I attended Gladiator football games 10-15 years ago when my eldest son played football. I have not attended many varsity football games since that time until this year.

I have heard people complain about the Gladiator fans in recent years but I blew them off. Gladiator fans would not act the way they described! However, a few of the fans in the stands devastated me Friday night in Hubbard — emphasis on a few.

Gladiator fans were yelling at our kids, yelling at the referees, making fun of the players on the other team, screaming at the coaches. It was mainly two or three people yet many other fans were laughing at these inappropriate remarks.

Folks, what are we teaching our children? Is it OK to scream at our players who — by the way — can hear us on the field?

One of the most vocal Gladiator fans threw a child out of a baseball game several years ago for simply looking back at him when he made a bad call. All it took was one look and the child was out of the game. Yet this person yells at our kids, makes fun of the other players and belittles the referees and coaches.

We have students in the stands and on the field and we should not be teaching them that it’s ever OK to belittle a child. Even coaches should not berate and scream in the faces of our players.

Folks will probably shun me, but football is just a game. It is just a game! There are more important things in this world than winning a football game. Football can teach sportsmanship, leadership and working with others, etc. whether you win or not.

I was told that if the Gladiators do not win, college scouts would not come around. Few of our Gladiators ever get football scholarships and even fewer make it to the NFL. Keith Davis is the exception but I believe Keith has the heart to succeed no matter what he attempts. Keith was just as good a basketball player in high school as he was a football player. He is an incredible athlete, but I believe Keith’s heart and determination got him to the NFL.

Many of our Gladiators have that same heart and determination but that will not last if we continue to belittle them. Berate them long enough and they begin to believe it. Folks, that is wrong!

Emphasis should be on educating our children, not what our athletic season record will be.

While I am on my soapbox, could the people with cowbells please consider those around them? We were in a rather close area Friday night at Hubbard and the bells seldom stopped. They covered up the band as they tried to play. I went home with a ringing in my ears from those continuously ringing bells. I noticed a few people brought their earplugs. I was unable to carry on a conversation with the person sitting next to me because of the continual ringing. I understand supporting the Gladiators but please consider those sitting around you.

I am proud of the Italy Gladiators, proud of the winning tradition established many years ago but the negativity we are spewing at football games cannot be good for our kids. All children — even those on the other team — are a gift from God and we should treat them as such.

[Editor’s Note October 22, 2008 12:37 p.m.
Here is a link to There is Spirit in the Bells, an article from August 22, 2005 that talks about the history of the bells.]

Comments

by Cassandra Enriquez on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 1:34 p.m.

I just wanted to say something about this ladies remark about the cowbells. First off if you don’t like it I am sorry but it is one of the few traditions Italy still holds and we are not gonna stop. There are lots of people who don’t like the bells so they sit away from them. OUR BOYS, the ones we are there for, love the bells! We don’t come to a game to converse so if you want to then you need to call the people on your spare time. My little brother is on the team and he agrees with some of the stuff she said about the yelling at the boys, however he loves the bells and so does the rest of the team. When we are not ringing them the boys tell us too. Oh and for future reference we only ring them non stop when we are on defense and when the boys do something good. So if you don’t like the bells bring ear plugs.

by Karen Mathiowetz on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 6:57 a.m.

I have struggled for several years with derogatory comments being made by Italy fans on the fence and in the stands. Not only is it embarrassing, it causes a negative feeling to spread throughout the team. I love football and my Gladiators as much if not more than the next guy so this bothers me very much. I am proud to support them. In past years it has been very hard to listen to the junk being hurled at the coaches, players and officials. Some of it even contained profanity like I did not even hear while serving in the military. It seems like this year it bothers me more than it has in the past.

Because I am on the sidelines every week, I can assure you that the players, coaches, and officials do hear what the fans are screaming. If I were a player, I would have trouble concentrating on the game and not the tearing down from fans.

I wonder what would happen if everyone would cheer for the Gladiators and not blast them if they make even one tiny mistake. I wonder what would happen if everyone, including coaches, parents and fans would remember these guys are not getting paid for their performance. These guys are out there because they love the game. I know a lot is at stake from coaches jobs to district titles. I also know that the players’ self esteem is at stake and that is more important than anything else.

We all need to be better examples for our youth and that includes what we do at sporting events as well as what we do in church. I for one, have decided to be more aware of what I say to my Gladiators every week. These players deserve my loyalty and love and support, not bashing, hate or a bad example.

by Gial and Kelley Wilsford on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 12:32 p.m.

As Gladiator fans we should alway support the kid what ever sport or activty they (boys and girls) are in. When you’re in the stands a true fan should be supporting the player, cheerleaders and coaches. As fans we have yelled, clapped our hands, blowed horns and for many years we have been ringing the spirit bells or cowbells. We have been ringing the spirt bells in the heat, the cold, lighting and rain for many years now and we hope to for a long time to come. The spirt bells ring when the team comes onto the field, and when needed, and we then ring at the last play — win or lose — and after the school song we ring them off the field while some fans are leaving in a rush. If any one needs a set of ear plugs just ask us for a pair.

As for as the negative yelling — we as fans and parents have to set the good example.

by Brannon Joseph on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 8:31 a.m.

Coming from a student at Italy high, the bells are one of the things that do cheer us up during the game. People don’t just ring them to annoy anybody. If you don’t like them don’t sit by them. You don’t go to a football game to complain about the noise. It is not a golf tournament, the games are going to get loud. As for , the yelling at the players and coaches is unnecessary. yelling towards the officials is fine. You can’t say you never thought they made a bad call.
 
bq. ALL of our Gladiators have heart, not just some of us. But, you are the one talking about how other fans are putting us down? How do you think we feel when we read what you put on this page? That is putting us down! You’re doing the exact same thing, but just not during the game. During the game the football boys know if they did something bad, but they don’t need people putting them down on or OFF the field. Just go to the game and have fun. That is all we want our parents to do. The drama is for the high school students, not the parents.