My husband is my daughter’s basketball coach. She is a freshman on the varsity team. In fact, the entire team is very young. Starting 3 freshman, a sophomore and a senior. Young for a varsity team and young because they are just high school kids. They’re having a great season, but something has been on my mind since my daughter’s last home basketball game…
Some spectators have got to get a grip during these games.There is yelling for your team in support and then there is yelling at players on the opposing team. The latter is completely unacceptable. In order to be completely transparent, I’ve done my share of yelling at refs, fans, etc, but the more I sit in the stands and listen to others behave, the less I yell.
It is tournament time. The games mean more. The emotions are high. Last week, we had three games and every fan base supported their team with different levels of intensity. The final team we faced had a very vocal crowd… yelling “INTENTIONAL!” every time one of our girls were called for a basic foul to “SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP COACH” to my husband when he would talk to refs or his players. However, the worst behavior occurred after the final buzzer.
The game was close and our team lost. The girls were sad and disappointed, but not disrespectful. As our girls walked toward the locker room, after shaking the winning team’s hands, SEVERAL of their fans began to stand and yell:
“Sore losers!”
“Boooo!”
“They're not even going to pray!”
“I thought this was a Christian school!”
These people were seriously mad. I just looked at these fans, standing and screaming, in disbelief and Momma Bear wanted to come at them roaring!
Our girls don’t typically gather in a circle at the end of a game to pray. And that is totally their right…to pray or not pray. On a court or in the locker room. With a group or alone. Out loud or quietly to themselves. Apparently, holding hands in a circle and praying together at half-court is common for this team. And that’s cool. If that’s what they want to do, that is their call.
I recall several of our players, including my daughter, almost off the court with the praying team out-of-sight when their fans began to boo and yell. Yelling at 14-18 year old girls. Really? The girls gradually all turn around when they hear the commotion. Trying to understand why there is yelling and booing since the game is over. They see that the yelling is directed at them. Then they see that the other team is at center court, so they join them. They hold hands, they pray… everyone is happy. I think.
Throughout the game, I heard one ridiculous, hateful, angry, silly comment after another from fans. But when you start yelling at young kids, that is a completely different low. Sports fans… we are talking about grown freaking adults yelling at children. It’s bad enough the way we treat referees, but kids should be completely OFF. LIMITS. (I’ll admit, I get mad at missed, wrong, late calls from the refs, too. However, I’ve never seen a ref reverse a call because a fan shouted “you’re terrible” and “you must be related to the coach!”. Come on, people.)
I’m just using this particular game as an example, but this happens with multiple fan bases throughout the season. Some are worse than others. Every school has a few very vocal fans, including the school that my daughter attends. But I’m talking to all fans of all sports at all schools. Let’s think about the example we are setting for the kids on the court, in the student section and the little brothers and sisters sitting next to us. Is this how we want our kids to treat other kids or authority figures (refs, coaches)? Is this the way we would treat people in the grocery store? Why would we treat kids, coaches, refs, fans like this at a sporting event? Believe me, I know how emotional these games can get. I know what it feels like to want to win badly. I want a “W” for my daughter and her coach/my husband. Sometimes games don’t go the way we want. We feel like all of the calls are going against us. No matter what’s happening on the court, field or turf, we have to show more respect toward each other.
Chant, cheer, clap, and scream! Of course, we should support our teams! Student sections, have fun, sing your songs, make your silly noises when the other team dribbles the ball. (Coaches… keep doing whatever you do. Get after those kids with their best interest at heart. Let the refs know when you don’t agree. I love that passion!) Every bit of the aforementioned is a big part of what makes the atmosphere at sporting events so exciting. Let’s keep it that way. Fun and exciting. Not angry and disrespectful.
So what have we learned here:
1. Yelling and supporting your team is good.
2. Yelling and being rude to the opposing team is bad.
It’s pretty simple, folks! Go team!
~My next rant will be about the parent that yells from the stands when their kid turns the ball over or misses a lay-up. I don’t know how your kid feels, but I’m scared! I jumped and wanted to look but I was afraid. Haha! Glad I don’t have to ride home with you.