High School Athletes Won’t Shake Hands in Post-Game Anymore?
Did you see this yet?
According to Kentucky.Com, The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has issued a “Commissioner’s Directive” advising schools not to hold organized post-game handshake lines because of too many fights and physical conflicts.
Really?
I remember being a high school athlete, and having to listen to what seemed like a long and boring speech in our pre-game announcement about how our school expected all participants to demonstrate sportsmanship.
It seemed like overkill at times, but at least the repetition elevated sportsmanship and insisted on civility being the norm.
These instructions from Kentucky’s athletic governing body seem to send the opposite message to players: because a few of you can’t control yourselves at games, we will now change the norm. Civility will no longer be an expectation for game play; it will be considered unachievable.
We will let the actions of a few strip the humanity out of the whole.
I disagree, Kentucky. You set the standards. And you have the option to call kids to rise to the standards of the athletic community by showing self control and manners during a post-game ritual. If they are unwilling to adhere to those standards, just like if they were unwilling to abide by other policies regarding substance abuse or mouthing off to a coach, they would forfeit their chance to participate in the program.
When we stop expecting and teaching civility, we’re going to get even less of it.
UPDATE: Since this post was released, this article by The Courier Journal reported the KHSAA has called its original press release “poorly worded” and said instead of banning post-game handshakes between teams, it wishes to monitor them to ensure no fights result. Schools will be fined if conflict arises from the handshakes. Special thanks to Kentuckian Josh Salsburey for keeping me in the loop. :)
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