The Army-Navy football game has been called America?s greatest athletic rivalry. Some might vote for Ohio State-Michigan, USC-UCLA or Redskins-Cowboys. All of them are far more thana game; they are events that players, fans, coaches and the press gear up for like a holiday or vacation.
These old-school rivalries are sustained by adults. Some are alumni, but others are just devoted sports fans who like to watch the best competition and know that when you pick sides, the competition becomes more meaningful. Even one-sided games like Saturday?s Army-Navy match-up are worth watching till the final whistle for the sheer spectacle of the event.
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For teenagers, the concept of rivalry is more complicated. There are terrific high school rivalries in this area — Poly and City, Calvert Hall and Loyola, St. Mary?s and Severn among them. The games bring back alumni and generate large and enthusiastic crowds.
Sometimes though, it?s difficult for young people to put a rivalry in the correct perspective. For high school and club players, it can be challenging to understand the concept of healthy rivalries. Some kids at this age cannot appreciate that rivals are not the same as enemies.
This fall, Broadneck and Severna Park football teams played on a Saturday afternoon, instead of the traditional Friday night. Their two upcoming boys basketball games will also be played on Saturday afternoons. The schedule shift was decided after emotions between students at the two schools, usually evenly matched in many sports, became overheated and uncontrollable. Fights after last year?s football and basketball games led school officials to play games this school year in daylight.
The coaches have taken positive steps to address this problem. The football coaches brought both teams to the center of the Broadneck fieldafter the game and encouraged them to become leaders in controlling the negative aspects of rivalries.
Parents need to join in too to help young athletes manage the emotions of a rivalry.
We need to teach our youth the truly great rivalries are those in which the teams respect and honor each other at the end of the competition. Rivalries should end with a hand shake, not a punch.
It is something we can learn from the Midshipmen and the Black Knights. At few schools are players more interested in winning a single game. But these players realize they share a deep bond with their on-field opponents. A lot is made of this because of the military issues, but it is true with many great rivalries.
In professional sports, some of the great NBA players cherish the summer opportunities to play with their season opponents. Olympic basketball teams and World Cup soccer teams couldn?t gel if players who competed so fiercely did not also respect and honor their opponents.
It?s fine to hold pep rallies and make signs to support the big game of the year. And it?s OK for parents to support the rivalry. But parents and coaches must not fan a fire of anger toward other children. They can?t encourage pranks, online attacks or other petty actions.
Instead, they should encourage strong preparation for the game, smart field play and enjoyment that comes from playing before a bigger crowd or a special rivalry trophy.
Players need to know that their opponents in high school ? who likely live nearby or are at the same competitive level ? may end up as teammates in college or colleagues at a future workplace. So adults need to guide them to see these opponents as terrific rivals on the field but not off. Let?s notencourage them to develop enemies at such a young age.
Effie Dawson writes about high school and youth sports. She can be reached at [email protected].
