This past Sunday, at a football game between Cedar Grove and Glasboro, a passionate argument between the two opposing coaches broke out rather fiercely.  Although the fight was later resolved and the coaches shook the other teams’ hands, it raised the question of what kind of behavior is appropriate for sports. 

Many coaches, spectators, and even players are guilty of losing control with the competitiveness and pressure of games, especially championships. However, being involved in sports requires maturity and responsibility, which all participants must be aware of when joining. Therefore, it should be a standard to stay respectful of other teams, even though it may not be reciprocated. In the previous situation, Coach Gogerty, one of the arguing coaches, mentioned that the fight had started because of the opposing team’s negative attitude and comments. Although staying calm may be difficult in situations like this, people must keep in mind that actions have consequences and can affect more than just themselves.

Also, athletes and coaches are always being watched, as many schools have strict policies for them involving behavior and responsibility. Because of those policies, any scandals can easily be recorded and come back to burden the person in future opportunities. 

Betul Dogan, a 9th grader at Wayne Hills High School, is on the school tennis and ski team, and has been playing both sports for years. She’s personally never experienced any issues during her athletic career, but believes that people at sports events should be “kind and respectful” at all times. 

Erin White, another 9th grader here at Wayne Hills, plays many sports, including flag football, fencing, and volleyball, and provided her input on what behavior she thought was appropriate during sports events. She stated that during one of her flag football games, where they were winning, one of the opposing team’s coaches got angry and “ threw the clipboard at us.” She believes that coaches, as well as the audience, should only have “kind and caring and sportsmanship behavior.” 

To conclude, although sports can get quite intense, people should stay composed and remember that their actions have consequences. That way, everyone stays safe and happy without getting hurt.