One of the great aspects of Greek life is participating in fraternity and sorority intramural sports. Not only is it an easy way to stay in shape and avoid the freshman 15, it also allows members to get to know each other, bond, and come together in an effort for your chapter. After all, who doesn’t want to burn some other fraternity on a hail-mary pass or bend it like Beckham around a competing sorority girl, all in the name of your chapter?
Although competition is natural and healthy, some Greeks tend to take intramural sports a bit too seriously. While serious players can be beneficial to the team, when their competitive attitudes begin to undermine other players and the nature of the game, the consequences can be detrimental to the member and the chapter. To avoid negative repercussions, members and the chapter as a whole need to take active roles in dealing with sportsmanship and competitive attitudes.
Know Your Players
If you’ve ever played a team sport, you’re sure to have noticed that not all players are alike. There’s always the player who is a “go big or go home” kind of person, and then there’s the player who plays hard, does the work, but stays quiet in the corner. While the former of these two players is likely to be the most problematic, its important for the team’s captain, or your chapter’s exec members, to know every member and to keep an eye on all of the players. Sometimes the quietest player in practice can be a ticking time bomb during the game.
Establish Your Expectations
When your members first start practicing for a sport, be sure to outline the chapter’s expectations of the members as players. Just like at a social event, members should behave appropriately and in a way that best represents the chapter. By establishing these standards and expectations before a game or match, your members know how they should behave, and you and your exec members can reprimand anyone who steps out of line. Additionally, you set the tone of play for the season in that you remind your members that they’re not just playing for themselves, but for their teammates and your chapter as well.
Establish The Rules
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by the number of intramural players (not only in the Greek community) who don’t know the rules of the game. Additionally, many times the intramural rules differ from that of high school or college level sports. If your players know the rules and understand how the game is supposed to be played, they are less likely to be confused during a game and spend time arguing with the official or opponent.
Make Players Responsible for Each Other
As chapter members (and also as a team), your players should feel responsible for each other. After all, if another team attacked or hurt one of your players, wouldn’t your team feel obliged to protect him or her? Just as your players should protect each other, they should also monitor each other and intercede if someone behaves inappropriately or gets out of hand. The first ones responsible for players on the field, court, or rink, are the other players.
Ideally, the team captain will be the one to remind players that they are responsible for each other. However, if your team captain has not done so (and another player has not stepped up), your exec members should be the ones to speak with the players. Just as the members are sisters in the sorority and brothers in the fraternity, they are players on the team and should look out for each other and the team’s best interest.
Attend the Games or Matches
While you may have faith in your team captain to lead the team, monitor behavior, and intervene during misconduct, this isn’t always how things play out. If you and your exec members are worried about a specific player or an upcoming game against a rival chapter, you should make sure that at least one of your exec members attend. It may be that you’re worrying over nothing, or it may turn out that you need to intercede on the chapter’s behalf and calm your players down.
Additionally, you should make yourself open to active members and any anxieties they may have. As an executive member, you see a lot that goes on in the chapter. However, you don’t see everything. Active members may have different insights into various players, and may know something that you don’t know. The upcoming game may seem like a cake-walk to you, but for the brother who’s girlfriend cheated on him with a guy from the other team, sportsmanship is probably the last thing on his mind.
Confront a Situation Head On
If you’re faced with the dreadful situation of a player acting out (either physically or verbally), the best thing to do is to confront the situation. You don’t necessarily need to speak with the player at that specific second (actually, its probably better to give the player some time to cool down and think straight), but you shouldn’t ignore the indiscretion or let too much time go by. Additionally, remember your PR training. If your player blows up at the other team, the worst thing you can do for your chapter’s public image is to run onto the field and yell at the player. Just like at a social event, misconduct and inappropriate behavior should be dealt with at the right time and place, and shouldn’t further embarrass the individual member, or your chapter.
Many chapters have found different ways of dealing with bad sportsmanship. Some chapters impose fines, while others ban members from playing or require them to formally apologize to the other team (or game officials). These are extreme cases, and don’t reflect the majority of “bad attitude” situations that many fraternities and sororities face. Usually, a simple slap on the wrist will do the trick, especially if you’re dealing with members who were athletes in high school (or are athletes in college). Sportsmanship is a cornerstone of most athletic programs, so, hopefully, your members already know how they should behave, and their misconduct was a one-time slip.
To Play or Not to Play?
Finally, if sports seem to bring out the worst in your members and are a detriment to your chapter, you might consider not participating at all. Although your members will complain and your chapter’s image might be negatively impacted, refraining from sports may be better for your members in the long run (and you won’t have to deal with unsportsman-like behavior). Remember: if your members can’t behave appropriately, they don’t deserve to represent the chapter in sports. Your chapter can always participate in the future once your members learn to be good sports.