It must have been tough for Victor Valley High School Superintendent Carl J. Coles and Principal Darius Robinson to cancel their team’s next football game.
But it was the right thing to do.
As The California Post reported, some players on the the Victor Valley High School football team taunted their rivals from Apple Valley High School last weekend with obscene gestures and foul language.
The team mascot joined in as Victor Valley mocked the players from Apple Valley — and the fans.
The game’s officials were furious but could not control the unsportsmanlike behavior.
So Victor Valley’s leaders stepped in.
They told the team, and the school, that they were going to forfeit the next game.
Because it didn’t matter that Victor Valley defeated Apple Valley, 20-7, on the field.
The way they won was so ugly that it felt, even to those who love the school, like a loss.
Coles and Robinson made a tough decision — one that will, no doubt, be unpopular among some team members, families, and fans.
But they wanted to send a clear message about sportsmanship — and about life.
And that message couldn’t be more urgent.
As The California Post reported earlier this week, 69% of youth sports referees say that sportsmanship is fading — often because angry parents are setting the worst possible example.
Adults need to take charge. That is why what Victor Valley did was so important.
The point of sports is not simply to dominate the other side. If that were the goal, only people on the winning team would participate.
The point is to challenge each other to excel, to push our boundaries.
And that only works if we all agree to treat each other with a basic level of respect.
Yes, there is some amount of trash-talking and braggadocio that comes with youth sports, especially football.
And that’s good. You have to let kids be kids. And you have to keep that competitive spirit alive.
We don’t want school principals benching players every time they spike the football a little too hard.
That would destroy the fun of the game.
But it’s important to remind players — and coaches — that sportsmanship isn’t just an old-fashioned idea. It’s the heart of the game.
The superintendent and principal of Victor Valley High also taught the players another important lesson.
Sometimes you have to make a tough decision that people won’t like. Especially as a coach, or as a parent.
But it’s always worth the criticism — if the decision is the right one.
The players on Victor Valley’s team might feel, at first, like they have lost something.
But in the long run, they will come out ahead. And not just on the field.
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