Root for Your Team, Not Against the Other One
Rah, rah! Go, team, go! There's nothing wrong with attending school sports games and rooting for your team, but some teens are taking the idea of school spirit way too far. Instead of cheering for their school, these fans yell insults at the other school's team.
Many of these hateful chants involve stereotypes. When an Apache basketball team came to a white high school in Arizona, fans of the home team chanted "We pay taxes, yes we do. We pay taxes, how about you?", suggesting that the Apaches weren't real Americans. The crowd at a predominantly white high school told a visiting team which was mostly black, to "go rob a liquor store." High school teams from Provincetown, Massachusetts, a town known for having openly gay residents, face homophobic* remarks when they play teams from other towns. Teams from towns where people are seen to be well-off get heckled, while teams from poorer areas are called "trash" and "rednecks."
Sometimes these chants are directed at individuals on the team, rather than at the team as a whole. Athletes get made fun of for their appearance, for having an unusual name— for anything.
Some schools are getting it right and don't let the behavior of these mean-spirited fans slide. In Port Orchard, Washington, one school's players and coach apologized to their competitors, after their fans shouted racist remarks. The school's athletic director, principal, and student president co-signed an apology letter to the visiting team and delivered it to them the next day. Before the start of every game at one school in Iowa, a student recites a pledge about being courteous competitors that everyone—the teams and the crowd—agrees to respect.
People who defend teens' rights to yell insults at the opposing team talk about freedom of speech. But don't we get offended when we hear racist and anti-gay remarks in the media? Why aren't sports games held up to the same standard? People also point out that fans of college and professional sports teams insult the opposing team, but just because adults are doing something doesn't make it right. Teen athletes and spectators can lead by example and school the adults in a positive mindset.
If you've seen this kind of behavior at a sporting event at your school, speak out! Talk to the administration and find creative ways to promote a constructive attitude on the playing field, no matter who's playing. Now, play ball!
*Homophobic: fear, misunderstanding, or hatred of gay, lesbian, or bisexual people
Source: www.alternet.org
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