon sports. These problems include the sportsmanship problems and win at all cost climate that besets our youth sports culture. Most important, Fred provides solutions that work, and are leading to a better sports climate.
National Association of Sports Officials
NASO is the world's largest organization for sports officials. They provide information, education, insurance, legal information, and a multitude of other professional services for sports officials. They are the authority on sports officiating issues. NASO covers sportsmanship extensively through Referee Magazine, its monthly publication on all things regarding officiating. NASO also focuses on sportsmanship through its numerous other publications. NASO has also been a leader in protecting officials by supporting the enactment of legislation criminalizing batteries committed upon sports officials.
National Federation of State High School Associations
The NFHS is the national governing body for high school sports. The NFHS promulgates sports rules and regulations, and places a heavy emphasis on sportsmanship and citizenship both through sports and fine arts. The NFHS also devotes a substantial amount of time and energy to officials' issues through its NFHS - Officials Association.
National Institute For Sports Reform
NISR seeks no more than a total reform of our amateur sports culture. NISR seeks to reform the culture that leads to the win at all costs attitude, and other negative factors that permeate the amateur sports culture, ultimately leading to a better climate - and a better sports climate.
The Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is run out of Stanford University. PCA conducts workshops for coaches, parents, students, youth organizations, and virtually anybody involved in youth sports. PCA has an incredibly prestigious national advisory board, operates in multiple cities throughout the country, and has trained approximately 70,000 coaches. PCA focuses on the important life lessons that can be learned through sports, and has programs that show people at every level of sports how to achieve it. These programs are backed up by extensive research, and are among the best in the country. Founder and Executive Director Jim Thompson leads a large staff of trainers and workshop coordinators. PCA also has a number of resources, including Thompson's two books, The Double Goal Coach and Positive Coaching: Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Sports, and Phil Jackson's video, Phil Jackson on Positive Coaching.
Dr. Shari Young Kuchenbecker is the author of Raising Winners: A Parent's Guide To Helping Kids Succeed On and Off The Playing Field. Dr. Kuchenbecker is a sports parent and a sports psychologist. Her site and book provide significant guidance on coaching, parenting, childhood development, psychological issues, and our youth sports environment.
This organization provides information on ethical developments in sports, and seeks to encourage the development of a sports culture that will emphasize sportsmanship and ethical principles.
Harvard educated attorneys Michael McCann and Greg Skidmore's site focuses on legal issues in sports, but touches extensively on sportsmanship issues.
The STAR Sportsmanship program is a part of Learning Through Sports, Inc.'s behavioral skills educational programs. The STAR program uses innovative video game technology. STAR also includes an excellent sportsmanship blog that rivals the bad acts section of this site.
COLLINS'S SPORTSMANSHIP ARTICLES
Winning The Sportsmanship Battle, LOAN Newsnet, December 2001, page 2 (National Association Of Sports Officials Publications).
Avoid The Attack: Develop A Battery Plan For Your Association, LOAN Newsnet, February 2001 page 1 (National Association Of Sports Officials Publications).
Can We Put Sportsmanship Back In The Game?, LOAN Newsnet, October 2000 page 1 (National Association Of Sports Officials Publications).
OTHER AUTHORS' SPORTSMANSHIP ARTICLES (Click Here For Special Reports On Sportsmanship Issues)
Follow this link for Rick Telander's "On Youth Sports" Column in the Positive Coaching Alliances, Spring 2008 Momentum Magazine - at page 2 - describing just how easy it is for a parent to lose it:
Putting Civility and Sportsmanship Back In Game, If Not In The Stands by Ray Glier, New York Times, February 22, 2008 (examining college spectator conduct).
Click Here For The American Association of School Administrators' June 2006 magazine, featuring numerous articles exploring athletics and academics, eligibility, sportsmanship, and steroids in high school sports. (See The School Administrator, June 2006, Number 6, Vol. 63 published by the American Association of School Administrators). You can also click on the following individual articles: Righting the Balance In The Athletics-Academics Equation by Kate Beem; Athletic Eligibility: Struggling To Raise The Bar by Paul Riede; Sports at Any Cost by Kimberly Reeves; Targeting Sportsmanship by Linda Chion Kenney; Steroids: To Test Or To Educate? by Scott LaFee
Can Good Sportsmanship Be Legislated by Dale Frost Stillman on The New Jersey State Bar Foundation's website. Note: This website contains a wealth of information about sportsmanship efforts in New Jersey:
Child's Play No More: The Pressure On Kids and Coaches In Youth Leagues Has Reached a Level That Would Be Laughable If It Weren't So Destructive by C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle, December 10, 2000 page D-1.
Emphasizing Sportsmanship In Youth Sports by Lori Gano-Overway, Education World, 1999, reprinting article originally published in Spotlight on Youth Sports - a publication of the Institute For The Study Of Youth Sports.
Going For the Pros: Being A Good Sports Parent by Jane Weaver, MSNBC Health Editor, MSNBC On-Line April 14, 2004.
Good Sportsmanship Is Losing Out To Winning - Bill Walton's USA Today Editorial of Dec. 20, 2005
Self-Control And Sportsmanship: How Sports and Recreation Can Improve Society by Mitch Lyons, Recreation Management Magazine, September 2007.
Brevard County, FL. January 31, 2007 - It's Called Sportsmanship: Parents Must Set Example At School Athletic Events, by Mark Smith, Guest Columnist, Florida Today (Mr. Smith was kind enough to send me his guest column and share this important message).
New Rules for Soccer Parents: 1) No Yelling. 2) No Hitting Ref by Edward Wong, New York Times, May 6, 2001.
Out of Control by William Nack and Lester Munson, Sports Illustrated, July 24, 2000 page 86 (are today's parents out of control - read this article)..
November 18, 2005 - Parents - Are Your Kids Proud of You? by Mike McQueen, WrestlingGear.com (good article on spectator conduct and spectator abuse of officials).
Parents, Coaches Who Need Time-Outs by Regan McMahon, San Francisco Chronicle, November 5, 2006 page E2.
Poor Sportsmanship: Other Factors Leads To Southern California Officials Shortage. Unanswered Calls, Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2006 by Peter Yoon.
Click Here: Positive Coaching Alliance Lists Bottom 10 Acts of 2006
Click Here For the Autumn 2007 Issue of the Positive Coaching Alliance's Momentum Magazine, featuring Robert Lipsyte guest authoring the On Youth Sports Column. Lipsyte examines parents, coaches, and today's ethical climate in youth sports.
Teaching Respect, by Dr. David Hoch, Athletic Management October/November 2006. This article provides valuable advice on increasing sportsmanship from the Athletic Director of Loch Raven High School in Baltimore County, MD.
When Winning Is The Only Thing, Can Violence Be Far Away? by the Canadian Centres For Teaching Peace.
Who's Killing Kids' Sports?, Parade Magazine, August 7, 2005 by David Oliver Relin
Winning Through Losing
Just because your team may not be victorious, doesn't mean your players are not
winners. Check out this article titled
0-19: Winning
Through Losing from Coach's Quarterly Magazine about the educational values
gained through losing.
What's Wrong With Youth Sports? ESPN's Farrey Chimes In With His Brand New Book (it was released May 6, 2008), Game On: The All American Race To Make Champions of Our Children. Click here for the early feedback.
Learning Culture Through Sports: Exploring the Role of Sports In Society, edited by Sandra Prettyman (Rowman & Littlefield Education Press 2006).
Click here for an excerpt from Donald W. Albertson's Catch A Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports, Turnkey Press 2006.
Click here for an excerpt from Bruce Svare's Crisis on Our Playing Fields: What Everyone Should Know About Our Out of Control Sports Culture and What We Can Do to Change It, Sports Reform Press 2004.
Click here for an excerpt from Rick Wolff's The Sports Parenting Edge: The Winning Edge: The Winning Game Plan for Every Athlete-from T-Ball to College Recruiting, Pond Lake Productions 2003.
Click here for an excerpt from George Selleck's Raising A Good Sport In an In-Your-Face World, McGraw-Hill 2002.
In Michigan, the officials are the Caretakers of the Games - MHSAA Officials.
Click Here for What Kids Wish Their Parents Knew About Sportsmanship.