IHSAA campaign aims to boost student-athletes' sportsmanship

MUNSTER, Ind. (AP) - Shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday, two lines of athletes walked toward each other. Tears were in the eyes of one group of girls. Handshakes and hugs came from the others.

Moments earlier, Munster and E.C. Central's girls basketball teams had competed hard in the opener at the Class 4A Lowell Sectional.

In the game, won by the Cardinals 54-38, players fell to the ground hard. Elbows occasionally hit faces. Emotions were high. But as the clock ticked down to zero and the Mustangs' season ended, both teams showed great class in the postgame.

Four days after the horrific fight between the Hammond and Griffith boys basketball teams, which resulted in both programs getting their seasons canceled by the IHSAA, sportsmanship's role in high school sports is being talked about by everyone.

"Sportsmanship is very important," E.C. junior Destiny Browning said after the sectional game. "Sometimes people do things out of anger but don't mean it. If somebody pushes me or says something (bad) to me, I try to smile.

"Even though it might hurt, I just keep playing."

In last Saturday's game at Griffith, Hammond's Tim Echoles fouled the Panthers' Anthony Murphy hard on a breakaway dunk. On a night where tension was high and a lot of trash talking was going on in both the junior varsity and varsity games, it didn't take much for the situation to erupt.

Moments after Murphy went headfirst into the wall, players from both benches rushed onto the court and were throwing punches, as adults stormed the court, too. The IHSAA officials stopped the game and the Griffith police cleared the building.

On Tuesday, IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox canceled the remainder of the season for both programs and put them on probation for the 2015-16 season after the video and story went viral and reached audiences from coast to coast.

"I don't know what I would do if my season was stopped; it's really sad," Morton senior Tatyana Skinner said after her Governors beat the host Red Devils 61-53 on Wednesday. "We talk about it all the time. You have to ignore trash talking. To me, all that talking and stuff lets me know I'm a better player than you or you wouldn't be talking."

Morton coach Tamara Somerville said she's preached sportsmanship since Day 1 of her first year on the job. Certainly, like at every school in the state, you can have issues, but doing it right is the goal.

"I tell our girls if you knock someone down you give them your hand and help them up," Somerville told The (Munster) Times (http://bit.ly/1AwTlkd ).

For several years, Cox has been promoting the concept of sportsmanship in the IHSAA and said it's working. The Griffith-Hammond fight was the only one that occurred this season. The IHSAA has produced posters that are hung in all member schools.

Policies have been clearly posted for all to see and follow.

Coaches are expected to set a good example for players and fans to follow; to teach sportsmanship to all members of a team; respect the judgment of the officials; to display no behavior that could incite fans; treat opposing coaches, players and fans with respect; to shake hands with officials and opposing coaches in public and to develop consequences for those who do not abide by sportsmanship standards.

Student-athletes are expected to treat opponents with the respect they deserve as fellow human beings; to shake hands with opponents and wish them good luck before and after a contest; exercise self-control at all times and excepting decisions; respect the integrity and judgment of officials and to never argue or make gestures indicating dislike of the decision; to accept both victory and defeat with pride and compassion without being boastful or bitter and to congratulate opponents in a sincere manner after victory or defeat.

At Lowell on Wednesday night and in most places in Indiana, this is followed. Very little of these mandates were followed at Griffith on Saturday.

"I take no pleasure in issuing these penalties to these schools," Cox said on Tuesday after making the decision on the Griffith-Hammond fight. "But what happened in that game was a serious violation."

Lowell athletic director Patti McCormack is a member of the IHSAA's Executive Committee. While administrating the girls sectional at her school, McCormack was saddened by what happened at Griffith.

But she was hopeful, as well.

"The good thing is everyone is talking about this issue now and that's a good thing," McCormack said. "I think we're going to see some changes immediately. I think officials are going to come out for all of the warmups. I think kids acting out of line are going to be disciplined much quicker.

"And I think some things that were overlooked in the past are going to be dealt with much quicker. When bad things happen, you can work through it and make things better."

In recent years, the IHSAA has sent positive, pro-sportsmanship posters to all schools and they are displayed in most gyms, swimming pools and wrestling rooms. At Lowell basketball games, the game officials give a Sportsmanship MVP honor for each game and the winner gets a T-shirt.

McCormack said there are other issues in the culture that also play a part in what's going on. What is accepted and taught in the home is very important in the way student-athletes behave. Coaches at the younger levels can also play a big role in this matter.

If a Biddy coach allows a 6-year-old to taunt an opponent, it will continue. If a Pop Warner coach allows an 8-year-old to deliver cheap shots without reproach, it will continue.

A horrible incident occurred at Griffith last Saturday. McCormack said it can either define us or change us all.

"This is a teachable moment," McCormack said. "I think some people think being a good sport means you're wimpy. That's one of our biggest obstacles. We have to teach kids to respect their opponents. You can be the best and toughest athlete in the place and you can still have complete respect for the kids on the other team.

"Sportsmanship is not a new thing. We're making it living, breathing entity. What does it look like? That's what this is about, making it a living, breathing, daily thing."

___

Information from: The Times, http://www.thetimesonline.com