http://hintonschool.com                                                             Page  5

Message From Troy Danner

Executive Director Of The Iowa Girls

High School Athletic Union

Earlier this fall, I began a column, which attempted to address philosophies we hold at the Athletic Union, or outline procedures we utilize for everything from tournament assignments to the selection process for state tournament hosts. These columns were born from a need and desire to communicate better with all stakeholders of our interscholastic athletic programs.

In November, my column dealt specifically with conduct counts, and the guidelines put in place last year by the four activity associations (IGHSAU, IHSAA, IHSSA – speech & debate, IHSMA – music) for spectator conduct at our events. In general, I would rate the behavior of our coaches and participants as exceptional, and the behavior of spectators as generally exceptional. However, like everything, one coach whose emotions overtake good judgment can cause all coaches a black eye. Likewise, one or two fans in the stands can affect the reputation and image of an entire community and its schools. Thus, rules were put in place to regulate the small percentage of fans that have trouble acting appropriately at our events.

All too often, we encounter fans that have lost perspective – the reality of why we even play sports. The sole objective behind the fact schools spend educational dollars to sponsor interscholastic athletics is to offer an educational opportunity outside the classroom, and help prepare

students to be successful throughout their adult lives. As I wrote in an earlier message, our purpose is not to prepare students to earn a college scholarship, or to garner all-state recognition. In fact, if the objective of interscholastic athletics changes away from education and development of the student, then we must re-evaluate the merit in spending educational dollars to fund interscholastic competition.

When someone loses perspective, it impacts their judgment. We go after coaches because our kids do not play enough, or our teams do not win enough. Yet, I have never heard of anyone looking to replace a coach because that coach was not providing educational benefit to his/her student participants. We scream at officials, threatening them with bodily harm, yet such an act would be considered criminal if it happened in your workplace.

What has prompted the loss of perspective? What has changed so much over time that the four activity organizations were prompted to draft guidelines for spectator behavior?

When I graduated from LDF High School in 1984, other than little league baseball starting at age 9 or 10, the first opportunity I had to participate was in my school-based junior high programs. The first real experience of competition for my parents and me was in this educational setting. Today my own daughters, ages 7 and 11, have been playing various sports since age 4. The purpose of these teams was not educational. The purpose I have observed has been

for fun (at times, this gets lost), and skill development. Peers of my 11 year old have been split into “elite” groups that travel through the state and around the Midwest. (Sorry, but in my own mind, no one is “elite” at age 10) The purpose of these teams is skill development.

By the time those kids get into high school, one of two things has happened. Either the kids have been burned out, or those who were not “elite” enough at age 10 have quit sports and moved onto something else. Either way, those kids are not taking part in one of the greatest opportunities we can offer as a part of their educational development.

Others do stay active into the high school program. Families have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars in preparation for the inevitable college scholarship. When kids do not succeed at a level that is satisfactory to the parents, it becomes the fault of the officials, the coaches, or even the school administration. Sadly, too many parents see their kids enter high school athletics and expect a return on investment for the time and money spent in youth programs.

While youth sports are certainly not solely to blame for the ills in our high school gyms, it is harder and harder to re-instate the proper perspective in the parents’ minds when their child enters school programs.

The attention given interscholastic athletics is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing from the standpoint that activity participation can be every bit as