January 29, 2016 at 4:32 p.m.
RHS AD to Hodag fans: Protect our house
Paulson says attendance, energy sagging at home games, but what's to blame?
RHS AD to Hodag fans: Protect our house
Paulson sent a letter to local media outlets this week (see letters) urging Hodag fans to show up for Rhinelander High School sporting contests and be more vocal.
"I have seen some decline in our student cheering section and we are losing our atmosphere," he wrote. "We need that back."
Attendance is sagging, and fans are increasingly cautious about what they say and do in the stands, in light of increased discussion over proper behavior at sporting events.
RHS boys' basketball coach Derek Lemmens said it's gotten to the point where some moments in contests have become "awkward" due to the lack of noise.
"I think now students are at the point where they don't know what they can do," he said.
You can't say that!
Wisconsin has received some unwanted attention of late related to what the WIAA perceived as inappropriate behavior of fans at high school sporting events. In late December, the WIAA sent out an email to athletic directors across the state reaffirming the sanctioning body's sportsmanship expectations at sporting events. Included in the letter was a list of chants the WIAA stated could be construed as offensive, such as "Air Ball," "You can't do that," "Fundamentals," and "Scoreboard!"
The story garnered national attention after a student-athlete in eastern Wisconsin was suspended by her school for criticizing the memo in a social media post that contained an expletive directed toward the WIAA.
Though Paulson couldn't definitively pin it on controversy stirred up by the WIAA's email, he said the Hodag fan base has been conspicuously quiet as of late.
"I could say it's because of the WIAA story, I'm not 100 percent sure, but there has been a decline," he said. "Did it happen exactly then? I'm not sure, but our students, in general, they once in a while are there (with) a little softer cheers."
Paulson's not the only one who has noticed the deafening silence. The Jim Miazga Community Gym was particularly quiet during a boys' basketball game Jan. 12 against Wisconsin Rapids - the first home contest after the sportsmanship story made national headlines.
"That first game back was very methodical," said Hodag senior guard Brandon Reinthaler. "It was just not a feeling that you typically feel in our gym here at Rhinelander."
Reinthaler added that students were unsure of what to say or do in the wake of the controversy.
"You don't want to do anything that's going to get you in trouble or get you (kicked) out of games," he said.
Lemmens added. "Instead of having a good time, cheering hard, and give the visiting team a little bit of a hard time, kids are trying to figure out if what they say next will get them into trouble."
It's not just a boys' basketball problem. Tuesday's RHS girls' basketball game against Antigo was played in front of a sparse crowd that included mainly family members and junior varsity team players with only a smattering of students in the crowd.
"I think a lot of times, it's becoming a library feel," RHS girls' basketball coach Ryan Clark said. "That's just not what sports is about."
The fans have noticed a difference too. Junior Gunnar Millot, a soccer player who frequents numerous other varsity sporting events, said enthusiasm this winter has suffered.
"I do think we have been quieter than we have in years past and I think it's something that we need to improve on," he said.
Keeping it clean
Spectators at high school sporting events have heard countless lectures about sportsmanship. The message read prior to each varsity contest is included as an appendix to the Great Northern Conference constitution and reads as follows:
"Rhinelander High School, the Great Northern Conference and the WIAA require good sportsmanship by student athletes, coaches and spectators at all interscholastic events. We request your cooperation by supporting the participants and officials in a positive manner. Profanity; racial; sexist; or ethnic comments; or other intimidating or taunting actions of chants WILL NOT be tolerated and are grounds for removal from this contest. Please enjoy the game in a positive manner."
Since the sportsmanship story gained traction earlier this month, the WIAA has insisted that nothing related to its sportsmanship policy or its enforcement has changed. However, the organization's board of control on Thursday directed its sportsmanship committee to review its sportsmanship guidelines.
At the local level, Paulson said it's still business as usual with regard to how fan behavior at sporting events is enforced.
"The rules at Rhinelander High School aren't going to change," he said. "We're not allowing kids to say (athletes') names, numbers, make fun of their appearance or make derogatory comments. We're not going to allow that. It's going to be a safe environment."
The common opinion shared by Paulson, coaches, players and fans is that several of the chants listed in the WIAA's memo are innocuous and fair game during the heat of battle.
"I think it just adds to the game and it's kind of fun to play when you have the whole crowd against you," said Eva O'Melia, a senior on the RHS girls' basketball team. "I don't take it personally because it's just school pride, so it's just kind of shocking to me to hear they don't like 'air ball' being called or 'scoreboard.'"
Clark quipped, "To me 'scoreboard,' 'season's over,' my 5-year-old daughter says that to me."
Reinthaler said its more difficult for players to maintain their competitive edge in a quiet environment.
"When we don't hear a lot, we try to rely on our bench and ourselves (for motivation), but that's really hard too because sometimes we're on different sides of the court. We don't hear them as well," he said.
So how can fans cheer without crossing the boundary of good taste?
According to Lemmens, when it comes to cheering, the rules are simple - there are a few areas that are off limits but otherwise folks should have at it.
"Don't attack individuals, the officials, refrain from sexist or racist remarks, and that's it," he said.
The subject hits home for Millot who, while on the soccer field for the Hodags, has been subjected to chants that have tested the bounds of decency.
"Once cheers get personalized, or when things get out of hand, based on what meets our sportsmanship code - dealing with race, spirituality, sexuality, whatever it happens to be - that's when the line is crossed," he said.
Millot, along with Lakeland Union High School student Kyle Foster, addressed the crowd prior to a boys' basketball contest Jan. 15 between the Hodags and the Thunderbirds in Minocqua. The two read a version of the sportsmanship announcement mentioned earlier. Millot said the message was well received.
"It was nice because both teams were cheering and both fan sections were cheering for their own teams and no one was being subjected to inappropriate remarks," he said.
Scheduling a concern?
All of the recent attention regarding sportsmanship may not be the only reason Hodag fans have fallen mute.
Prior to the season the principals of the Great Northern Conference's member schools voted to change the format of the boys' and girls' basketball conference schedules.
Previously schools would face each other in those sports on Tuesday and Friday nights with the sports having mirroring schedules.
One school would host girls' basketball while the other hosted boys' basketball. In some instances, the boys' and girls' basketball teams played together in a doubleheader on the same evening.
This season the conference has instituted an alternating Tuesday-Friday-Thursday format so that boys' and girls' basketball teams do not play conference games on the same night. The move has some benefits, according to O'Melia.
"I like it a lot more because I get to see the boys play a lot more this year," she said. "It's kind of weird having Monday and Thursday games, just because that's usually when you practice. It's a little different, but it's really fun to watch the boys' basketball team compete more and I know it's a lot of fun to have them at our games because it just adds to the pride in the community."
However, the unintended consequence has been in a drastic drop-off in the number of home basketball games on Fridays, typically the night that draws the best high school crowds.
"We see a huge (increase) of fans on Friday night basketball games," Paulson said. "I know people talk about it in the community. They're able to go out for a fish fry, then they come to support the Hodags whether its boys' or girls' basketball on a Friday night."
Anecdotally, Paulson said attendance has lagged during Tuesday and Thursday night basketball games. Part of the reason for that, Paulson believes, is that so many other sports have conference games on those days.
"We have swimming, wrestling, gymnastics, hockey. All our fans are spread out and now we're adding basketball on top of it," Paulson, a strong opponent of the schedule change, said. "I've been trying to convince the ADs to change this. We've always had good support, but when everything's happening on the same night, we're spread too thin to support all our athletic contests."
Millot said the change has made his viewing decisions as a fan more difficult.
"It's really hard for me, personally, because I don't always get to go to the other (games) so I try to spread it out as much as possible," he said. "Sometimes I'll ask a couple of other individuals what they're going to be doing and that's how I make my decision."
The RHS boys' basketball team had only three home Friday night contests this season - the last of which took place Friday night against non-conference opponent D.C. Everest. Lemmens said the change has certainly hurt crowds at home basketball games this year.
"I understand what they were trying to do and I don't think it's helped," he said. "What they did is, yeah, boys' and girls' basketball aren't competing as much (on the same night), but now we're competing with hockey and wrestling. There's always going to be some kind of conflict."
Clark said the change hasn't bolstered attendance at his team's games either. He has an alternative solution to put more spectators in the stands for girls' basketball games.
"I think doubleheaders are the way to go," he said. "Girls should play first every single time. Boys are going to be the bigger draw, which is fine, but our girls want to play in front of a crowd. They don't care if the crowd is there at halftime and then the second half, they just want a crowd."
Paulson said the scheduling issue will be discussed during the next meeting of conference activities directors Feb. 4. Even if the current Tuesday-Friday-Thursday format remains in place for 2016-17 Paulson said RHS has already agreed to play a girls-boys doubleheader against Lakeland Jan. 20, 2017 at the Miazga Gym. Additionally, plans are in the works for a couple of non-conference road doubleheaders.
Bringing rowdy back
"When teams come to Rhinelander, we need to protect our house," Paulson said. "We need to protect every event that we have here. We need to be passionate about it. We need to get our fans to the game. We need to get people cheering."
So how does Rhinelander recapture the lively atmosphere at home games? Those the River News spoke to said it boils down to fans being present and loud.
"We've just got to get loud. It doesn't have to be a special cheer or anything," Reinthaler said. "If we just get people out, it's going to get louder. We just need to get more people out and try to get more energized as a whole group."
Millot added he suspects Hodag crowds will increase once the WIAA tournament series rolls around.
"That is when we get loud and we get rowdy," he said. "It's the atmosphere of everybody around us. It's the noise. It's the emotion. It's everything that's happening and, when games get close like they do in playoffs, that is when you see the full-fledged Rowdy Rhinelander."
Lemmens said fans should put the WIAA controversy behind them and get back to being fans.
"Fans just got to do what they do," he said. "They have to know what the line is and not to cross it. These little nitpicky things with 'air ball' and that, forget it. Really, just forget it. Get after it, have fun, support your team and - as long as you're keeping it clean and respectful - you have nothing to worry about. You're doing what's right as a fan."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.