Sports Opinion: Gun violence around sporting events requires increased safety measures
Published on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 3:40 p.m.
Last week’s tragedy in Lewiston, Maine, is the latest sign of difficult times regarding gun violence in our country. 18 people lost their lives and 13 more were injured in the mysterious shooting incident. Our hearts are heavy as a result of this foolish act, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families whose lives have been forever changed.
This horrific act of violence occurred in a bar and bowling alley. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in shootings occurring around school events, especially Friday night football games.
Since August, there have been 34 shootings at middle school and high school sporting events, which is on pace to outpace last year’s 38, according to David Readman of the K-12 School Shooting Database. To call this a “concerning trend” for everyone involved in interscholastic sports nationwide may be an understatement.
Such incidents have occurred across the country, from states in the Deep South to California to New York to, most recently, Ohio, where, according to Cleveland.com, “the incident resulted in a near-forfeiture and two The move and the match took place.” Fan participation was limited or completely prohibited. ā
Certainly, the safety of individuals attending middle school and high school events must be a top priority for school officials. However, limiting fan attendance at school sporting events should be a last resort. Many student-athletes and their families experienced this loss of connection during the pandemic when stadiums were empty.
High school sporting events have traditionally been a place for fans to safely gather and celebrate the accomplishments of high school athletes. We must do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of these venues.
In most cases, shootings that occur in and around school venues reflect the rise in gun violence at large gatherings across the country. In many cases, fights between individuals that have nothing to do with the game occur outside the stadium, and unfortunately, increasingly many of these incidents end violently with the use of firearms.
When this type of violence enters interscholastic sports venues, school officials need to step up their efforts to ensure safety. While we hope that efforts by government and local leaders will begin to reduce gun-related violence, our nation’s middle school and high school athletic administrators must protect spectators, student participants, and officials. You need to make a plan for it.
Stronger security plans have existed for years at college and professional sports venues. It is imperative that high school sports coaches keep safety and security at the top of their priority list after school, not only during games but also during practices both inside and outside of the building.
Many resources are available for high school athletic administrators to implement after-school safety and security programs, including free online educational courses from the NFHS Learning Center. www.NFHSLearn.com. “Security after school” Provides practical strategies for developing and implementing supervision plans for school safety teams and after-school activities.
Additionally, other organizations offer courses, workshops, and materials that can be used to develop an emergency action plan for event security.of National Association of Interdisciplinary Athletics Administrators (NIAAA) offers Leadership Training Course 631 on “Physical Education Administration: Emergency Management of Interschool Athletic Competitions”.
of safe sports zone, through its founder Jay Hames, offers a seven-step safety training program to reduce liability at high school athletic events. This training emphasizes the importance of building a team, inspecting gate entrances, and dealing with irate fans.
Other organizations include National School Security Service And that National Spectator Sports Safety and Security Center.
High school soccer championships are held all over the country. Alaska has already won the state championship with West Anchorage High School defeating South Anchorage for the Division I title. As these events continue across the country over the next four to five weeks, we want to ensure our stadiums remain open for everyone. The presence of fans – students, parents, other family members, friends, and community members – is what makes education-based sports different from non-school sports. Please pay close attention to the safety of everyone who participates and enjoys the event.
Dr. Carissa L. Niehoff teeth He is in his sixth year as CEO of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is the first woman to head a national coaching organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities, and her sixth full-time executive director of NFHS. She previously served as executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years.