Hey Ref! You Stink!

I’ve been to my share of high school spectator athletic events.  I would guess the number is somewhere close to 3500.  You read that right.  3500.  (I’m older than you think).  That includes football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, soccer, baseball and softball.  Add youth and college sports and that number grows considerably.  And let’s just say I’ve seen my share of examples of terrific sportsmanship and I’ve seen my share of less than stellar sportsmanship.  And full-disclosure, as a very young coach I needed the (sometimes stern) guidance of an athletic director who understood the importance of representing yourself, your team and your school in a positive way.

I am proud to say that more often than not, the fans at our schools have demonstrated respect for officials and opponents.  It is my hope that we continue to work so that “more often than not” becomes “always.”  As I am known to preach frequently, “We either get better or worse; we never stay the same.”  I continually encourage all of us to keep sportsmanship a priority.

While I’m no expert on the topic, I think my experience as a high school and college athlete, a coach of youth and high school sports, an official, an activities director, a principal, a member of the Board of Control of the IHSAA, and now Executive Director of the IHSAA, has given me a unique perspective on sportsmanship that I would guess few people possess.  Based on that experience, I’d like to share a few thoughts.

Sportsmanship is a choice.  We choose to either display it or not – at high school, college, pro and youth events.  It is under our control.  No one but the individual (athlete, coach or fan) is responsible for his or her behavior when it comes to sportsmanship.  I realize that sports can elicit a myriad of emotions.  Exhilaration.  Excitement.  Pride.  Disappointment.  Frustration.  The question is, what do we do with that emotion?

I have yet to meet an official who cares which team wins the game.  Their responsibility is to make sure the game is played according the rules. The men and women who get involved in officiating do so out of a love for the game and an interest in serving the sport, the school and the young people who are involved.  They want to stay connected to the game.  Let’s also remember they are human.  Like all of us, they make mistakes.  They miss calls.  But here’s the thing.  Players miss shots, turn the ball over and get beat on defense.  Coaches make wrong adjustments.  As I’ve told my sons, my players and my assistant coaches, the day we are perfect is the day we have the “right” to argue with the officiating of a game. 

I have yet to witness a fan or coach yelling at an official resulting in the official stopping the game, turning to the fan or coach and responding, “You know what?  You’re right.  I did make the wrong call (or I failed to make the call).  I’m going to change my call.  Thank you for pointing it out to me.”  The reality is, our yelling serves no purpose other than to express our own frustration.  Perhaps it’s our way of letting everyone else know that we know more than the official.  My guess is most of us would have a difficult time passing the rules exam necessary as part of the licensing process. 

What I have witnessed is an alarming number of officials leaving something they love and an even more alarming decrease in the number of new officials entering the ranks each year.  The reason they share over and over again is, “the abuse of fans.”  Imagine the day, and it may not be that far away, when we have to reduce our schedules because there are not enough officials to do the games.  The National Federation of High Schools has identified the decreasing number of available officials, “a crisis.”

When we yell at officials, we are giving our student-athletes an excuse.  We are telling them that the game is out of their control.  We are teaching them that it isn’t their effort, energy and execution that determines whether they win or lose.  It’s the officiating.  What kind of lesson is that?  We are also modeling for our students that lashing out is an acceptable way to disagree.  And it’s quite likely that we are annoying those who came to enjoy the game.

The reality is, we aren’t just individuals when we attend athletic events.  We are representatives of our school, club and/or team.  What we do and what we say – including how we say it – is a reflection on our entire community.  When we act with class and dignity we send a message that we are a first-class school with a first-class community.  That should mean something.  Actually, it should mean more than winning.

Maybe I look at things too simply but to me sportsmanship, more than anything else, is a matter of self-control.  It is the ability to look at something and think to ourselves, “that was a travel” or “that was a foul” without shouting it for everyone to hear.  It is the ability to understand that we are watching a “game.”  It is a respect for the people who are trying to bring order to something that so easily could turn chaotic.

I encourage all of us to reflect on the importance on sportsmanship and the impact that sportsmanship or the lack of it has on the young people who compete and those who come to watch their classmates compete.