LUXEMBOURG, Wis. (NBC 26) — Emotions run high in sports.
“We’re not perfect, everyone makes mistakes,” said Jenny Bandow, athletic director at Luxemburg-Casco High School. “I have slip-ups from time to time when I’m taking care of my own children or training.”
Bandow is one of many youth sports officials who have expressed concern about the growing trend of negative parental behavior at sporting events.
There have been several notable incidents in Wisconsin in recent years:
Bandow said that while she understands the emotion of competition, sportsmanship is a priority at LC.
“It means a lot to me and I think our fans know my expectations,” she said. “Like when we made it to the state league, I sent out a lot of messages: ‘How do we want to be remembered?’ How do we want people to perceive Luxembourg-Casco?”
College sports are one thing, but Tim Marquart – a longtime referee and president of the Green Bay Officials Association – says the younger the age, the worse it can get.
“I would say that in youth sports, parents are more aggressive,” Marquart said. “Parental behaviors have not developed as well as some of the behaviors in high school.”
This could have an impact on referees and umpires, but perhaps worst of all, Marquart said it could negatively impact players.
“I have witnessed situations where children had to stop playing because they were distracted by what was happening behind the fence,” Marquart said.
“Let’s let the kids play this game,” he added. “(These fans) are behaving in such a way that you can’t even concentrate on what’s going on.”
Marquart adds that he thinks parental behavior is even worse when it comes to club sports.
“The schools do a pretty good job because they are connected to the educational side,” Marquart said. “Schools have more consistency. When you start participating in other youth tournaments, the level of discipline and consequences are not always as clear.
Jason Wheelock, director of operations for Fox Valley Performance Volleyball Club, sees it similarly.
“The club world is probably… Well, it is, it is more prone to this type of behavior,” Wheelock said. “It really is.”
He believes the pressure to succeed and the closeness of fans to the competition play a role.
“All of these teams have top high school players, which makes the game more intense. “It’s a next-level game,” Wheelock said. “And more and more people are coming to these smaller, little courts. So there are several hundred people around this one court.
It’s something his players say they’ve felt.
“There are definitely parents who are very involved in this game,” said Owen Krause, a junior at Kimberly High School. “It could be very intense and affect some of the other players.”
“You hear your parent chirping on the sidelines and your focus is more on your parent than on the game,” added Appleton North senior Jadon Ciriacks. “At the end of the day we only have one point.”
To address this, the Community First Champion Center, a youth sports complicated in Grand Chute, implemented a unique design.
At the Champion Center, which hosts major club tournaments almost every weekend, most of the seating is on the level above the playing area.
“Coaches and officials obviously love being away from their parents,” said Adam Ligocki, general director of the facility.
Ligocki believes that the project maintains the appropriate distance between fans and players.
“It keeps parents and others away from coaches and referees and allows everyone to focus on what they have to do that day and the game,” he said. “Parents can be fans upstairs, players can be on the field and officials can do their jobs.”
This separation can facilitate, but it doesn’t completely remove the excitement from the game. Those involved say a little restraint can go a long way.
“Our coaches and referees may not do something you agree with,” Bandow said, encouraging fans to voice their thoughts under their breath. “I don’t expect you not to have those feelings, but just make it enjoyable for everyone. “
Wheelock believes it all comes down to the Golden Rule.
“I just like it when people treat other people right,” Wheelock said. “So if we can help the kids along the way – us adults – then I think it will help them become better people. And I think that’s just good.”
Almost all parties involved in this story noticed one common theme: money. Wheelock, Marquart and others believe that parents are spending more on youth sports than ever before and therefore feel pressure to succeed.
Note: An informal survey of Green Bay area officials found that Luxemburg-Casco was one of four schools that reported the most positive fan behavior. That’s why LC was chosen for this story.
