Violence in sports on the rise

Bob Cortese
The Edmond Sun

August 22, 2008 10:57 pm

— Peter C. Terry and John J. Jackson in a 1985 publication “The Determinants and Control of Violence in Sports,” define sports violence as “behavior which causes harm, occurs outside of the rules of the sport, and is unrelated to the competitive objectives of the sport.”
So many times we see professional athletes break out into fights while the game is going on. While it has always been around, regrettably it does seem that in recent years it has become more commonplace and acceptable. It seems to me that fighting during games has reached down from professional athletes to college, high schools, and yes I am sorry to say, youth sports.
It almost sees as though it’s passively accepted.
I feel one of the most challenging issues facing sport parents and coaches today is getting a child to understand that fighting is simply never a part of the game, any game. Getting the point across is particularly difficult when kids see coaches and parents screaming and shouting at refs, umpires and officials. We all have read or heard about physical attacks on coaches, officials, and opponents parents by some overzealous fan.
From road rage, sideline rage, and all other kinds of rages in our society, children in sports aren’t immune. With the great coverage by TV our kids can see their favorite sport stars engage in violent behavior.
Parents and coaches should be proactive about steering young athletes away from fighting on the courts and playing fields.
Make it clear that this behavior will not be tolerated and that players who fight face serious consequences. It should make no difference who starts the fight, or who ends it.
There are simply no winners when it comes to fights, and this point has to be driven home to kids before they get older.
According to a youth sports study conducted by Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, 45 percent of youngsters surveyed said that they had been called dirty names, yelled at, or insulted while participating in sports. 17 percent said they had been hit, kicked, or slapped while playing in a game. Eight percent said they had been pressured to intentionally harm or hurt others while playing.
This is not acceptable, and it all starts with us as parents.
This is coach Bob Cortese reminding you that if you can’t be a good athlete, then at least be a good sport.