Bullying has no place in high school sports

I just read another story about a third-grade bully. There it was, proof that there’s an epidemic of indecency going on. We need some intimidating rules to stop the kids from harassing each other.

Since bullying is not limited to classrooms and hallways, the Washington State Legislature passed a new law. Senate-House Bill 1444, requires school districts to adopt policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying by Aug. 1, 2003

The bill identifies harassment, intimidation or bullying (HIB). The policy is to be a component of the district’s responsibility to create and maintain a safe, civil, respectful and inclusive learning community. Does that apply equally to competitive sports? Is sports intimidation exempt from the law?

Parents or guardians, students, volunteers, school employees and community representatives were involved in the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s development of a model policy. The model policy is to be distributed to school boards by Aug. 1, 2002. The draft suggests HIB “can take many forms including: slurs, rumors, jokes, innuendos, demeaning comments, drawings, cartoons, pranks, gestures. Physical attacks, threats, or other written or physical action.”

Time out! Will school districts be lawfully required to adopt and enforce the same HIB policies for school sports? After all, sports may be the bullying classroom for entire student bodies.

Harassment, intimidation or bullying (HIB) is tradition in most sports. They have been considered freedom of expression and indicators of spirit and support. Entire teams try to intimidate each other, verbally and physically. Always have.

It takes rule-violation penalties to minimize verbal and visual trashing of an opponent. At some high schools harassing signs had to be eliminated by rules, not by any great dedication to sportsmanship. As one coach said to his team, “Sportsmanship doesn’t win games.” Really?

Most rules are designed to intimidate coaches and players, but have little influence on those who can’t be penalized for breaking the rules of decency. Coaches harass officials and officials intimidate coaches with flags and whistles. But try to bully an official and a penalty results.

Sports HIB is contagious. Players can get it from coaches, fans get it from players, opponents from opponents, kids from ESPN and movies, and parents from parents.

One genus of HIB is claimed to be caused by commercialized freedom of speech. Even among the pros, lines are drawn over the “right” to intimidate by wearing “Yankees Suck” T-shirts.

Intimidation and bullying are often modeled by political necessity. Albert Einstein said it well, “It (atomic energy) may intimidate the human race into bringing order into its international affairs, which without the pressure of fear, it we could not do.” Albert Einstein (Einstein on the atomic bomb, Atlantic Monthly, November 1945) Being feared is a bully’s reward.

Coaches harass players and players intimidate opponents. Fans from some towns are bullies. We all know a few huge football linemen or Shaq-like basketball players that intimidate opponents to the cheers of fans.

Then there is the problem of protection for HIB reporters. Bullies will be bullies when the rule enforcers aren’t present. SHB 1444 protects those who report incidents of harassment, intimidation, or bullying by making them immune from a cause of action for damages from any failure to remedy the reported incident.

So I looked up “bully” and found it refers to one who exercises harsh control, a bruiser, a domineering and aggressive person (a bucko), one who tends to control harshly, is oppressive, tyrannical. They brag, crow, vain glory, boast, gas. Yup, bullying is part of being an athlete.

So what’s a non-bully? Modesty, being humble, bashful (unnatural modesty), shy, demure, prudish, prim, Victorian. Yup, most athletes soon change. Sports intimidation is part of growing up.

Sports has always been infected with HIB.

There must be some form of bullying when a basketball score get to 50 and the opponent has 22.

Intimidating is part of the sport ego. Harassment is prevalent and accepted in sports.

Bullies need an audience. Bullies quit bullying when they lose. Bullies never bully someone stronger.

“Air Ball, Air Ball, Air Ball” is intended to be intimidating.

Waving long balloons while an opponent is at the free throw line is intentional harassment.

Those who bully need to have supporters to feel good about bullying. They need someone to bully and someone to approve. Seldom do you see a lone bully.

School districts will be intimidated by the requirement to report all HIB incidents resulting in disciplinary action. School districts will be intimidated by the requirement to report all incidents resulting in disciplinary action. SPI must then compile the data and report it to the legislature.

Sound like a bully flexing legislative muscle? No, it’s unfortunate a law is necessary to stop such immature behavior in schools, but the model of acceptable HIB just may be what happens in/at youth sports?

SPI must compile the data and report it to the legislature. Sound like legislative bullying? No, it’s unfortunate a law is necessary to stop such immature behavior in schools, but is it good or bad in sports?

Nearly all forms of bullying are not appreciated by those who might benefit most from the bullies. They don’t want to win that way.

We need to bully-proof our schools. In youth sports, stepping up to the plate just may be an opportunity to learn how to deal with HIB. Of course the HIB batter’s box has some lines and the intimidating pitcher needs be kept at a safe, civil, respectful and inclusive learning distance away.

One can’t help but wonder how courageous are the kids who face up to a bully. In sports even if they lose, they are better.

Cliff Gillies, former executive director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, writes weekly during the school year for The Herald. His mailing address is 7500 U.S. Highway 101, South Bend, WA 98586. His e-mail address is cliffsal@techline.com.