Often considered a problem only for big-name athletic powerhouses, the issue of sportsmanship is once again back in the Div. III spotlight.
But this time, the focus is on the behavior of fans on the sidelines, not the athletes between them.
The Div. III Commissioner's Association made fan sportsmanship one of its key issues for the 2006-2007 school year, unveiling its "Be Loud, Be Proud, Be Positive" campaign this fall, and the 11 NESCAC Athletic Directors voted to adopt a similar platform in their fall meeting.
And with Homecoming Weekend tantalizingly close, bringing with it promises of tailgating, marquee match-ups, and a certain level of rowdiness, the "cheer nice" conversation is hitting the Hill.
"The kind of sportsmanship that has been most problematic, even at the Div. III level, revolves around the behavior of spectators," Athletic Director Bill Gehling said. "There's been a growing concern that the behavior of spectators can detract from the experience of the event as a whole."
Gehling is not alone. According to a survey released by the NCAA at its Sportsmanship Summit in June, which interviewed administrators from over 1,600 schools in all three divisions, 40 percent saw fans as the biggest perpetrators of unsportsmanlike conduct, compared to only 15.6 percent that cited the athletes themselves.
"It is a major issue in the league and has been addressed as such," said Eric Quinn, Middlebury's Director of Athletics. "[The NCAA campaign] allows for a lot of institutional autonomy in terms of how it's implemented, but basically we're agreeing to educate fans about the need for sportsmanship and to make sure to staff events to keep things under control."
Senior Alex Bezdek has experience on both sides of the debate as a member of the men's lacrosse team and as a frequent fan at collegiate varsity games.
"You usually don't hear anything when you're on the field, but the one time in 100 that you catch the crowd yelling inappropriate things or saying things that are utterly offensive, it's tough," he said. "Having experienced that as an athlete has changed my perspective as a fan. I definitely try to put an emphasis on being supportive.
"But at same time, there's a certain amount of antagonizing that fans have always done and really should do in a home stadium," he continued. "It's expected, and it's half the fun of going."
This sentiment is not lost on Gehling, who was himself a soccer player as an undergraduate at Tufts and acknowledged the advantages of a friendly home crowd in both raising school spirit and supporting athletes on the field.
"I'm reluctant to say that standard of behavior that was present 30 years ago should be the same one we use today-things change," Gehling said. "Sometimes it's a fine line between what is just kids having fun and being funny and when it starts to become mean and hurtful. The difficult thing is that no two people will draw the line in the same place."
At Middlebury, a task force is investigating the murky waters of appropriate, and Quinn hopes to have some clear recommendations and action from the Athletics Department.
"Ultimately one of the issues we're going to have to navigate is exactly what [constitutes] good sportsmanship," Quinn said. "NESCAC students are pretty bright, and you hear the occasional comical cheer that's easy to chuckle at, and that's one of those things that's hard to define.
"Is the line [to outlaw] cheers directed against the other team or officials? Or is it more specific in its profanity," he continued. "Our league has seen some situations that are not grey-area at all, and I don't have a tolerance for profanity or intoxication or aggressively negative behavior."
Finding a starting point for fan education can be problematic, and Gehling sees the solution in student-athletes themselves. Because Div. III schools tend to have smaller enrollments and a higher percentage of students on varsity sports teams, athletes make for a large percentage of seat-fillers at many athletic events.
"It's the network within the athletic community; so many guys on [the lacrosse] team go to other sporting events," Bezdek said. "We all support each other. There's a big web of outreach among athletes in Div. III."
Gehling sees this overlap between athletes and fans as a perfect opportunity to communicate his message, sending a letter directly to all student-athletes at the beginning of every year to encourage good sportsmanship both on and off the field.
"Because a significant number of our fans are athletes cheering for other athletes, if we can get that group to think about supporting their teammates in a positive and constructive manner, that will spread to other students as well," Gehling said.
But overall, Gehling is pleased with the fan presence at Tufts athletic events.
"While we have had some instances [of poor sportsmanship among fans], I don't feel it's been a major problem," he said. "Our fans tend to be very responsive to me if I go and ask them to tone it down. I feel really good about overall behavior of fans at Tufts games. They're classy people, and they're enthusiastic, and I'm really proud of the way they support our teams."
