Angry fans are nothing new at Maine high school basketball games. They are a vocal minority, but bad behavior from a few can turn a fun atmosphere into an unpleasant one.
Heading into another championship season for many Maine winter sports, the organization in charge of those athletic competitions is encouraging fans to leave the negativity at home.
The executive director of the Maine Principals’ Association, Mike Burnham, recently wrote an op-ed titled “Simmer Down or Sit Down” with National Federation of State High School Associations CEO Karissa Niehoff urging fans to make the stands a place of positivity.
“The effect you have on young minds is beyond measure. It’s deep and lasting, and it’s up to you to make it positive,” Burnham and Niehoff wrote in their message to high school sports fans. “Maine high school athletics are a place for positivity. They’re a place for encouragement and growth where young people should feel safe to find themselves, learn from their mistakes, and excel.”
The piece asked fans to “lead by example” and avoid the bad behavior that can “erode confidence, shrink identity and eat away at esteem until nothing is left.”
The BDN reached out to Burnham ahead of the high school basketball tournament, wondering if the state of fan behavior has gotten worse.
“The passion that surrounds athletics and these events has always been there. But how we treat each other seems to be getting worse,” Burnham said this week.
He pointed to recent high profile confrontations where fans have been ejected from games. Burnham thinks that school administrators generally do a good job working with student bodies so student fan sections are supporting their teams and fellow students in a positive way. He highlighted how special these experiences can be for student athletes.
“And we don’t want the adults to ruin this,” he added. The same goes for fans of all ages.
Asked about bad fan behavior in basketball games, Brewer Athletic Director David Utterback said it’s a conversation that goes beyond one sport.
“I wouldn’t limit it to basketball games,” Utterback said. “In the past, we’ve had a lot of problems with boys ice hockey and I’d say boys soccer in particular.”
Seeking to understand it, not excuse it, he speculated that the speed and physicality of those sports can lead to inherent contact and generate emotional responses from fans.
“In basketball, I think it’s a little bit more publicized because everything is livestreamed now,” Utterback said.
Both Utterback and Burnham said neutral settings like the state basketball tournament can help temper some of the bad behavior. At larger venues, more staff and security mean that people may be less likely or able to cause problems. For regular home games, some schools may just be relying on an athletic director to address an unruly fan while managing multiple events.
Depending on a particular matchup and a particular fan base when Brewer is hosting events, Utterback said he may need to take additional steps like scheduling afternoon games rather than night games or hiring more public safety and school personnel to monitor an event. He has been sharing the MPA’s message about positive fan behavior far and wide.
“This is education-based athletics,” Burnham told the BDN about the focus on student athletes. “They’re creating memories that are going to last a lifetime. And we just need to keep that in mind.”
Utterback also made clear that most fans are already bringing positivity to the stands.
“I would reemphasize or reiterate that 99 percent of the people that come into the venue are going to be good, and sit and watch the game and cheer positively,” Utterback said.
