Behavior Expectations for Fans

Behavior Expectations of Student Groups

• Always provide positive support for your team. Never ridicule or degrade the opposing team or players.
• Conduct yourself in an exemplary manner. Remember that you represent your school both at home and away.
• Assist cheerleaders with yells, chants, etc. Always be a working part of pep assemblies with preparation, organization and involvement.
• Treat opposing players, coaches, spectators and support groups with respect and enthusiasm. Applaud good performances on both teams. Doing this will show that you understand and can recognize good performance, regardless of team affiliation.
• Always display proper sportsmanship toward officials and value their contributions to the game. Respect the judgments made during a contest. All calls are impartial and should be accepted by all parties.
• Use only positive cheers, signs and chants during a contest. This will show that you understand proper sportsmanship while giving your organization and school a good reputation.

Behavior Expectations of Spectators

• Always support your team and the efforts of all participants involved.
• Do not intimidate or ridicule a player, coach, or official before, during or after a contest.
• Always praise athletes for their actions during a game; never degrade a participant for their efforts. Athletics are a learning experience for students, and mistakes will be made.
• A ticket is a privilege to observe the contest, not a license to verbally assault others or be generally obnoxious.
• Learn the rules of the game so that you may understand and appreciate why certain situations take place.
• Always respect the integrity and judgment of officials. They are present to regulate the flow and enforce the rules of the game. An official should never be degraded or ridiculed for a call they make.
• Show respect for the opposing players, coaches, spectators and support groups. Treat them as guests to your school.
• Use only cheers that support and uplift the teams involved.
• Recognize and show appreciation for an outstanding play by either team.
• Refrain from the use of any controlled substance (alcohol, drugs, etc.) before, during and after the game, on or near the site of the event (i.e. tailgating).
• Be a positive role model at events through your own actions and by censuring those around you whose behavior is unbecoming.

Helpful Information for Crowd Control Planning

An important part of ensuring that proper sportsmanship is displayed at athletic contests is to have a policy in place for dealing with crowd control. The following general suggestions will help administrators and managers prepare for situations that may arise.

• Establish written behavioral standards and expectations. Coaches, players, students, cheerleaders, spectators, and school personnel should understand these standards and expectations. They should be communicated in a variety of ways, expected to be followed and consequences in place when they are not.
• Make sure that visiting schools and the officials are greeted when they arrive and a supervision plan is in place to escort teams and officials to safely enter, participate, and exit the facility at the end of the event without harassment. 
• Establish and communicate policies and emergency procedures. Have policies and emergency procedures in place regarding fire, drinking and possession of alcoholic beverages, possession, use or sale of drugs, medical emergencies, public health emergencies, bomb threats, active shooter scenarios, severe weather, alternatives in case of score clock, light or other facility failures, transportation problems, and other crowd disruptions.
• Identify supervisors and ushers. They should be expected to be active and visible to spectators to discourage and quickly identify problems.
• Establish job descriptions and expectations of event personnel. Inform event staff about their duties, rules, regulations, and emergency procedures. Encourage them to avoid becoming too involved in watching the event and to be observant, active, and consistent in applying rules and procedures.
•  Be consistent in applying policies and rules. Be supportive of your supervisory personnel at contests. Make sure they know you respect and appreciate their role in supplying the students involved with educational and character-building lessons.
• Seat student groups and spectators in appropriate places. Avoid seating bands or spectators near the visiting team bench and the visiting team seating area.
• Act on policies and procedures. When someone is behaving in an undesirable way which violate the rules of good sportsmanship, do something about it. Actions speak louder than words. Inaction allows the establishment of undesirable examples and habits that can lead to more serious problems, and result in negative learning.
• Do not allow illegal substances inside the contest facility. Have admissions, ticket sales and parking lot personnel observe and screen people for possession of alcoholic beverages, intoxication and abnormal or suspicious behavior. Alert crowd control supervisors to observe behavior and whereabouts of potential problem people.
• Supervise restrooms. Have personnel in place to identify and discourage any negative behavior that may occur at or around the restroom facilities.
• Assist and accommodate all persons with special needs. Make every reasonable attempt to ensure any person with special needs can enjoy the athletic contest. This includes providing viewing areas for special needs individuals as well as informing them of exits and pertinent facility information.
• Have facility diagrams visible to the public showing accessible areas and emergency exits. Every spectator at the event needs to be aware of the proper exits and points of access available to them. This will help with crowd control and prepare all parties in case of emergency.

When high school coaches lose their cool at athletic events, it gives fans the impression they can too. Coaches are reminded always to set a good example for their school communities.