Sportsmanship and Frustration

By Jack Furlong

Pounder/President/CEO

A colleague sent me an article recently that outlined three separate violent incidents in youth sports, all of which occurred on the same Saturday in October in New Jersey.
 
One was on a high school soccer field.  One was on a high school football field.  And one was at a youth football game.
 
As I read it, a frustration began to boil in me.
 
This frustration wasn’t from the incidents.  It wasn’t from the fact that they all happened on the same day in the same state.  It wasn’t any of that.
 
No, the frustration came from the fact that OSIP played no part in the process.
 
Let me explain…
 
Out of every school and athletic director mentioned or interviewed in the article, whether stemming from the incidents directly or simply seeking comment, not even one has ever heard of our organization or has contacted us for help.
 
Out of every person offering quotes for the article, the only person who knew who we were was the sole state assemblywoman we honored at our celebration in 2025.  (She didn’t mention us in the article, but that’s no guarantee that she didn’t mention us and the author simply omitted it.)
 
Surprise:  the author never mentioned us.
 
The purpose of the article was to shed light on these incidents and the growing problem in sports.  We’ve all heard the stories.  We may even have witnessed some of the experiences.  And for every incident referenced in this article, OSIP tried to get involved to help.
 
We got nowhere.
 
The entire ordeal is frustrating because we exist and want to help.  Are our advertising campaigns not working to alert the public of our existence?  Or do people simply not want to include us?
 
After all, the incidents of poor sportsmanship, conflict, and violence are the ones that get the most eyeballs to the television set, not the ones where opponents help each other or where a player and an official share a laugh.
 
So, I must ask:  what is it going to take to get OSIP involved?  What will it take for schools, leagues, and other organizations to realize we have a plethora of resources waiting for them?  What will it take for players, coaches, parents, fans, and the media to consciously decide to invite us into their environment and allow us to assist in making a difference?