Recent events need to spark a conversation
Recent developments, which sparked an insightful column by The Star-Ledger’s Mark DiIonno, have made us re-think whether the timing is right for celebrating student sections.
While the actions in one student section – more accurately, the actions of a handful of students in that one student section – don’t come anywhere near indicting student sections all over New Jersey, the timing seems more appropriate for having a conversation about sportsmanship in the bleachers and elsewhere.
We were interested in celebrating the rowdy, loud, school-spirited groups we know are out there making noise while being respectful and positive. We see in the video from the Jefferson-Dover basketball game that that's not always the case, and DiIonno's column and our own observations, frankly, show there may be reason for soul-searching - or at least a conversation.
RELATED: Jefferson student antics more common than you think | Di Ionno
DiIonno writes, “Student sections have become increasingly mean-spirited, at times even cruel. All in the name of good clean fun.” After listing some of the nasty types of behavior we’ve all seen in one form or another, he continues, “Sitting in the stands these days is taken by some kids as a license to be insulting, cutting, and yell things to players they would never say to their faces.”
With these thoughts in mind, we’ve decided to suspend our best-student-section contest this season and instead work on having that conversation.
Let’s start right here. Please answer these poll questions, and use the comment section below to tell us about what you’ve witnessed in the stands at HS sporting events.
For those of you who spent time nominating your school, we're sorry to disappoint you. We'll probably come back for another try down the road.
Question 1
Question 2
Please expand on your answers and offer other observations in the comments below.