Activities association considers ways to improve sportsmanship
PIERRE — While they didn’t have any ready answers, the South Dakota High School Activities Association staff and board of directors agreed on Thursday, June 9, that something needs to be done to improve sportsmanship at high school athletic events.
“It’s becoming a huge issue,” said SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos. “Some boundaries are being crossed.”
Coaches, players, officials and school administrators have to take responsibility for making sure that the games are enjoyable for everyone, according to SDHSAA Assistant Executive Director Jo Auch.
“Our high school activities are supposed to be uplifting,” Auch said, noting that a conference she’ll attend this summer will discuss ways to implement a no tolerance policy for bad sportsmanship.
“If you’ve got one of those people in the stands, you’ve got to do something,” Auch said. “We need our schools to step up and say, ‘Knock it off.’”
Auch said that in some states student council members police the games, handing out colored cards. A yellow card is a warning and a red card means that the fan has to leave the game. “It’s the kids that decide,” Auch said.
Fans and players often take their cue from coaches who belittle officials.
“I do believe it starts with the coaches,” said SDHSAA Assistant Executive Director Randy Soma. “They fly to the dark side once in a while.”
Swartos noted that for all the discussion about unruly fans, he wanted board members to keep in mind that they were talking about a “loud, vocal minority.”
“There’s a small contingent of knuckleheads that can’t control their emotions,” said Swartos, who told the board that the SDHSAA staff would keep sportsmanship on future board agendas and continue to seek solutions.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: South Dakota High school activities association discuss sportsmanship
