Adults must set sporting example
Schoolboy soccer games can involve some rough and tumble, but we do not expect them to be violent. The video of a 10-year-old player from ESF Lions kicking a 12-year-old Kitchee Escola opponent in the face during a recent match has for that reason gone viral on the internet and attracted international media attention. Police have arrested the boy and he has been suspended from the game for the rest of the season. As easy as it is to blame and shame, though, it is not simply an individual, but those around who are at fault.
The video details the attack, not the circumstances. The Lions were on a losing streak against Kitchee and the team's coach and players were under pressure to perform. Parents wanted their sons to do well. Emotions bubbled over after the kick, with parents rushing onto the pitch and getting into a shoving match with the coach. It was the ugliest of advertisements for what fans so often refer to as 'the beautiful game', but elements of what happened are frequently present in youth sports. The pressure to win can be immense, pushing teams to unwarranted limits. In junior soccer leagues, that means referees have a difficult job keeping one eye on the match and the other on the crowd. The 'golden rule' of sports - treating opponents as you would expect to be treated yourself - can too easily get ignored.
Sportsmanship takes time to learn. It involves playing clean and handling winning and losing with grace, dignity and style. Players need it, but so do coaches, parents, fans, leagues and schools. Referees cannot do their jobs properly without the support of all involved in a game. And this includes those who organise the leagues, who should be responsible for seeing that the game is played fairly and safely. Good sportsmanship requires courage and maturity. They are not concepts easily understood or acquired by children, so adults have to show the way. The ESF Lions boy has done wrong and paid the penalty, but he would not have harmed a fellow player and gained notoriety had those around him set the right example.