And then there was this, according to ABC News:
“Post-game handshakes are meant to symbolize good sportsmanship, but the ritual has become so volatile on Kentucky high school fields that the supervising association is urging to schools to skip the practice.
‘We’ve had situations where young men in football this year reach across and punch a kid below the belt,’ said Julian Tackett, commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. ‘And we’ve had two young ladies at the volleyball net get into a fist fight when shaking hands.’
In an attempt to end the post-game fights, the KHSAA released a statement last month telling coaches they should stop the practice.
‘Personally I hate to see this change,’ Tackett wrote on Sept. 19. ‘I think we should reinforce behavior and civility, but incidents even in our own state in volleyball, soccer and football, have illustrated this need.’”
Now even though the Kentucky High School Athletic Association has since received significant backlash after publicity by ABC, CBS, and FOX and others, which has caused the athletic organization to clarify that they were not “banning” the practice, but rather “advising against it” and will thus hold coaches responsible for any assaults, the Intramuralist can understand the initial, potentially outrageous response.
How is such a response a surprise in a culture which continually preaches civility but also, simultaneously, seemingly follows the glaring mantra of “do as I say, not as I do”? …
… in sports… relationships… governing…
… for example…
In September, after a baseball game — note I said “game” — a 24 year old Dodgers fan was fatally stabbed after a confrontation with some fans of the San Francisco Giants.
And in Washington, not long after politicians and pundits flocked to the pulpits and podiums to admonish the violent vernacular that may have contributed to the shooting in Tucson, Arizona, in which 6 were killed and 19 were injured — including Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), those same politicians and pundits are arguing today, justifying the use of the very words they at one time berated. Pres. Obama and congressional Republicans and Democrats seem too busy arguing to solve the current budget/spending/entitlement crisis.
So why should it surprise us that a supervising athletic organization of our teens simply desires not to fake it? Can’t you hear their huddles?
Shake hands? Are you kidding me?! Why would they shake hands with their opponent? All these supposedly smart people, grow up and go to Washington; they don’t shake hands. They don’t treat each other with respect. Who are they kidding? At least our high schoolers will no longer have to fake respect. Why then, should we make them shake hands?
If we are going to teach the younger generation well, we should start by not faking respect. Civility will only be reinforced when we truly mean every ounce of the respect a simple handshake conveys.
Respectfully,
AR