Sportsmanship

[pcohio]

What ever happened to good old sportsmanship in sports?
I am very involved in youth, high school and adult sports in my area and it seems that the parents, spectators and players seem to get worse every year! I try to structure my programs so there is good competition while the participants still get to have fun, but unfortunately, there is always a parent or player who HAS TO WIN at all costs! You know the type...yelling at the referees for missing a call, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I like to win and I have made the mistake of yelling at refs in the past, but being a League Director, Coach, Referee, etc. (I have covered them all) really opens your eyes to how ignorant people sound when they are acting this way! What do people hope to gain by yelling from the stands? Do you think the referee is going to change his call because you yelled about it? When a referee misses a call (and every ref does) I can assure you that no one feels worse about it than the referee himself/herself!
In the past week, I have heard the complaint "the other team got all the calls" FOUR times! It always makes me wonder if their team would have WON the game, would they feel the same way....of course not! Is it ever possible the reason you lost is that the other team was BETTER?
One of these occurences was at an ADULT (supposedly) Futsal Match! I had parents of ADULTS calling me names over a GAME! When this happens, we have truly lost sight of the purpose of the GAME (and as much as you want to win, it is NEVER more important than just a GAME)!
Why are we not teaching our children that there is more to sports than just the winning and losing? Kids should be learning the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play, friendship and physical fitness. When the winning and losing is introduced, children need to learn how to win AND lose with grace!
The negative aspects of sports is a sad reflection on today's "me society"...It starts in the home! If you would like to get your child into sports, PLEASE teach them that it is just a game! Teach them to have fun, make friends and be gracious in victory and defeat! Our society as a whole would benefit from it!

[numberwonfan]

I agree with what you're saying, but not to piss in some cheerios, the negativity will always be in the game/around the game

[rxburgfan]

sportsmanship is missing. it is not really coached, or taught at home these days. parents need to realize that their little "billy" can't always win. cause we all know, if they don't win it has to be someone elses fault. lastly, players need to just play the game. at times many act as if everything they do is the "greatest".

[socman]

I agree completely with PCOhio's assessment. Parents need to understand that their children's sporting events are neither the time or place to take out some of their frustrations. I understand that many parents are very competitive and that they all want the best for the child and of course want them to win. However, please show respect to officials and try to set a positive example when they do lose. I witnessed one of the situations PCOhio is referring to and simply could not believe what I was hearing. I walked away from a very competitive game in which plenty of friends played against each. Most all in participation walked away with great respect and sportsmanship. It really blows my mind that a select few can ruin the evening for most everyone who witnessed the altercation. Please grow up.

[Tigereyez]

I believe the 30 year old adult on the arsenal team was trying to start a fight with high school players. The adult was harassing the players on the bench and on the court. The arsenal player was getting out of control and no one was doing anything about it. The game being played at Pike County YMCA had no qualified referee's making calls. The arsenal team wanted to play without ref's. The money raised for the league should be to be used to pay ref's to referee the game. Obviously the arsenal team wanted to win. Why did this game not have two referees? Maybe someone should ask the management at the Pike County YMCA. Our community businesses have supported the YMCA financially in the past and will in the future.

[pcohio]

I believe the reason there was only one referee (and she IS qualified) present has been explained to you already by participants from BOTH teams in question! If you think I only scheduled one referee so we could win the match, you obviously did not read my original post!
By the way, if you ever read the Futsal League Rules, you would notice that there is a line that reads, "The Pike County YMCA will attempt to have two referees present at each match, but a match MAY BE PLAYED with one official."
I find it very disappointing that this is still an issue with you...unfortunately, people like you who don't understand that this league is NOT all about winning really ruin it for everyone involved!

[Tigereyez]

The 30 or maybe 34 year old adult (supposedly) goalie should have been given a red card for leaving his position and going to the other end of the court to have a confrontation with high school players. The fans were wondering why the arsenal team were making calls from the floor as players. No one knew why there where no qualified ref's during the match. Still does not give permission to let the game get out of hand and jeopardize the safety of the players and the Pike County YMCA.

[pcohio]

I apologize that the league is not being run to your satisfaction...I appreciate your concerns and will do my best to rectify the situation!

[Tigereyez]

The game between the refs and the other team was very competitive. It looked like to me that each team was getting aggressive and both teams wanted to win. With five refs on the court and plenty of subs, the parent in the stands wanted a ref to put his ref shirt on and help out. The player on the arsenal team kept harassing the other team players on and off the court. Maybe if a ref was on that side of the court, it could have been prevented. The parent was not complaining about the calls, just worried about the game getting out of hand. Your team could have taken turns being the ref. When a confrontation occurs, it is hard for a player to know which hat you are wearing. Nobody said you were not doing a good job. You were in the middle of playing the game just like the rest. The arsenal team was quick to shooting after a foul was called, your corner kicks were well executed and your team passed the ball three times inside the box before it was put in the net. It was just an aggressive game between players and the staff of the YMCA. It was an exciting game and action packed. Hard for a college girl ref to contain such testosterone.