Chants and cheers at games like "Air ball" and "Scoreboard" were like second nature to many former high school athletes and students. The WIAA's decision to crack down on banning those chants is making a mountain out of a mole hill.
The WIAA is overstepping its authority by worrying about student cheers and chants. Curbing a student section's cheer is not the biggest basketball issue in the state that needs to be rectified. Common sense should be the driving force. The penalty now for leading one of the cheers could be a suspension.
Todd Clark, the WIAA communications director, sent an email about sportsmanship at WIAA games to high school administrators Dec. 22. The email states "any action directed at opposing teams or their spectators with the intent to taunt, disrespect, distract or entice an unsporting behavior in response (is) not acceptable sportsmanship. It calls on school administrators to correct the behavior. The email lists examples such as "Air ball," "scoreboard," "You can't do that," "Fundamentals," "There's a net there," "Sieve," "We can't hear you," and "Season's over."
In response to the WIAA's directive, Hilbert senior girls basketball player April Gehl tweeted, "Eat s--- WIAA." The WIAA sent Hilbert High School a snapshot of the tweet, and the school suspended Gehl for five games.
One problem the WIAA faces in its 32-page sportsmanship guide is where it draws the line with every case of poor sportsmanship. Fans at games and in gyms should be held to a high standard. Players and coaches should be held to the same high standard. What about a team fouling an opposing team repeatedly at the end of a game when it has fouls to give in order to stop the clock to get the ball back to score? That is a situation where a team is trying to distract its opponent, but it happens in high school gyms every night. What about pressing a team when leading by 20 points or more? That could be viewed by some as a sign of disrespect. What about singing Christmas carols when an opposing team is at the free-throw line, waving your arms, a flag, or T-shirt before a clutch free throw late in the second half? That makes you a fan guilty of distracting behavior.
The WIAA contends it is not banning the chants, but just reinforcing sportsmanship guidelines already in place.
When I played basketball and football at Sterling High School in Illinois, there were fans that yelled certain cheers. It served as motivation. One of the biggest prep football rivalries was Sterling against Geneseo. I can recall playing a football game at Geneseo and having fans spit on us as we came out of the lockerroom. That is crossing the line. A personal attack on a player or coach using profanity or vulgar behavior should be prohibited. A high school cheer meant to support a school should be applauded.
At Sterling High School, I had a friend who brought back a cheer from attending a basketball game at the University of Florida. The cheer went "Alligator, alligator teeth like a saw, defense, defense eat them up raw." The cheer would start out soft and then get louder and louder each time. Could the cheer be considered unsportsmanlike by the WIAA by encouraging a defense to eat them up raw?
There is a reason high schools field cheerleading and pom-pon teams: It's to rev up the crowd.
The WIAA is overreaching with its need to squelch school spirit. Each high school employs its own athletic director and administrator. It should be a local school district's decision how it handles sportsmanship just like each school has its own athletic codes. There are more pressing needs the WIAA should tackle, like the public vs. private school debate when it comes to dividing teams up for the tournament and considering a move to regions in football.
Bullying is a problem for some students in school districts across the state. Chanting "Air ball" during a basketball game is not bullying. That chant is about taking part in the excitement of a game.
Common sense should prevail. The WIAA should have told students: Enjoy the game, have fun and don't do anything to embarrass your mom or school if it ends up posted on Twitter or Facebook.
The WIAA is overstepping its authority by worrying about student cheers and chants. Curbing a student section's cheer is not the biggest basketball issue in the state that needs to be rectified. Common sense should be the driving force. The penalty now for leading one of the cheers could be a suspension.
Todd Clark, the WIAA communications director, sent an email about sportsmanship at WIAA games to high school administrators Dec. 22. The email states "any action directed at opposing teams or their spectators with the intent to taunt, disrespect, distract or entice an unsporting behavior in response (is) not acceptable sportsmanship. It calls on school administrators to correct the behavior. The email lists examples such as "Air ball," "scoreboard," "You can't do that," "Fundamentals," "There's a net there," "Sieve," "We can't hear you," and "Season's over."
In response to the WIAA's directive, Hilbert senior girls basketball player April Gehl tweeted, "Eat s--- WIAA." The WIAA sent Hilbert High School a snapshot of the tweet, and the school suspended Gehl for five games.
One problem the WIAA faces in its 32-page sportsmanship guide is where it draws the line with every case of poor sportsmanship. Fans at games and in gyms should be held to a high standard. Players and coaches should be held to the same high standard. What about a team fouling an opposing team repeatedly at the end of a game when it has fouls to give in order to stop the clock to get the ball back to score? That is a situation where a team is trying to distract its opponent, but it happens in high school gyms every night. What about pressing a team when leading by 20 points or more? That could be viewed by some as a sign of disrespect. What about singing Christmas carols when an opposing team is at the free-throw line, waving your arms, a flag, or T-shirt before a clutch free throw late in the second half? That makes you a fan guilty of distracting behavior.
The WIAA contends it is not banning the chants, but just reinforcing sportsmanship guidelines already in place.
When I played basketball and football at Sterling High School in Illinois, there were fans that yelled certain cheers. It served as motivation. One of the biggest prep football rivalries was Sterling against Geneseo. I can recall playing a football game at Geneseo and having fans spit on us as we came out of the lockerroom. That is crossing the line. A personal attack on a player or coach using profanity or vulgar behavior should be prohibited. A high school cheer meant to support a school should be applauded.
At Sterling High School, I had a friend who brought back a cheer from attending a basketball game at the University of Florida. The cheer went "Alligator, alligator teeth like a saw, defense, defense eat them up raw." The cheer would start out soft and then get louder and louder each time. Could the cheer be considered unsportsmanlike by the WIAA by encouraging a defense to eat them up raw?
There is a reason high schools field cheerleading and pom-pon teams: It's to rev up the crowd.
The WIAA is overreaching with its need to squelch school spirit. Each high school employs its own athletic director and administrator. It should be a local school district's decision how it handles sportsmanship just like each school has its own athletic codes. There are more pressing needs the WIAA should tackle, like the public vs. private school debate when it comes to dividing teams up for the tournament and considering a move to regions in football.
Bullying is a problem for some students in school districts across the state. Chanting "Air ball" during a basketball game is not bullying. That chant is about taking part in the excitement of a game.
Common sense should prevail. The WIAA should have told students: Enjoy the game, have fun and don't do anything to embarrass your mom or school if it ends up posted on Twitter or Facebook.
