Today, I read an article, Dealing with Out-of-Control Fans, that I found in The National Federation of High School Associations magazine, High School Today. The article discusses a yellow and red card system that many schools have implemented in an attempt to control school behavior. While the system has some merit, I found the writing on the yellow card to be the most hard hitting.
"This card has been given to you as a warning that your behavior may not be appropriate for this youth educational setting. Please realize that your admittance to this venue is a privilege to observe and support this athletic event, not a license by act, word or deed to assault anyone. The athletes participating here today wrote you the following message: It's not your game -- it's ours, the athletes. We hope you will watch and enjoy, encourage us and be proud of us, win or lose. We need your support and enthusiasm. Please conduct yourself with character and class."
While I found the whole statement powerful, I bolded the sections that I found especially good.
There are two things that I have a hard time handling at youth events. First is profanity. I find this to be especially ironic. We tell or student athletes to not swear or be unsportsmanlike, yet many adults in the crowd feel that it is their duty to act this way. What ever happened to modeling good behavior? The second issue I have is adults yelling at kids. Ok I can understand yelling at your own kid to a degree, or even coaches getting after their players in certain situations. However there is no reason for Joe Shmo off of the street to yell at a kid because he/she missed a pass, shot, or opportunity.
Remember just because you played basketball as a kid or worse yet watched a few games on the tele. It doesn't make you a professional, and kids like you were and did make mistakes.
I am going to finish with a final personal story. Once when I was coaching in HC I was going crazy because this 16 year old boy simply couldn't figure out help-side defense on the low post. I mean really how hard is it. Apparently this day I was speaking Greek, because the message wasn't sinking in. The ironic think was that very night I went home and watched an NBA game, and noticed that one of the players on the floor was having a hard time with the concept that night as well. I had to laugh. If this grown man who is getting paid good money to play the game cannot get in position, maybe I should be a little more patient with Andy.
