Sportsmanship

(added 1/05)

Is sportsmanship your problem?  Some say no.  It starts at home, the coaches, etc, etc.  Well, what can we do about it, because it is the number one problem affecting our games?  Most of us say yes, we can help, but how?

How about courage?  Do we believe that we take care of our business?  How many times have you heard of an official who says, “I’ve been official for 20 years and I’ve never ejected anyone”…or a HS official who says, “I just wanted to get rid of him.  He deserved a straight red, but I gave him a 2^nd caution and wrote it up as USB.”

That’s a serious issue.   We’re sending the message that this type of situation will not be penalized seriously.  How many of you just don’t want to fill out the paperwork and find a way to either ignore serious problems or to slide it under the table for the next person to deal with?

Collectively, it’s all our fault.  We have tools that allow us to correct poor behavior and we need to use them.  In our roles as officials, we need to be a part of the solution or we don’t have the right to complain about it. 

As officials, our job is to go beyond blowing the whistle and calling fouls.  It is to set boundaries at the start of the contest that hold the participants accountable for their behavior.  We do not tolerate abuse from participants in the game:  players, coaches or fans.

Raise the level of expectation.  What you permit, you promote.  You can’t ignore an f-bomb at the beginning of the game and then do something at the end of the game.  You take care of it at the beginning and then that player is not on the field at the end of the game.  No one else will do it either!

I have never had a coach complain that an ejection of mine was not warranted by that athlete’s behavior.  Players are warned, cautioned and ejected.  Every time, a coach simply puts his head down in disgust over what his player has done, and many times has apologized for that player’s behavior. 

You’re there to facilitate the game so it is played by the rules and everyone has an equal chance.  Players who taunt, commit serious foul play or misconduct and are verbally abusive to referees don’t need to be a part of the game.  It’s our job to make sure that it happens that way.

We make a difference in the sportsmanship trend, not just by using the tools to deal with them, but also by taking the time to write to local associations about exemplary sportsmanship by players or coaches.  Send in your reports of problems on a timely basis so they can be handled quickly.  Just as importantly, get players directly involved in everyone else’s behavior by stressing to the captains their role as leaders in sportsmanship. 

Make sportsmanship our problem and we will all collectively reap the benefits.