Safety is an important aspect of good sportsmanship. The goal at the end of the day is to keep both players and fans safe, as daunting a task as that has proven to be. It has become difficult for schools to contain fan-behaviour during sporting activities. According to Burrick (NIAAA, 2009), unsafe fan celebration has become rampant over the past, more so in college basketball and football. Due to this the NCAA sat down and came up with solutions and regulations to ensure safe sportsmanship.
Amongst the numerous solutions offered by the NCAA was having two types of goalposts, a H-shaped one that cannot be torn down or uprights that can be collapsed before the fans get to them. This as per Scott Rosner, would pose more danger to the fans as there is a possibility of falling as one attempts to bring the uprights down. Melnick, a social psychologist, also argued that the greatest contributor to fan misbehaviour was viewing the other team as the enemy hence distorting the essence of the game (NIAAA, 2009). I remain sceptical of this approach because sports remains a deeply rooted social activity and the opposing side is always viewed as the antagonist.
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Based on the article to effectively contain the fans, alcohol use should be banned in pitches and the schools hosting visiting team should ensure the safety of players, on both teams and set up thorough methods to contain the fans, as per Van Milligen (2015) this can be further emphasized by the presence of a rapid response team, comprising of security guards, guest services professionals and local police. Handley (2012), affirms that some fans remain disciplined when strict laws are put in place and enforced appropriately. It is only through such stern measures that most of them choose to maintain discipline and enjoy the game. Taking measures like these will ensure safety during sports and greatly improve the quality of sportsmanship.
References
Handley, M. (2017). When It's Right to Punish Football Clubs for Their Fans' Behaviour. HuffPost UK. Retrieved 13 November 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/matthew-handley/egypt-football-riots-when-its-right-to-punish-clubs_b_1376918.html
National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA). (2009). Leadership training course 630: Interscholastic contest management planning preparation and methods.
Van Milligen, D. (2017). How to Prevent Fan Violence at Sporting Events - Athletic Business. Athleticbusiness.com. Retrieved 12 November 2017, from http://www.athleticbusiness.com/stadium-arena-security/how-to-prevent-fan-violence-at-sporting-events.html
