Sports
Violence in sports on the rise
Kids in Sports
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.
- Sports
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Lady Eagles ready for trip back to NAIA Tournament
After a two-year absence the Oklahoma Christian University women’s basketball team is back in the national spotlight. The Lady Eagles will make another run at a national title tonight when they tip off with No. 8-ranked Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament in Jackson, Tenn.
“It’s kind of new life for us,” OC head coach Stephanie Findley said. “Everyone starts 0-0 and we’ll see if we can we string together five of our best performances. And like Bobby Knight said, ‘It’s not about who you play, but how you play right now’. So hopefully we can go out and play well and keep it going.” -
Antlers shut out Fairhope
The Deer Creek baseball team rolled to its second straight win in the Oklahoma-Alabama Challenge as they blanked top-ranked Fairhope (Ala.) 5-0 on Tuesday night.
Michael Fulmer helped the Antlers earn their ninth win of the season with a dominating performance on the mound. The junior struck out 13 and gave up just one hit in the complete game.
“We’ve been down here three and four years ago and we lost to Fairhope both times, but this is supposed to be best club they’ve had,” Deer Creek coach Ron Moore said. “They’re the best team we’ve seen all year and that was the best high school performance by pitcher I’ve seen by far.” -
Wolves get off to hot start in Oklahoma-Alabama Challenge
Lonnie Cobble thought the long drive to the Gulf Coast might take something out of his team as they opened play in the Oklahoma-Alabama Challenge Monday night in Daphne, Ala. But the Edmond Santa Fe boys proved they had plenty left in the tank. Cody Rosecrans hit a pair of home runs and Cory Clair added three-run blast to lead the Wolves (7-0) to a 13-3 win over Daphne in the opening day of the festival.
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UCO falls in tourney opener
A horrendous shooting performance was too much to overcome for Central Oklahoma Saturday afternoon as the Bronchos misfired from start to finish in falling to Fort Hays State 80-64 in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.
Sixth-seeded UCO entered the game ranked fourth in the country in both scoring average (89.6) and 3-pointers per game (10.1), but the Bronchos shot a season-worst 31.0 percent (22-of-71) from the field and made just 3-of-19 long-range shots (15.8 percent) in their lowest scoring game of the season. -
Eagles upend No. 1 Chaparrals
The Oklahoma Christian baseball team fought No. 1 Lubbock Christian University in a scoring frenzy on Saturday afternoon coming out on top with a 24-14 victory over the Chaparrals.
Taylor Parcus led the Eagles at the plate going a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs and three RBI. Tyler Gipson went 4-for-6 with two runs and three RBI while Jeff Davis added three hits and five runs batted in. -
Tigers run past North
The Edmond North girl’s basketball fought feverishly to keep their season alive, but an early 17-point hole proved too much to overcome in Friday night’s Class 6A State Semifinal contest. Norman put the Lady Huskies in an early 12-0 hole and rolled behind the spectacular play of Kamra King in the 69-50 win at the Mabee Center.
King finished with a career-high 33 points and was picture perfect for the Tigers. The junior put pressure on North all night with her speed and ability to drive the lane.
While King stole the show at the Mabee Center, Elizabeth Donohoe was nearly as impressive for the Lady Huskies. The junior finished with a team-high 28 points and fueled North’s second half surge. -
Bombers hold off Santa Fe in state semifinals
While no teams in the state have been able to hang with top-ranked Midwest City this season, the Edmond Santa Fe girls came pretty close in Friday night’s Class 6A State Semifinal contest. After falling behind early in the first half, the Lady Wolves cut the Bombers lead to single digits in the third, but didn’t have enough firepower as their season came to an end with the 45-37 loss at the Mabee Center.
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Wolves' title run ends with overtime loss
The top-ranked Edmond Santa Fe boys pushed defending state champion Putnam City to the brink on Friday morning, but came a bit short in the Class 6A state semifinal matchup. After rallying form six down to force overtime, the Wolves saw their title run come to grinding halt as Tre Payne grabbed a steal and a layup with 15 seconds left for the 48-42 win at the Mabee Center.
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Booker T. too much for Deer Creek
The Deer Creek Lady Antlers gave it all they had, but in the end, it was momentum that ended up deciding the game.
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Lady Wolves hold off PC North
The playoffs have not provided much variety for the No. 3-ranked Edmond Santa Fe girls this year and the opening round of the Class 6A State Tournament was no different. After sweeping No. 7 Putnam City North in the regular season the Lady Wolves needed a strong finish to hold off their conference rival for the third time Thursday night at Catoosa High School.
PC North rallied from a double digit deficit in the fourth quarter to pull within a pair with just 44 seconds left. But Santa Fe avoided the upset as Daisha Gonzaque sank a pair of free throws on the other end for the 58-54 win. - More Sports Headlines
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Lady Eagles ready for trip back to NAIA Tournament
