As long as I can remember, I always played sports, whether it was soccer, basketball, baseball, or football. And it was always stressed the importance of good sportsmanship. So needless to say, that when I saw the brawl between the University of Cincinnati and the University of Xavier, I was disheartened.



I want my sons to love sports as much as I did, but I don’t want them learning that fighting is acceptable. When I was playing, you shook hands at the end of the game and told each player from the opposing team, good job or congratulations.

Maybe the times have changed? Maybe the times of where you celebrate the other player and give them a hand up when they have fallen or thanked a thanked a teammate for a pass.  We worked hard, training year round and put forth our best. And had any of my teammates or myself been involved in a brawl like the one from the clip, we would have received a much harsher punishment than a few games suspension. We would have been kicked off the team and never allowed back.

Where are the consequences for their actions? 2 – 4 games being suspended? They embarrassed their school, they embarrassed their team, and more importantly, the embarrassed themselves.

I will teach my sons the right way. They might not be the best athletes, but they will be respectful. They will play hard and give it their all. They will thank their teammates. And they will remember that when they put on a jersey, the represent more than just themselves.