In the belief that good sportsmanship on the part of spectators at high school athletic contest is as important as good sportsmanship on the part of athletes; the following guides for conduct are suggested as a means of continuing and strengthening the ties that exist between competing schools.
Basic Philosophy: Visiting team members, students and adult spectators are guests to be accorded all the courtesy and consideration that a friendly, well mannered and well intentioned host would normally give. The visitors, in turn, are to act as invited guests, using the home school’s facilities with care and respecting the rules and customs of the home school.
It is expected that all spectators and participants will follow this code:
- Athletic opponents and officials are guests and should be treated as such.
- Spectators should watch the game from those areas designated by each school as spectator areas.
- It shall be the responsibility of authorized school personnel attending games, either at home or away, to make sure students from their school conduct themselves appropriately.
- Officials are the proper authorities to make decisions regarding rules and their interpretation; these decisions should be accepted.
- Cheering should be in support of either team and should not be directed toward creating unfriendly rivalries among athletes of fans.
- Any spectator who evidences poor sportsmanship will be requested to leave and may be denied admission to future contests.
Spectators, athletes and coaches must recognize that their conduct plays an important role in establishing the reputation of their schools and that their positive actions can relate directly to the success of their teams.