January 2020 | Vol. 6 Iss. 01
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UTAH HIGH SCHOOLS ASKED TO RAISE THE BAR ON SPORTSMANSHIP By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com
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technical foul, 15-yards or a penalty shot are just a few examples of punishments that result from unsportsmanlike conduct. More serious violations can result in fines, suspension or even termination. Why suffer through penance or pay thousands of dollars to make amends when you can just as easily be a good sport? The Utah-BYU rivalry again took sportsmanship’s center stage because of several incidents in an early December basketball game at the Huntsman Center. Several Cougar students began singing their fight song during a halftime presentation honoring former Utah head coach Rick Majerus. The melee that followed included fights in the stands and altercations on the court. This basketball game is not the first time the two schools have squared off. In 2008, BYU quarterback Max Hall said, “I don’t like Utah, in fact I hate them. I hate everything about them.” He later apologized. Utah Head Coach Larry Krystkowiak said in 2015 he did not care if the teams ever played again. College sports participants are not the only poor examples. In 2009, two Ute Conference youth football teams forfeited all of their games and the conference president was removed after allegations of using illegal players. The whistleblower received threats and called the police for protection. “You’re an idiot, you have ruined our son’s season, and I am going to burn your house down,” was the threat that prompted a call to the police, all over a youth football game. Has sportsmanship been lost for a willingness to win at all costs? “It can be horrific. I had never been so scared,” Peggy Pyle, a county recreation scorekeeper said about her experience witnessing a brawl at a slow pitch softball game. “One big guy hit another guy in the head with a glass Coke bottle. It was wicked crazy.” The Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) has recently made an exaggerated emphasis on sportsmanship at its contests. “The organization is committed to stressing educational and cultural values,” UHSAA director Rob Cuff said. “We stand to improve the participation experience in activities, promote life skills, lessons involved in competitive activities, foster sportsmanship, mutual respect and assist those who oversee high school sports and activities at UHSAA member schools.”
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The Granger boys basketball team sits on the bench as fans file in for the game. (Greg James/City Journals)
In a City Journal survey, 78% of respondents said parents are most responsible for sportsmanship, good or bad. “Young amateur athletes often emulate what they see being done by college and professional athletes,” West Jordan High School athletic director Carlson Boudreaux said. “In my view, competition has become more and more about making the other guy look bad, not just about doing your best. We ask our coaches to address sportsmanship and proper behavior with parents at parent meetings. Our objective is to encourage loud, rowdy, positive fan support for your sports teams.” UHSAA schools have been encouraged to use an initiative called Do Rowdy Right. “We focus on teaching the fans, all fans, not to let the cheering get personal. Our students and parents are monitored throughout the contest and we try to stop negative comments. I am not going to pretend we are always right, but adults are some of the most important people in teaching good sportsmanship,” Boudreaux said. Copper Hills High School is among several schools that have implemented ways to improve the fan experience. “It is difficult enforcing good behavior at sporting events,” Grizzly athletic director Andrew Blanchard said. “We
have student ‘spirit leaders’ that come to all athletic events. They are the leaders of cheers and behavior. Our administrative team works closely with those students encouraging positive cheers. Choosing these leaders is very important.” The players on the team reflect their coaches views. “This is something everyone can work on,” Cyprus head basketball coach Tre Smith said. “I am sure players, coaches and officials have all felt disrespected at times. My biggest thing is wanting to create a sense of great character with kids in the program.” The UHSAA program called Raise the Bar encourages four ways to improve sportsmanship at athletic events: teach, enforce, award and model. In the 2018-19 athletic school year, every UHSAA 6A and 5A school experienced a player or coach ejection. The high school program to improve these statistics includes objectives to help each school earn sportsmanship awards. “Every school can win at sportsmanship,” Cuff said. All UHSAA members schools were given a banner to hang in their gymnasium. Each banner has empty spaces for gold stars that can be earned by completing the objectives outlined in the program. Continued page 5
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