What is a true fan? And what does a true fan act like in the stands? A true fan supports and respects a team or individual, and encourages them to win. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a “fan” as: an enthusiastic devotee (as of a sport or a performing art), usually as a spectator. I seem to always be at sporting events as either a spectator or player and it’s sad to say that hearing offensive things from the stands doesn’t surprise me.

Approximately 47 million youth participating in organized sport programs. In a national study, 5% of youth reported having been physically attacked by a spectator, and 17% reported having been scared by the behavior of a fan.

Most people in the stands are parents of the athletes. While you would think that GROWN ADULTS would be considerate of what they say in the stands, this is not always the case. During almost any sporting event, comments made towards the opposing team or officials are expected. The inevitable fact of being a fan is that there is always going to be a disagreement with the officials and most fans think they know more than a coach. However, when comments start being made to one’s own players and coaches, fans need to think about the reason they are in the stands. Fans are supposed to support and encourage. If what a fan is saying isn’t positive, it is most likely offensive to somebody. If what someone is saying isn’t positive encouragement, it could go unsaid. A fan support system is an awesome thing because parents, community members and students come together to cheer on a team but sometimes fans can be quite a negative distraction with the things they say.

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