SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Boys Varsity Soccer Racism in High School Soccer

I have gone back and forth about posting on this subject and feel I have a responsibility to do so.

If you know who I am you know I am the mom of not only a boy who loves soccer but also a brown boy. My child has moved on to college so these specific incidents weren't against my child but he will tell you it happens often.

I unfortunately had to witness firsthand 2 separate incidents where racial slurs were used during a high school soccer game. How do you handle these incidents? The referee during the first incident said he didn't hear the comment and therefore couldn't punish the player. The second incident was a student section continually using racial slurs against players.

Unfortunately this language is being perpetuated in the music that young people are listening to these days but it doesn't excuse it. I think the high school league needs to require some type of fines/punishments to schools who can't control their fan/student sections. I also think coaches should set a no tolerance expectation for their players. I know coaches aren't the parents and I think this behavior is learned at home but no one should be subjected to this. If you don't want your child to be apart of a diverse environment send them to private school or home school them.

The first step in change is awareness. I think as a concerned community we all should be sensitive to the needs of everyone. The game of soccer has changed and everyone doesn't look the same. There is so much more diversity than when my son began playing 16 years ago. My two cents.

One of my daughter's teammates was the target of racial slurs at a tournament this season. The taunts came from a group of students at the game. There were several adults with these kids, but none of them did anything to stop it. Sad that this is still an issue.

I wonder if adminstration is brave enough to take a stand? Seeing as how in my experience faculty is in the stands for many games it sends the message that this behavior is okay if no punishment is issued. People should walk in another's shoes and think how it would feel to talk to your child after they have be devalued by someone when they are simply playing the game they love.

I hear that there is the possibility of some interesting outcomes from the racist activities of certain schools. Shame on any school, teacher, administrator, parent, or official that would ever allow any racist action take place in today's society. There is no place for that in this world. And for the spoiled little brats that think this is an OK activity to do, come on up north to IL where I live, and let me know how it feels to get your you know what handed to you.....Because that is exactly what would happen.

http://www.ethicsandsport.com/public/upl...%20football.pdf

Perhaps, promoting a campaign like this would help?

Sandman, #1, I'm not a bigot when it comes to racism. I was raised to not accept it under any circumstances, period.

As a coach of a 100% minority team, we deal with it every year when we go to specific venues and places to play.

Personally, my kids love it. They feed on it. They play harder to deal with the slurs and the hatred. They want to win more. We address it as a staff for the kids who are not as strong willed, and let them know it is real, and it happens around the globe in every situation.

Heck, if the professional leagues have to deal with it and do not have an answer, what are we to do?? I cannot educate fans...

When kids hear it at home & all around them, they think that it's normal & what is supposed to be done. When I played soccer here in SC from 01-05 it was pretty bad, especially since our team was mostly hispanic w/ a few blacks every now & then & one white guy. I'd hear everything from the n word, to wetbacks, tomato pickers, you name it. We'd hear it from the fans, players, coaches, even some refs. Like NorthChuckSoccer's team, we fed off of it too, but I'd be lying if I told you it didn't mentally affect us. As strong as we try to be as players, these words & actions did affect us mentally. What made it worse was that refs would tell us we need to suck it up cuz there's nothing they can do about it. Or when you hear coaches joking around with their players saying these derogatory terms. What can you do?

If the administrators, coaches, players, and refs are not committed to eradicating this sickness, then it will continue. When a ref or a coach says "there's nothing I can do", then that empowers those that are continuing with the racist remarks. Yet when a black or hispanic kid decides that (s)he's had enough & reacts, then the conversation won't be the racism that caused this kid to snap, but how these kids are uncontrollable & a shame to the league & they should be banned forever.

Rather than just taking the easy way and passing it along for someone else to deal with, we can start by having zero tolerance for racism. But the only way is when everyone is on the same page. It does no good if some administrators, coaches, and even refs just turn the other way.

As a referee, there is always something you can do. You have a red card in your pocket, use it! I don't tolerate that behavior on my field, and that is the way it should be across the board. It saddens me that people have to be exposed to such backward beliefs. I would toss someone in a heartbeat if I heard a racist statement being made. I once emptied a stadium for inappropriate comments being made. That is what needs to happen, and if it is found that admisistrators, teachers, coaches do nothing to combat this...they need to be fired and have their teachers certificates removed.