Sportsmanship

One of the missions of co-curricular school activities is to serve as an extension of the classroom. There are important lessons to be learned in athletics. One of those lessons is to set and maintain high standards of sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity in our schools and our society. It is up to us to provide direction and constant vigilance under which good sportsmanship can prosper and have a positive impact on our children, the leaders of tomorrow and ourselves.

Cazenovia Central School has joined a statewide campaign sponsored by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association to promote sportsmanship at our events. We feel the need to stress the type of exemplary behavior that should be exhibited by all players and spectators at our events. The value of the lessons learned by exhibiting good sportsmanship will last a lifetime. If we ever loose sight of that, then athletics, or any co-curricular activity, is not worth sponsoring. The positive actions of a coach, athlete, or spectator at an event can influence how Cazenovia Schools are perceived in our own community and the communities of those schools we meet on the field of play.

We are asking for your support in this effort by emphasizing to your student(s) what is expected of them at an athletic event as a competitor or a spectator. After all, these events are an extension of the school day and we should expect the same type of respectful behavior exhibited in the athletic arena as we do in the classroom. We urge you to ask your children to demonstrate self-control and self-discipline and at the same time enjoy the games.

We also ask you as an adult to set a good example when in the stands at an event. It is only through these efforts that we can clearly communicate what is acceptable behavior. We hope that your positive example will help set the tone for those around you so we may all enjoy the games in which our athletic teams are involved. It is difficult to speak up when you see or hear something that is contrary to the tenets of good sportsmanship. You expose yourself in much the same fashion as the individual who is acting inappropriately, but your actions are positive while his or hers are negative.

If you have the courage to speak up you not only will earn the respect of those around you, but you will feel better yourself. Doing the right thing has that effect. When you purchase a ticket to an athletic event, or attend free events, you are given the privilege to view the action and to voice your support of our teams. We want that support to be in a positive tone so that the educational value of these events is completely developed and clearly communicated to our students and the Cazenovia community at large. 

Cazenovia Sportsmanship Rules 
1. Keep all cheering positive
2. Respect the visiting team and their spectators
3. Show appreciation for good play by both teams
4. Respect the integrity and judgment of the officials
5. The use of profanity is prohibited
6. Accept victory and defeat with dignity
7. Artificial noisemakers are not allowed