New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

Since New Ulm Sports Central had previously reported incidents at New Ulm High School, as a matter of record, the following report is reproduced from the New Ulm Journal issue of Thursday Mary 4, 2010 where it was reported as a page one banner story.

District 88 drafts sportsmanship rules
An outcome of disciplinarian incident at October volleyball game

By Kremena Spengler Staff Writer
NEW ULM - Several ideas to emphasize positive student behavior at athletic events will be implemented in District 88, according to a "sportsmanship plan" drafted by a sportsmanship task force of teachers, school officials and parents.
The plan was shared with the School Board last month.
The sportsmanship task force was formed after high school students were disciplined last fall, as a result of incidents at Eagles' games that were seen as poor sportsmanship. One incident involved expelling students from a volleyball game.
After several discussions at that time, administrators and parents reached a consensus about the need to strengthen dialogue between the school district and student families and to better communicate expectations.
Before coming up with the list, the sportsmanship task force met earlier this year to discuss student handbook statements, Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) statements, South Central Conference rules and expectations and sportsmanship statements posted on the Internet.
The ideas that came up as a result of this study include:
Sportsmanship expectations will be read prior to all contest by either the announcer or a team representative.
Vests will be provided for event supervisors to clearly identify who authority figures are at a competition.
Written references will be included in game programs about spectator expectations - no noise makers, no use of obscene banners, show respect for the national anthem, etc.
Documentation will be kept that MSHSL rules have been communicated prior to a season beginning. This can be accomplished by: the student handbook; a parent meeting prior to the start of a season; by coaches meeting with student athletes and parents, etc.
The group also discussed a possible requirement that all participants attend an informational meeting prior to participation in fall, winter or spring sports. This thought raised a few questions - issues cited were illness, family issues, vacations, etc., officials report.
In the most widely discussed sportsmanship incident in question, Eagles fans were expelled from a volleyball game last October, after a referee deemed chants and other behaviors unacceptable.
About 40 students were subsequently disciplined by being banned from watching, or participating in, a certain number of athletic events for a specific period of time.