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Sportsmanship Article

Sportsmanship, not steroids, called nation's top high school issue

Survey of state prep associations reveals the nation's top issues

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By Jake Trotter
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, July 08, 2007

While the state Legislature made national headlines this spring by passing a steroid-testing bill, another much smaller meeting went unnoticed.

But the latter gathering underscored a larger problem in high school sports than steroids, at least according to a survey of state high school athletic associations around the nation: sportsmanship.

Matt Rourke (AMERICAN-STATESMAN)

This past spring, Flower Mound Marcus High School's boys soccer team went 30-0 and won the Class 5A state championship in dominating fashion.

And yet after the championship season, Marcus' athletic director, coach and star player found themselves in front of the University Interscholastic League executive committee, with the school receiving a one-year probation and a public reprimand.

That's because in the waning moments of the state championship game, that star player spat in the face of an official. Steroid testing may be the top issue at the moment in Texas. But a polling of high school association commissioners and directors across the country revealed that a plunge in sportsmanship — not steroids — is the greatest danger to the integrity of high school sports.

This year, only Florida, New Jersey and Texas will test their athletes for steroids. Illinois is the only other state that is considering similar measures.

More than a dozen other states, however, cited sportsmanship as a top concern.

According to a 2004 sportsmanship study by the Character Counts Coalition, more than one in three males surveyed agreed that winning was more important than being a good sport.

In Utah, 111 boys soccer players were ejected this past spring, by far the highest number since the Utah High School Activities Association sanctioned the sport in 1983.

The association has placed the entire sport on probation and has threatened to abolish boys soccer if the number of ejections stays the same or increases next year.

"We are trying to find ways to discipline the bad behavior, both on the field and in the stands," said David Wilkey, assistant director for the association. "This is an issue that has received national attention."

But the problem doesn't just end with poor sportsmanship. Because coaches, players and spectators increasingly berate officials, state associations have struggled to find enough referees.

In Utah, the number of soccer referees dropped 15 percent from 2005-06 to 2006-07. Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and South Dakota all indicated that they're struggling to find officials because of how they have been treated.

"Officials are in shortage because they are tired of being mistreated and yelled at by coaches and fans," said Ruth Rehn, assistant executive director for the South Dakota High School Activities Association. "This is something that you see happening all over the nation."

In Florida, fan ejections rose by almost 9 percent this year, with 1,286 spectators being tossed in 2006-07 compared with 1,186 in 2005-06.

"We're starting to see a number of instances where fan involvement is becoming more negative," said M. Denarvise Thornton, senior director of athletic operations and officials for the Florida High School Athletic Association. "Parents think buying a ticket gives them a right to berate an official."

In Montana, after a fan hit an official with a water bottle and another fan assaulted a coach this past year, the Montana High School Association is requiring an administrator from all 180 schools in the association to attend a sportsmanship seminar.

"Sportsmanship is a problem," said Mark Beckman, executive director of the association . "And I think it has become a national problem."

jtrotter@statesman.com; 445-3952

HS Football Head Injuries

Smuggling athletes

College football hype!

Cougar Classic 7-on-7 (7-7-07)

Butler, Hanover Park, Randolph and Roxbury traveled to Union on Saturday and competed in the Cougar Classic 7-on-7. The 7-on-7 tournament featured 24 teams from New Jersey and an opportunity for coaches and players to square off against live competition. The 24 teams are placed in four brackets. Each team plays 5 games against their predefined bracket. The winner of each bracket faces off at the main field. The day was run by Kean University Head Football Coach Dan Garrett and his staff. The well-run event was filled with the excitement and a fun-and-gun style of football that is just as enjoyable to watch as it is to play.

No Morris County team could break through and advance to the final.

Here’s who advanced to Kean’s main stadium:
Bracket A winner KEANSBURG 5-0 in their bracket
Bracket B winner LONG BRANCH 4-1 in their bracket
Bracket C winner FREEHOLD BORO 4-1 in their bracket
Bracket D winner PASSAIC VALLEY 5-0 in their bracket

Semifinals:
Passaic Valley beat Freehold Boro
Keansburg beat Long Branch

Keansburg beat Passaic Valley 14-13 in the Championship game.

Butler (Bracket A): The 7-on-7 format plays right into the hands of the no-huddle, run-and-shoot Bulldogs. Butler took match-ups with Hanover Park (19-13 OT) and Neptune (19-6) before losing their final three to Keansburg, Monroe and Randolph. Butler also frustrated Keansburg’s defense was really the only team to give Keansburg a scare in Bracket A.

Hanover Park (Bracket A): Switching between two quarterbacks, the Hornets looked to gain much experience from the all-passing 7-on-7. Hanover opened with four straight losses, the first three by six points each. The Hornets ended the day on an up note in their match-up against Monroe. A scoreless tie in regulation went into overtime with Hanover scoring and adding the extra point. Monroe scored on their second play, but the extra point pass fell short giving the Hornets the victory. Monroe had won the coin toss and by virtue of the 7-on-7 rules, if they had converted the extra point, they would have been the winner.

Randolph (Bracket A): Randolph went 4-1 with their only loss coming at the hands of eventual champion Keansburg. The Rams wins came over Monroe (7-6), Hanover Park (6-0), Butler (19-14) and Neptune. The win over Butler was fun to watch. Butler’s no-huddle burst out to a quick two touchdown lead. The Rams forced to regroup, responded. Butler’s final score came with less than a minute left to play and the Rams moved down the field, only to score on the final play as time expired.

Roxbury (Bracket C): The Gaels were matched up with Dayton, Elmwood Park, Colonia, Freehold Boro and Southern-JV. Colonia and Freehold were very impressive, with Freehold advancing on an OT victory over Colonia. The Gaels battled all day and went 1-4, with a victory over Southern (13-6).

College Recruiting:

According to Chris Melvin, the HS Football Recruiting Analyst from eliterecruits.com, Randolph's Frank Beltre has offers from Duke and Towson at this time.

One of the most impressive athletes of the day was Colonia’s Eric LeGrand, whose one-handed grab on the goal line propelled Colonial to a 20-13 victory over Southern-JV. The Rutger’s bound Senior is listed as on the top 25 LB recruits in the nations by rivals.com. According to Rivals, LeGrand (6-3, 263) runs a 4.7 forty.

Chris Melvin (the Elite College Combine, The Garden State's TOP 50 and the NJ/NY All Star Classic Committee) also added about LeGrand:

"Eric LeGrand has been one of the states better backers for a few years now . He is the catalyst for coach Ben LaSala's defensive and has done the same for the Patriots as a fullback. At just about 6-foot-2 and weighing 235 pounds, LeGrand has all the tools to be a special inside backer at the next level ... with schools like Notre Dame, Virginia and Maryland seeking his services - it was coach Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights who acquired a verbal pledge from LeGrand who is one of my TOP linebackers for the Class of '08. Agile, tough, intelligent and intense - what else can you ask."

Eric LeGrand Highlights from Rivals.com.

7-on-7 Kean University - Click here for more home videos

Youth baseball teaches many valuable lessons

from: Youth baseball teaches many valuable lessons by Joe E. Cervi of the Pueblo Chieftain

The following is an epilogue to a column that appeared in this space four months ago.

It was at that time that I shared with you my apprehensions about volunteering to
coach a youth baseball team for the first time. Since then, the Pueblo Angels, an 8-under
team in the pitching machine league at Runyon Field, has completed its first season.

And what a season it was.

Not in wins and losses - OK, so we went 2-12 - but with smiles, laughs, tears and
grass stains.

It took a little while for me to understand that the results of each game weren't a
reflection on my coaching abilities or my kids' playing abilities ... read more