Looking for Character

Last week, I spoke to student-athletes and parents at Decatur Eisenhower high school on Monday evening and concluded the week sharing the same message with the athletic family at Decatur MacArthur high school. Those presentations are one of several newly implemented event sequences  by the Decatur Public School District administration as it attempts to address and re-shape the interscholastic sports' programs.

As I made personal preparations for those two presentations, I reflected on my perceptions of the changing high school sports' landscape from my first encounter in 1954, as an athlete at East St. Louis high school, through a thirty-nine year coaching journey and my current observations approaching the 2012 school year. In general summary, I would advance the notion that today's athletes are stronger, faster and exposed to greater preparation knowledge. Without argument, parents of today's interscolastic athletes have played a more hands-on part as many coached little league and youth league teams of their children and connect to the high school sport involvement. Having my parents at 'every' little contest or coaching my youth teams was an unfamiliar concept. My parents did attend high school games but they held and stated a philosophy, "if you don't like something about your school team position then do something to change it; don't come home belly-aching."

Perhaps the most disturbing change noted is the relatively new behavior model demonstrated by professional and college athletes, which is filtering into the high school sport reflection. We have heard the sport cliche', 'to the victor goes the spoils.' Since when is public humiliation of your opponent through various displays of degrading and debasing (the contest-loser) part of those 'spoils?'
The home run hitter stops to strike a grandiose pose after his blast. The football tackler makes animalistic noises and struts obnoxiously after a 'sack.' The basketball player who just dunked must stop to taunt his failed defender. From the moment I put on my first all-wool baseball pants until I played my final college game, I heard my father's voice in my head; "Boy, don't you gloat in victory and don't you dare hang your head in defeat!" When he spoke in that manner-of-tone there was never follow-up conversations.

It is often said that 'sport builds character.' I am of a equally strong opinion that sport more readily REVEALS character. Haughty and arrogant behavior is driven by insecurities and the fear of losing self-worth.