Student section patrol

I found this article in Tuesday's Journal Sentinel to be rather interesting.

If you think I'm playing a dirty trick on you, or you are too lazy to click a mouse, I'll give you the short version here:

A group of students at New Berlin West got into some hot water for cheers which the administration deemed were in poor taste. They also had sexually-suggestive sayings on T-shirts. As a result, the school's principal gave the students a somewhat demeaning quiz asking questions such as: True or False, When my kids grow up, I want them to be exactly like me after two were kicked out of a girls basketball game on Friday.

The article goes on to adress some of the questionable cheers the student section performs, such as chanting "air ball" at a player that, surprise, shot an air ball.

I go back and forth on the issue. One of the best aspects of covering high school sports is the crazed student section. I love it. It makes those long January games all the more interesting.

There has to be a line, however. You can keep it creative and positive at the same time. Don't be overly mean toward an individual or team and don't say anything you wouldn't want said to you in return.

With that being said, I think some administrators need to lighten up. Chanting "air ball" is something that has been going on at games for years. While it's not the most creative chant in the world, it certainly isn't as horrible as the administrators make it seem to be.

Student support should be cultivated at every opportunity, not thwarted. Administrators should work with students — not against them — to foster a positive and creative environment for everyone.

Now