Don’t act like a loser when your team’s winning

Grade 9 students in the Collective Voice program at Aden Bowman Collegiate share their lives and opinions through columns. Selected columns run each Monday in The Saskatoon Starphoenix.

Should a 14-year-old kid have to police the behaviour of fellow fans at a hockey game?

What if those fellow fans are twice his age, but acting like children? My experience watching a recent hockey game has pushed me to write about winning. Not the feeling of winning, not the internal drive that winning gives a player — I would rather write about the importance of winning with class.

About two months ago, my brother’s hockey team had their city championship game. They had lost the first game of the series and I didn’t think the second game was going to go any better. The game began and the score was close for a short while. It was fun to be a part of the crowd.

However, near the end of the first period my brother’s team started to fall apart and the other team did not. Goal after goal was scored and it was hard to watch — not because of the other players on the ice, but because of the people who were there to support them.

Parents had noise makers and sirens, and with every goal there was loud rejoicing. The people cheered after every goal, even after it was really obvious that the game was one-sided.

After their eighth goal, I thought the cheering would slow down and sirens and noise makers would be put aside, but they were not.

I didn’t understand why they continued to cheer as loudly and aggressively even though it was obvious to everyone that their team was going to win the game.

They even directed the cheers and clapping our way, in an obvious “in your face” manner.

It got to the point where I needed to move to avoid their taunts. From my perspective they were acting like losers, even though they were winning.

I am 14 and love to win, but even I couldn’t believe how awkward the cheering level was. I felt bad for my younger brother, who had to continue to play in that situation.

I wanted to remind some of those adults that half the kids out on the ice were not winning and that a little compassion and respect for them would be appreciated.

I have always heard people talk about not being a sore loser. I totally agree, but after that game, I think some of those fans needed a reminder about how to win with grace and humility.

Maybe the next game they attend they should cheer like they have a child playing on both the winning team and the losing team.