Sportmanship--What can officials do?

[simpson]

[QUOTE=parepat]Football is a competitve sport. The best way to stop blowouts is for the other team to play better. Why ask the third string FB on the winning team to not try and score in his first carry of his life just because his team is ahead. Likewise, why should we penalize the coach when he does score. In my opinion the Connecticut rule is a joke. We want our kids to compete and reap the benefits of athletics. However, we don't want to damage their fragile self esteems by letting the result. Instead we try and protect them from losing. Why? Isn't that what athletics is all about."

In college I might agree with you. I definitely agree with you in the NFL. This is high school. These kids can't help which side of the school district line they live on. Maybe the AD shouldn't schedule this butt-kicking every year, but nothing gives a high school head coach the right to intentionally embarrass kids to satisfy his own ego trip. This guy ran a no-huddle offense, let punts roll unfielded to add to the yardage for his running back, called time-outs with a huge lead - - all intended to get a record. That's not the point of the game. What lesson did those kids on either side learn? Athletics, especially high school athletics is not "all about" being humiliated. Yes, the other team can get better. Yes, the other team should use a little more discretion in scheduling. But that does not excuse the unsportsmanlike behavior of the head coach. Sportsmanship is what high school athletics is all about.

[parepat]

[QUOTE=simpson]

Originally Posted by parepat

Football is a competitve sport. The best way to stop blowouts is for the other team to play better. Why ask the third string FB on the winning team to not try and score in his first carry of his life just because his team is ahead. Likewise, why should we penalize the coach when he does score. In my opinion the Connecticut rule is a joke. We want our kids to compete and reap the benefits of athletics. However, we don't want to damage their fragile self esteems by letting the result. Instead we try and protect them from losing. Why? Isn't that what athletics is all about."

In college I might agree with you. I definitely agree with you in the NFL. This is high school. These kids can't help which side of the school district line they live on. Maybe the AD shouldn't schedule this butt-kicking every year, but nothing gives a high school head coach the right to intentionally embarrass kids to satisfy his own ego trip. This guy ran a no-huddle offense, let punts roll unfielded to add to the yardage for his running back, called time-outs with a huge lead - - all intended to get a record. That's not the point of the game. What lesson did those kids on either side learn? Athletics, especially high school athletics is not "all about" being humiliated. Yes, the other team can get better. Yes, the other team should use a little more discretion in scheduling. But that does not excuse the unsportsmanlike behavior of the head coach. Sportsmanship is what high school athletics is all about.

Your right I shouldn't have said competiton is what it is ALL about. There is more to sports. However, I believe it to be the primary reason we play. Now in this case, as previously stated, coach of team W is a jerk. Losing is a consequence of competing. We should not legislate it. Let society's condemnation of this jerk's actions be the punishment. Better yet, maybe he'll run into a buzz saw and have it happen to him. My point is that we as officials or our state associations should not be punishing players for being to good, or having a jerk for a coach or coaches because their kids scored too many points. As much as we don't like it.