CESAFI football tournament manager Francis Ramirez told me the other week that they were deliberating on whether to impose an additional one-game suspension on a player who pulled down his shorts in front of the crowd; an act that was a disrespect to the teams, officials and the league.
Just the other day, Ramirez told me that they did impose the additional penalty on the player with the hope that it sends the message that such things will not be tolerated. Though the team has the right to file an appeal, I think the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. will side on the call of their tournament manager for this one.
Cesafi is big on discipline, particularly on player behavior and when players cross the line, a reminder that they shouldn’t do such things is warranted. Sometimes, players do crazy things in the heat of the moment but the Cesafi is a league governed by rules, not a fly-by-night inter-sitio tournament where such actions may be overlooked. I’ve been watching most of the games since the season started and I’m actually impressed at the conduct of the players. Sure, there were some heated moments as is the norm in a football tournament, but the level of sportsmanship shown, especially between heated rivals, is quite something.
Fair play (for those not familiar, it’s the act of intentionally ending play so an injured player gets attention and having ball possession returned by the other team) is practiced at a level not shown before. Players who get injured get treated, not just by teammates, but by the opposing teams as well. It’s an observation that I relayed to Francis too.“Nakat-un na sila,” he said.
It’s a credit, not just to the league, but to all the players and schools as well.
The parents though are a different thing. I’ve seen some heated exchanges in a couple of matches but I was told that in one other match that I missed, the exchange was particularly more heated. To be fair, it’s not all of the parents but in incidents like these, it’s the negative behavior that gets noticed over the positive behavior. Some say that it’s just words or some jeering that adds to the atmosphere of the game. I agree, but if such jeering has such a negative impact that the animosity gets carried over, I don’t think it’s just plain “words” anymore. Consider the reaction of some parents (from all teams) that I’ve talked.
“They’ve always been like that.” “They always get away with it.” “They should discipline their ranks.”
Is it necessary? No. During one half-time break I spent with dads from both teams they both admit that the jeering was unnecessary.
“Our sons are all friends,” they both said.
These incidents involving parents hasn’t escaped Francis too.
“Do they want to reach a point that a Cesafi game will be played closed doors?” he told me one time.
I agree it doesn’t have to reach that point but the big question is, how do you not cross the line? I guess let’s take it from the parents themselves. They don’t like it and they respond in kind when a player’s attention is called by the other team.
“Cheer lang, ay’g mention ug ngalan.”
Let me further modify that to simply: “Cheer lang.”