Activities Sportsmanship

Good sportsmanship is a top priority of the Virginia High School League.  The manner in which your school is represented is far more important than whether your team wins or loses.  Good sportsmanship is all about respect - respect for oneself, for teammates, opposing teams, coaches, judges, audience and for Forensics itself. 

Inappropriate behavior is easy to identify.  One need ask only two questions:

1.    Is the observed behavior respectful of the targeted audience?

2.    Does the observed behavior reflect positively on your school?

If the answer to either question is no, then the behavior is inappropriate and must not be tolerated.  Respect must be a priority at all times and in all situations.

Each participating coach bears a huge responsibility for making sure that good sportsmanship is valued.  Inappropriate behavior can be an embarrassment to students, coaches, judges, administrators, the community and to the VHSL. 

Each participating school is expected to provide administrators and other chaperones to actively supervise its student body and fans during the tournament and address inappropriate behavior if or when it occurs.  Individuals who are disruptive, disrespectful, fail to comply with facility and/or VHSL procedures or otherwise behave inappropriately will be escorted from the facility.

§       Coaches and school administrators have primary responsibility for observing their student body and fans, and for taking corrective action when their students or fans behave inappropriately.  Students will react more quickly and more positively to their own teachers and administrators than they will to an unknown security guard.

§       VHSL staff is not responsible for making sure your students and fans behave.  That is your responsibility. 

§       Watching the events is secondary to your supervision.  You are "on duty" during the tournament, and your supervision must be active.  VHSL and tournament staff will assist when necessary.

EXAMPLES OF UNSPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOR

The following list is by no means "all inclusive," but is provided to draw attention to behaviors occasionally witnessed at Forensics tournaments.  Please review this list with your student body and coaches so that they will know what is not acceptable.

§       Entering a lower-level competition and not participating in subsequent competitions (if qualified) due to schedule or other conflicts that are known beforehand.   In the event an individual or team knows in advance of a district, regional or state tournament that it will be unable to compete in all scheduled rounds, the individual or team should not be permitted to participate at all.

§       Distracting a performance with unnecessary and extraneous noise, movements, facial gestures, etc. 

§       Entering/exiting during a performance save for an emergency

§       Seeking access to impromptu or extemporaneous topics in forensics prior to participation

§       Antagonizing, intimidating or abusing participants, tournament staff or others

§       Challenging a judge's comments or rankings

§       Displays of temper, anger, boasting, use of profanity or arguing with tournament staff or judges

§       Talking, booing, hissing or making any distracting noise during competition

§       Taking pictures with flash during a performance

Unsportsmanlike behavior must be addressed by school coaches or administrators if/when they occur.  Failure to do so is a violation of The League's Sportsmanship Rule.

Remember, good sportsmanship is all about respect.  Win with humility; lose with grace; do both with dignity.