My boys whatever profession you decide to pursue, be a trendsetter. Let me be the first to argue that handshake lines at the end of a game are ridiculous when it comes to the argument of sportsmanship. Do you think if you beat a team by 40 points it is truly sportsmanship to go shake hands and say good game? Or if you get a butt-whooping by 40 do you think there is a need to validate sportsmanship by saying "good-game' to superior competition? Absolutely not. Therefore, why do we continue to do it? The fact that it has been around for generations and how dare someone challenge the belief.
This is not an argument to eliminate the handshake or water-down sportsmanship. Simply it is an outline to work smarter not harder. Way too often we see highlight reels flooded with brawls. These brawls are taking place after games filled with heated emotions. Players and coaches work tirelessly for one night of jubilation while fans hinge on every pass, pitch, or shot. The most recent that comes to mind is the Kansas and Kansas State brawl on live TV. As Kansas was closing out another win by 20 plus points the 2 head coaches walked to one another for the old “fake sportsmanship” get out of here hand shake while a scuffle ensued in the stands. If the coaches had a handshake of solitary before tipping-off in front of both teams, referees, fans, and a national audience signifying sportsmanship then they and the staffs could have been more alert-oriented and engaged to the happenings at the end of regulation. How many spectators pay admission to watch the end of the line handshakes? Doing so before games start only puts greater emphasis on sportsmanship and can easily be featured with after the National Anthem. Both teams and coaches walk to center court or fields, shake hands and wish one another a “good-game.” After the competition have security waiting to escort each team away from one another in their respective direction to locker rooms. Not only is this better for player safety but for fan safety especially.
Without further ado here is my statement to the National Federation of High School Athletics and the NCAA.
“The supreme measure of value that school and university athletic programs must show is the citizenship displayed by those who represent the community. Hence, teaching and living good sportsmanship should be the fundamental objective of all programs. Therefore, each member of coaching staffs and their players will begin to shake hands pregame verse postgame to preserve the spirit of sportsmanship. I believe that representing the school systems and NCAA institutions not only is a privilege but also carries with it a deeper burden of being an inspiration to the next generation of athletes as well as the responsibility of being a beacon of light representing these entities everywhere competition is played. Even more so, no single individual has a greater influence on sportsmanship than that of a coach. It is, after all, the coach that sets the tone and provides the most visible example of team values. The long-standing motto that teams take on the personality of their coach could not be more accurate then when it relates to appropriate sportsmanship. As a result, all members ought to adopt an emphasis on “Respecting the game starts with Respecting your opponent.” A coach is the one person verse any other who has the greatest access to student-athletes and wields the most influence over the team. The coach serves multiple roles from teacher, to parent figure, to role model, to disciplinarian and is held accountable as well. The influence of a coach in the life of an athlete will many times extend far beyond the sports arena. To be addressed as “Coach” is an honor because the title carries respect and esteem to the great responsibility of leading young people. In keeping with the highest regard for the spirit of sport not only will all member players but all member coaches as well will be required to shake hands with opponent’s pre-game as the sign of the newly adopted motto. Our community example not only speaks to the teams that will be fielded but will reflect the coaches’ administrators choose to lead our young adults.”
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