Good Sportsmanship Starts at Home

I think that coaches around here do a really great job with making sure that their players "behave" themselves.  Oh sure, I see on-the-field incidents that make you cringe and question the athlete's character, but we just seem to blessed with very little of that in our own kids.

We know we're blessed around here.  I know it when I watch Shawn Prevo score a touchdown and immediately look for a referee to hand the football to.  I know it when Jaquez Tyson scores still another touchdown and acts as though he's been there before (he has...lots).

I do remember one incident this year that happened less than ten feet from me when a player from the opposing team jumped into a pile of players, leading with his fist.  His intent was clearly to hurt someone.  The game, for all practical purposes, was over and since it was a playoff game, the season for this young man was also about to be over.

To their credit, the officials saw it, flagged it, and had a chat with the young man who seemed neither contrite nor apologetic (remember, I was but a few feet away). 

I can only speculate as to what kind of background this young man came from. Building character starts early and never stops.   I've said it before and I'll say it again:  I don't see many really "bad" kids but I do see too many "bad" parents.

Parents, look at yourself in the mirror.   What is there about yourself that you want your kids to copy?  What traits would you prefer they avoid?  I've said here before that raising kids is a lot like God shaping clouds.  Done gently and with purpose.

Here lately, it seems like a lot of the incidents involve fans. To use a sometimes forgotten term, it's plain and simple poor sportsmanship.   I've never liked boo-ing (I don't even like cheering when a player on the other team makes a mistake) but maybe that's just me.  I do know that behavior at times goes beyond poor taste.

I can remember a couple of years ago at a not-to-be-mentioned Knoxville school when the student body for that school showed up early and camped out in the bleachers immediately behind the visitor's (my team's) bench.  Those students proceeded to scream incessantly, making it at least unpleasant.   The coach finally started holding timeout discussions in the middle of the court in order to be heard.

Taunting other players--calling them by name and picking on some identifying characteristic--I don't much care for that either.  I believe every red-headed basketball player at one time or another has been called "Opie."

Heaven forbid that you ever have to be the one throwing the ball in during a basketball game while standing in front of the other team's student section. 

Most of the time, I can forgive stuff like this if it is teenagers but when adults do it, it is just unacceptable.  

Like I said, this all takes it beyond school spirit into a whole new arena of poor sportsmanship.