Fairness and Sportsmanship

The CIF recently encouraged spectators to "act like fans and not fanatics" in the stands. This is solid advice. When spectators let their emotions run high, they can spoil experiences for players, families and fans. Yet coaches and administrators play an important role in keeping spectators calm. When coaches focus, disproportionately on favorite players and deny others opportunities and favors that they bestow on a select few, it is not hard to see why family members and friends become angry. This becomes particularly problematic when rules and punishments are enforced unequally or when merit is ignored while personal relationships take precedence. At St. John's Bosco, this kind of behavior was particular egregious. There, former head coach Jason Negro was accused of embezzling money from the school and paying the tuition of select players on his team. The families of players who did not receive the same kinds of benefits would have been justified if they had not felt particularly sportsmanlike.