I’m sure everyone by now has heard about the incident at the Rebels / Raiders semi-final game where a spectator threw coffee into the face of the Raiders’ quarterback. Not sure why any imbecile would do that, but anything is possible when liquid courage is involved. However, looking at it, maybe it’s just part of our culture right now. The RCMP is looking into charging the person responsible, and the incident will be looked at by the BCFC, as well as the stadium will review its security procedures and adjustments will be made. But at the end of the day, we as junior football should be looking at ourselves. If you ask anyone if it is okay to do that, I’m sure they would say no. But in the grand scheme of it all, are we not contributing to this culture of no respect? Think about it. How many times have you heard a coach unleash a tirade towards a game official? Or how about a team official (or coach for that matter), who starts yelling at league executive and game reps because of a game officials call, or because they don’t like a particular person on another team? Isn’t that a show of disrespect? Are the players watching and listening? You bet they are!

Being a game representative involved with the BCFC , you get a chance to be right on the sideline with the teams. The phrase I hear the most (other than berating the game officials), is the verbal attacks directed at opposition players. The most common phrase? "You’re a sack of sh*t, number so and so." Why is that acceptable?  Aren’t we as the custodians of this game supposed to set the example? Why is it when a player misses a tackle or block we take him to task, but when he directs some verbal abuse towards an opposition player we just say "oh it’s just part of the game?" Why is it part of the game, and who says that it’s part of the game? I’ve attended many coaching and management seminars for football over the years, and not once have I heard, "oh that’s just part of the game." So why do we do it, and why do coaches condone it and do it as well? Maybe all the hate that is directed towards league individuals, coaches, game officials and players is an extension of the culture that led to the incident of the coffee throwing to be okay. I wonder if you, and by you I mean the teams, allow your players or coaches to talk to your team sponsors with no respect or in a threatening bullying way? I didn’t think so. So why do you allow it to be directed at other teams and league people and continue to do it? What happened on Saturday is sad and I hope the person involved is held accountable, but isn’t it just the collateral damage of the mistrust and disrespect that permeates the BCFC right now?

We seem to think that a cheap shot, as long as it 'isn’t against one of my guys' is okay. It seems to be okay when teams warm up to yap at each other, or come together at mid-field and do a little chest pounding or dancing at center field in an opponent’s park. Or when the game is over, some players migrate to the opposition side to taunt. When did that become the norm? Where are the coaches? They are ultimately the ones who can defuse all of this. But some will stand by just watching, and some encouraging. Oh, I forgot, it’s just "part of the game." This isn’t what we all signed up for. We are the teachers and leaders who have been entrusted by parents to set a positive example, and to provide a safe environment for our players to play the game and help them develop into our future leaders. This is a game of discipline and the discipline starts with the people who make the decisions. If the top rung isn’t disciplined and shows no respect, then how the heck do you expect the players to follow the words, and not actions and examples?

We bitch when another team seems to get an edge. We look around for the first league executive member and get in their face complaining, and try to bully the league member and say “do something!” But do what? Do you think players don’t see that? You bet they do. To them it seems okay to show aggression and bully, because that is what we are allowing to happen. We’re not showing any respect at all. 

There have been a few incidents this season from social media threats, to this coffee throwing incident. We seem to think it’s not all that bad, as long as the league doesn’t come after my guys. But when they do, rather than take responsibility and hand out some discipline to the player(s) involved, we point fingers at other teams, whining that something should be done because “they started it”.

Let’s face it, we were destined to be involved in this game. We love the challenge and the interactions with these young men. No one is forcing us to put in all these hours. But we’ve lost our ability to smile and enjoy the people and players we dedicate our time to. What happened to looking forward to a game so we can catch up with the other members of the other team? They experience the same challenges, and are our friends and part of this football family. Now instead of a good laugh, we seem to look for controversy and negativity. Why is that?

We’ve got a great product as witnessed by the two semi-final games just played. They were close, fast and very well played games. Games that the BCFC can be very proud of, and proud of the players for the efforts that they put forward. But if we don’t reel in all this aggression towards the volunteers and the verbal abuse, we’ll just live up to the junior football haters who say that junior ball is bush and just a beer league.

The Cullen Cup game is coming up, and a new city will experience this for the first time. This is the showcase game for the BCFC. The game that ends the BCFC season, and declares a champion. It’s an opportunity for the entire league to celebrate the teams and players that are playing in the game. We don’t need a splintered league with everyone in a foul mood and a cloud of negativity and mistrust hovering over us.

It’s time to take some responsibility, work together for the betterment of this game, and for everyone to take a stand that the negative conduct that currently exists now, is not acceptable.