How is running up the score in high school sports fair play?

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 25, 2021

Over the last several years I’ve seen a disturbing trend developing among Snohomish County girls high school basketball games. In that time, I’ve seen game scores in the sports section of local newspapers, such as 83-15, 67-9 and 53-6. What gives?

I’ve noticed this also on a personal level. I have a family member who plays on a school team that if they get six or seven girls that want to play, they’re lucky. These are just teenage girls that have a lot of heart and desire to play the game. They also realize that without topnotch players their chances of winning are not that great.

What I don’t understand is why is it when they play teams that have twice as many players and three or four top-notch players, that these teams feel it necessary to run-up the score? Half a dozen games that my family member played in, over the last couple of years, the opposing teams were on an average 35-plus points ahead halfway thought the second half. Yet all but one of them kept their star players in for most of the rest of the game.

No matter what excuses people may give, they still won’t convince me, as well as many others, that this is just more talented teams taking a mean-spirited advantage of much lesser talented teams. What has happened to the idea of simple sportsmanship?

Tom T. Davis

Everett