Sven Alskog

Sports Editor

From an early age every athlete is taught the basics of what one word means.

Sportsmanship.

While it is preached often, it seems to me many still have no firm grasp of why this is important.

I’d like to preface this by connecting what I am going to say to Idaho State University athletes and coaches.

Here at ISU, there is a great exception.

Throughout my time at the university I have worked with, lived with, interviewed and watched many of the athletes here on campus and the experience has been overwhelmingly positive.

ISU athletes, for the most part, do not get into trouble off the field, attend their classes and display active involvement in the community.

Along with this, they are great role models to fans that come to the games, as they display positive sportsmanship on the court or field of play.

Sportsmanship is something led by the coaches. They set the example and create clear expectations for how their athletes are expected to act.

Seton Sobolewski (women’s basketball), Bill Evans (men’s basketball), Mike Kramer (football), Allison Gibson (soccer), Dave Nielsen (track and field), Rick Reynolds (volleyball), Nate Houle (cross country), Candi Letts (softball), Mark Rodel (men’s tennis), Gretchen Maloney (women’s tennis) and Kellie Hooper (golf) are the ISU head coaches.

Every coach at ISU does an outstanding job working with their student-athletes to become quality participants in the community in all they do.

So why am I talking about sportsmanship here?

It’s because of what is happening before athletes come to the collegiate setting.

While there are plenty of great role models out there helping youth to improve, as people first and athletes second, sometimes the demographic being worked with is forgotten.

For one of my other jobs I am a broadcaster of high school sports throughout Idaho.

I’ve met many people who have helped allow me to chase my dreams.

I’ve worked with coaches who went above and beyond to help provide our broadcast team with outstanding information to use on the air.

So far I have seen multiple athletes for basketball, baseball, football and volleyball who went on to play collegiately at big schools.

These experiences have been some that I will never forget, and I look forward to more in the future.

Unfortunately, there are other moments I have seen that will stand out for the wrong reasons.

I’ve seen coaches and players taunt the losing team following a big win, as if the loss wasn’t already enough for the team seeing their season end.

I’ve watched seniors playing their final game start a fight with the opposing team because they were upset about their high school careers being over. The coaches were also involved.

I’ve heard parents around me in press boxes trying to get my attention throughout the game so they can complain about the officials.

And Twitter: don’t even get me started on that.

News flash. I don’t care.

Verbal assaults, physical confrontations, berating people doing their job, and for what? A game? Are you kidding me?

I’m a media member. My role is to be level and unbiased.

Maybe as a society we should begin to place a similar expectation upon parents and coaches.

Shouldn’t they be the ones setting the example?