9/22/2011 - West Side Leader
     

GREATER AKRON — School officials are always happy to see fans root for their teams to do well. However, sometimes the negativity directed at opponents by those same fans can cross a line. Through a new initiative, the schools in the Suburban League are looking to find ways to promote a more positive atmosphere at high school sporting events.

“The Suburban League got together last spring — the athletic directors, the principals and the superintendents — and it was a goal of ours and a focus of ours to increase sportsmanship and camaraderie amongst the schools,” said Brian Poe, superintendent of Copley-Fairlawn City Schools.

According to Copley High School Principal Cameron Ryba, the Suburban League Leadership program was an idea developed by Wadsworth High School Athletic Director Rich Berlin.

“After a basketball game in which the student sections present started an undesirable cheer, [Berlin] felt that something needed to be done,” Ryba said. “Starting with a group of students at Wadsworth that were active fans at many events, Rich began talking with the kids and developing the idea of student leaders at each school in the Suburban League that could positively lead our student sections in terms of positive cheering and being recognizable to the home school’s administration.”

Ryba said the program works in conjunction with the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Respect the Game initiative, which promotes good sportsmanship. 

“Too often we see and hear negative cheers, whether it be at high school, college or professional sports events,” he said. “These student leaders can set the tone in the stands and lead the support of our teams in a positive manner.”

All of the schools in the Suburban League — Cloverleaf, Copley, Green, Highland, Nordonia, Revere, Tallmadge and Wadsworth — are involved in the program, Ryba said.

“Each school has four to six students that are Suburban League leaders,” he said. “The students have been meeting periodically on Saturday mornings from last winter and into this fall. Students are selected by each league school, and all have been issued camouflage shirts in their school colors designating them at athletic events as Suburban League leaders.”

The program got under way Sept. 16 during the Suburban League home football games.

“To roll out the leadership program and our philosophy of sportsmanship, each home school sponsored a tailgate for the home and visiting students in honor of our first league game,” Ryba said. “The student leaders for both schools were also announced and on the field during the coin toss. This event set the tone for positive sportsmanship and friendly competition. This new tradition for the opening league game will be one that is continued each football season.”

Ryba said the Suburban League Leadership initiative was created with the belief that it will be an ongoing program.

“The goal is to continue with this program for years to come,” he said. “Students selected are a combination of all grade levels. As students graduate, new students will replace them.”

And in the future, Poe said, the idea is to broaden the program.

“We want to make it a systemic approach,” he stated. “One of the things I think we all are looking towards is how to infuse this down to the middle schools, so that it becomes second nature by the time the students are in high school.”

Poe said the most important part of the program is that it provides students from rival schools an opportunity to talk with one another.

“Certainly, you still want your team to win, but it allows you to get to know your opponent, rather than them being an unknown entity,” he said. “You can see that they are students just as you are, they just attend a different high school. When you get to know your opponent, the negativity decreases immensely.”

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