Reader comments
Competitive spirit can be unattractive

Great food for thought Amy. A little reflection is good for the soul.

Competition is the driving force behind much of the progress achieved by mankind - consider the "space race" for instance. Denouncing competition demonstrates a lack of understanding basic human nature.

I have been going to the State volleyball tournament for years and I have never seen fans ask another group of fans to move, they just find other seats to sit in.

It’s not competition that “will reveal if we've practiced enough; if we've loved our teammates enough; if we've listened to our coaches; and whether or not we've really overcome our own doubts.”

It’s cooperation that motivates us to all those things.

I've been involved in athletics for 40 years now, and I have seen a few bad cases of poor sportsmanship, but I have witnessed so many great examples of the best. I think sometimes that one case can make the whole image look so bleak. I think that we as parents and coaches need to understand that it begins with us. No one said you have to like losing.

The game was 5 minutes before starting when Rich's boys came in. No where was there signs that said both schools had to share seats. Why should I as a fan have to move. Everybody wants good seats, thats why most people stick around and wait for the good seats. Not to expect to get front row 5 min before the game.

I have to say this is one of the least classy acts that I have seen in all of Highschool Sports. It has always been a common courtesy to split the seats at the State Tournament. However one low class community decides winning is more important than being polite. Not only students, but parents and grandparents alike let competition get a hold of them and acted like children. Congrats to those who played and maybe your fans will grow up sometime...

Just for future stories ma'am: Get the whole story.

You got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I was wondering is why Altamont's parents and grandparents were the ones sitting front row. The student bodies usually are the ones who sit there. This isn't the first low class thing Altamont has done and it won't be the last!

Just wanted to say how classy Woods Cross was in the 4A soccer tournament game against Springville. We sat by a father from Woods Cross the whole game. He was very courteous and after we talked to a lot of the parents from Woods Cross. They wished us good luck and were very gracious in defeat. Very classy. Sometimes we only hear about the bad, when there is a lot of good out there.

You should be complaining about how childish the parents and granparents acted from your school! Never before has a team specifically taken the front three rows in an attempt to keep the other teams student body from being able to cheer. Your student body and parents dropped to an all time low. Is winning really that important that you as parents and fans are willing to swear at the opposing teams cheer leaders? Talk about some questionable o.k.? Not only was it low for a student body to act like this but the parents and grandparents from your commuity were apart of it as well!!! Great job with your "O.K." sportmanship

Our society is broken. Sports is just another manifestation. We (parents, society, coaches) have managed to turn the one thing that was the most fair, the most beautiful, sports; into a hate filled mockery.

I know the effort that goes into EVERY team that plays. Some teams work 12 months a year, some teams get thrown together at the last minute. But the effort of the child is the POINT. It's really not about trophies. AND PLEASE, idiot city leagues, PLEASE stop handing out "champion" or "MVP" trophies to every little kid that signs up for a rec. league. It markedly increases the stupidity of the parents. Pretty soon they start to think the trophy is the most important part of it all and lose their kids in the hardware.

IT'S NOT! It's about the relationships that are built. It's about learning HOW to work harder than you thought possible, even when you are dead tired.

It is NOT the destination. It is the journey.

We ALL need to remember that. Even me.

all of you that didn't know why the adults were sitting where students "ususally" sit should see what happens at Rich home games.

This is a great article. This is something that definately needs to be addressed. This is the first time I have not attended the state volleyball championships for many years, and while I love being from Rich County, there are many times when I have been embarrassed by the comments of my fellow Rebel fans. We need to be better examples to our children and one another. To all those who comment on what poor sports Rich or Altamont have are showing poor sportsmanship themselves. This is something all schools have been guilty of at one time or other, and its time All SCHOOLS AND PARENTS!!! start showing goood sportsmanship. Thanks Amy for bringing this to our attention.

Brings out the best and the worst. Hopefully those that have a hard time can learn from their mistakes and become better individuals. That is what it is all about.

You will see both at almost every sporting event you go to.

Long live athletics, competition, and people maturing!!

I've seen examples of poor sportsmanship over the years. Football teams rushing the field to fight, fans taunting and fighting one another after games, fans taunting the losing team after games.
I've also seen examples of good sportsmanship.
I've heard a head coach tell his team to treat their opponents with respect, especially because the other team had lost every game that season. Coaches stepping in front of their athletes to stop them from rushing the field when the other team started a fight on field and telling them to let the officials handle things. Fans writing comments on this newspaper's web site praising their team's opponents for good and fair play.
Sadly, some DO use "the spirit of competition" as an excuse to act totally irresponsible.
I believe that the norm is to be respectful toward opponents. I hope so. I think the reason this incident stands out is because it's unusual for things to go to such extremes.
But then, it's probably the reason football fans are seated on opposite sides of the field from one another, and directed to enter and exit through different gates, far from one another.

boo all haters of Rich just because they get a bunch of boys who will come cheer and have fun and if we are talking about sportsmanship then think of all the times Altamont put up RIP signs in their gym, just because Rich didnt win the championship they still got 3rd place and that is better than all but 2 other teams in the state so congrats to the rebels

Thank you!! Sometimes as fans, including me, we get as Amy is refering to...... UGLY!! I don't think its cause we are living in our high school years as some previous comments state. But maybe being protective of the athletes, and when you hear comments being said about young ladies.... it's tough to take. Should of taken the higher road, YES!! But because of previous experiences, felt our girls needed extra back up. Maybe comes down to all administraion being on the same page with sportmanship. And not allow such nonsense to ever start.

I totally agree with you!!! Great comment!!!!