Coupeville Sports

You gotta fight. Fight for your right to boo.

Buried near the bottom of the spiffy new Coupeville Middle and High School Co-Curricular/Athletic Participant Eligibility forms is something new.

Something aimed, whether school officials will admit it or not (they won’t), at giving them more firepower to reign in any parents that get out of control. Something aimed at combating specific incidents (which they would NEVER, EVER confirm) from last year.

The final paragraph of the Athletic Code, which has to be agreed to and signed by both Wolf athletes and their parent or guardian for the athlete to be eligible, now reads:

Parent/Guardian Sportsmanship Acknowledgement: I understand that the players, coaches and officials involved in athletics work hard to prepare for contests and my support and understanding are expected.

It is a privilege, not a right, that I am admitted into contests in order to support the spirit of athletics and the endeavors of the players.

I am expected to demonstrate respect and class for the players, coaches, fellow fans and officials by cheering great plays, accepting the calls by the officials and supporting everyone involved in the contest no matter what team they are on.

If I fail to act in a respectful manner, I may be asked to leave contests.

I am expected to win with class and lose with dignity, just like the student athletes.

I have conflicted feelings about the addition.

On the one hand, every school has that one parent who consistently goes over the line and is begging to be suspended from the gym for life. Coupeville is no different.

If this helps with one particular situation that looms over Wolf girls’ sports like a dark thunder cloud, then great. It’s worth it.

But, for anyone who witnessed the God-awful level of officiating offered during the high school basketball season last year — several months where officials entered the CHS gym with a blatant chip on their shoulder, determined to “tame” the Wolf fans by proving they were in charge, while making some truly unconscionable calls — I have two words to say on getting everyone to politely clap after every call.

Good luck.

The Coupeville gym is not a dungeon where other teams fear for their lives. Wolf fans are not Raider fans. No one is throwing things at rival players.

Which is amazing, really, when you see an Orcas Island basketball player uncork a full punch at a CHS player (and miss) a foot in front of a ref and not be punished at all. No foul. No ejection. No suspension.

If the father of the Wolf player had gone on the court and cold-cocked the Orcas ass, he would have been arrested.

If Wolf fans had stormed the court and initiated the riot the Orcas player was trying to incite, as he waved his hands in the air and mocked Coupeville, then I understand new measures needing to be put in place.

But I’m sorry. You can’t tell people they can’t boo.

Sometimes it’s deserved. Sometimes it’s needed. Sometimes it’s the safety net that keeps far more serious things from happening.

This is still America last time I looked and, dangnab it, we boo here.