Training, sanctions called keys to ending poor sportsmanship

In the wake of a fracas between a former Mississippi congressman and a soccer coach, experts point to training and tougher punishment as ways to reduce fights on and off the field.

An atmosphere has come to exist "where emotional outbursts among parents, most of whom are vicariously living sports through their child, is tolerated," said Fred Engh, founder and president of the National Alliance for Youth Sports and author of Why Johnny Hates Sports.

A 2008 survey by SportingKid magazine showed that 76 percent of those responding reported witnessing a coach arguing with another coach, official or parent at a practice or game, and 29 percent had witnessed a physical confrontation involving coaches, officials or parents.

Former 3rd District Rep. Chip Pickering and Chris Hester, who coached the soccer team that competed against Pickering's son, recently exchanged blows after Pickering said Hester called his son "pathetic," driving the child to tears. Hester, who was wearing a neck brace, says Pickering yelled at him and pulled him from his vehicle while Pickering maintains he defended himself because Hester attacked him first.

Having just been held to negative rushing yardage in a 19-8 loss, University of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount put his personal post-game frustrations on full display. As shown repeatedly on Boise State's video board to widespread partisan jeering, Blount dropped Bronco linebacker Byron Hout to the blue turf with a clean right cross to the jaw.

It was Thursday, Sept. 3 — opening night of the NCAA's Respect Weekend.

Earlier that day, Oklahoma State University coach Mike Gundy was sufficiently unnerved by the prospect of a pregame handshake between entire teams — the focal-point designate of Respect Weekend proceedings on campuses nationwide — that he announced his team would not participate when Georgia visited that Saturday. "Our first concern was [we'll] have 115 guys out there, and they'll have 70. It just takes one guy to pop off," Gundy explained during a subsequent media luncheon. "Then I don't know how you're going to break it up. How do you control something like that?"

Continues to be called upon for sportsmanship expertise

Dr. Colby Jubenville has been invited to present at the Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society (TATS) Annual Meeting in Nashville on January 16-17, 2010. Set to speak at Opryland's Radisson Hotel on Sunday, January 17 at 8 a.m., Jubenville's presentation at the annual symposium will focus on the topic of Violence and Sportsmanship: Using sportsmanship as a tool to address violence. 

"I am excited to share information with athletic trainers regarding trends in violence at the high school level and strategies that have been implemented and are working," said Dr. Jubenville, director of the Center for Sport Policy and Research.

Recently, the Alabama High School Athletic Association released a report indicating a 62 percent reduction of ejections in coaches and players at the high school level in football over a four year period. Similarly, Mississippi saw a 44 percent drop off in their ejections this past season in football with coaches and players. These staggering numbers were a direct result of the STAR Sportsmanship platform Dr. Jubenville helped create and implement at the high school level.

Continuing to be recognized nationally for his relentless work with sportsmanship, Dr. Jubenville has also worked with Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters in implementing a program called "RealSportsmanship". Student-athletes and coaches must complete the Web-based sportsmanship platform before participating in any Sun Belt championship event.

To attend the presentation or for more information about the event please contact Janet Wilbert, ATEP Director at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The National Association of Sports Officials Features Study from the Center for Sport Policy and Research.

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Making an incorrect call leads to high levels of stress during games for sports officials, according to a recently-completed study at Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Sport Policy and Research (CSPR). Bryon Martin, a high school and college sports official, and Dr. Colby Jubenville, CSPR director, conducted the study that identified the significant sources of acute game-related stress in 1,365 registered interscholastic football, basketball and baseball officials. The study also examined the officials’ strategies and styles when coping with stress, which sports officials encounter every game.

“Learning more about those coping styles will help better prepare officials to manage those stressors,” says Jubenville.

A total of 347 baseball umpires, 618 basketball officials and 400 football officials revealed the acute stressors among them to be very similar. The highest rated sources of acute game-related stressors included:

• Making an incorrect call.
• Being out of position.
• Problem with officiating partner(s).
• Verbal abuse from coaches.

Most officials who responded to the survey revealed that they deal with stress during games by concentrating on the contest and focusing on the next task. “I felt helpless and wanted to quit” was the least used strategy to cope with stress, according to the study.

By using the avoidance strategy, many officials also indicated that “I felt I had learned something from the situation” and “I ignored/tolerated the situation and quickly continued officiating.” Thus, avoidance coping may prove beneficial for improved coping effectiveness.

Officials in the study also said that their approach strategies in dealing with the source of stress, such as a coach or player, is to analyze the situation, issue a warning, technical foul or unsporting penalty and then listen to/confront the source of stress.

The study shows that coping style depends on the type of sport. Baseball umpires do not have a “warning” system such as penalty flags or technical fouls. Baseball umpires generally have one avenue of penalty enforcement — ejection.

Todd Korth is a Referee associate editor. ■