We’ve all been to one. The screaming fans, the pumped up team and the foul-mouthed parents who think they are always right.
I’m talking about high school sports.
I’ve been on the basketball court, the sidelines of the football field and the stands of the baseball stadium. One thing that remains the same throughout every single one is the lack of sportsmanship.
I’ve heard it all. Parents screaming at coaches for a failed play, both coaches and players yelling at officials for a missed call and students taunting peers for a dropped pass or missed shot.
“If a player is acting out of line I will go and have a talk with he or she, no matter what, even if it means stopping the game,” high school official Pete Cannizzaro said. “If I have an issue with a coach, I will stop the game as well. I try not to embarrass them, but I will be very stern and convincing, if you know what I mean.”
I’ve heard everything from name-calling to full blown cussing out. No athlete, coach or referee is perfect and we should all know that by now. Calls will be missed, plays will fail and baskets will be overshot — it’s only human nature.
EKL officials supervisor Mike Etnire has dealt with unsportsmanlike coaches and players since he got started.
“When a coach is out of line, either by words or actions, an official must deal with it quickly,” Etnire said. “Go to the coach and quickly and quietly tell him or her that his or her actions are going to be dealt with if he or she does not stop immediately. Let them know that, like it or not, the official is running the game, not the coach.”
Athletes and coaches don’t understand exactly how much work an official puts into preparing for a game. My dad has been an official for both football and basketball on the collegiate level for 18 years. I watch him every week read his rule book, take rules tests, study game film and even watch NFL games to try and call a penalty before the actual referees do.
Does he get things wrong? You bet. Nobody is perfect, but officials try to be. A missed call will haunt my dad for days after the game and he will do whatever it takes to never miss that call again.
Anybody who watches professional sports will see teams taunting each other and excessive celebration after scoring. These athletes are paid millions of dollars a year to do this, but it is not appropriate for high school athletics.
“The kids and parents watch so much bad behavior on television that it trickles down,” Etnire said. “They think it’s OK to act, talk or yell like that. The player’s job is to play, the coach’s job is to coach and the official’s job is to officiate the game fairly.”
Many parents have been around a certain sport since their kid played in recreational league and believe they could do a better job coaching and officiating than the ones who have been trained to do so. But here’s the thing — they haven’t read the rule books. If fans read the Kansas State High School Athletics Association rule book, they will find that there is no such foul as “over the back” or a “reach” in basketball. There are also more than 200 rules differences between high school and NCAA football including penalties for face mask, overtime regulations and blocking below the waist.
“Sportsmanship is a big part of high school sports,” high school football referee Doug Simpson said. “I think there is too much emphasis on winning and it has escalated over the years. The emphasis should be on learning, teamwork, relationships and having fun. Knowing how to lose is just as important as knowing how to win.”
I’m talking about high school sports.
I’ve been on the basketball court, the sidelines of the football field and the stands of the baseball stadium. One thing that remains the same throughout every single one is the lack of sportsmanship.
I’ve heard it all. Parents screaming at coaches for a failed play, both coaches and players yelling at officials for a missed call and students taunting peers for a dropped pass or missed shot.
“If a player is acting out of line I will go and have a talk with he or she, no matter what, even if it means stopping the game,” high school official Pete Cannizzaro said. “If I have an issue with a coach, I will stop the game as well. I try not to embarrass them, but I will be very stern and convincing, if you know what I mean.”
I’ve heard everything from name-calling to full blown cussing out. No athlete, coach or referee is perfect and we should all know that by now. Calls will be missed, plays will fail and baskets will be overshot — it’s only human nature.
EKL officials supervisor Mike Etnire has dealt with unsportsmanlike coaches and players since he got started.
“When a coach is out of line, either by words or actions, an official must deal with it quickly,” Etnire said. “Go to the coach and quickly and quietly tell him or her that his or her actions are going to be dealt with if he or she does not stop immediately. Let them know that, like it or not, the official is running the game, not the coach.”
Athletes and coaches don’t understand exactly how much work an official puts into preparing for a game. My dad has been an official for both football and basketball on the collegiate level for 18 years. I watch him every week read his rule book, take rules tests, study game film and even watch NFL games to try and call a penalty before the actual referees do.
Does he get things wrong? You bet. Nobody is perfect, but officials try to be. A missed call will haunt my dad for days after the game and he will do whatever it takes to never miss that call again.
Anybody who watches professional sports will see teams taunting each other and excessive celebration after scoring. These athletes are paid millions of dollars a year to do this, but it is not appropriate for high school athletics.
“The kids and parents watch so much bad behavior on television that it trickles down,” Etnire said. “They think it’s OK to act, talk or yell like that. The player’s job is to play, the coach’s job is to coach and the official’s job is to officiate the game fairly.”
Many parents have been around a certain sport since their kid played in recreational league and believe they could do a better job coaching and officiating than the ones who have been trained to do so. But here’s the thing — they haven’t read the rule books. If fans read the Kansas State High School Athletics Association rule book, they will find that there is no such foul as “over the back” or a “reach” in basketball. There are also more than 200 rules differences between high school and NCAA football including penalties for face mask, overtime regulations and blocking below the waist.
“Sportsmanship is a big part of high school sports,” high school football referee Doug Simpson said. “I think there is too much emphasis on winning and it has escalated over the years. The emphasis should be on learning, teamwork, relationships and having fun. Knowing how to lose is just as important as knowing how to win.”
