Sports Fan Behavior Causes Concern

Fans have always been supportive at Fleetwood sporting events by coming out and cheering on the Tigers as they participate in whatever sport is being played. This support has only grown in the past couple of years because of the new stadium and improved athletic facilities. However, with the increased turnout comes a higher population of student spectators. In recent weeks, the student section at sporting events, both home and away, has been deemed “rowdy and unsportsmanlike” by some.

The incident that was most notably documented in recent weeks occurred when a whistle was blown from the stands during the final seconds of the Fleetwood Boys’ basketball win against Oley Valley.  This gesture resulted in a technical foul, but the final score was 68-60 anyway.

This incident has led Matthew Diehl, Fleetwood’s Athletic Director, to issue warnings to certain students.  As a healthy reminder to all, he has also posted the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association’s rules for fan behavior. These rules outline what fans are not allowed to bring, display, or use at sporting events, such as laser pointers, towels, whistles, and signs. The rules also request that all fans cheer for their respective team in a positive manner and behave respectfully to the opposition.

Fleetwood Girls’ basketball coach Matt Kellet added his input on the situation: “Fans should come to sporting events to represent their school in a proper, respectful manner. Those fans that attend the game shouldn’t be drawing attention to themselves instead of the game. It’s just unnecessary.”

However, some students disagree.

“I believe fans should carry the team with their spirit and be one of the biggest aspects of going to a sporting event,” said Junior Dan Milloy.

Fellow Junior Andy Moran agreed: “I believe that the incident with the whistle was blown out of proportion. It was a single offense at a time that was not crucial in the game because Fleetwood was up 10 with only 7 seconds to go.”

Regardless of such conflicting viewpoints, the point of attending a high school sporting event is to support friends, family, and peers in a manner that is not derogatory or offensive to anyone. Professional athletes are paid and, therefore, are more susceptible to heckling or disrespectful fan behavior as a part of their job. High School athletes are students above all else, and treating them disrespectfully is no better than bullying someone in a normal school atmosphere.