Many high school basketball teams who play in opposing high school gyms look forward to an intense two hours of the home team’s student section chanting things like “Overrated” or “You, you, you” after a foul or “Air-ball” after a shot that misses everything.  Away teams will see the home students dressed alike in such themes as beach, throwback, or patriotic clothing.  Creative and passionate high school student sections work to shock the visiting teams as soon as they step foot on the court.

But if you are the away team in a Wisconsin high school gym, your games will be a little quieter this season.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, equivalent to Kentucky’s KHSAA, has outlawed numerous chants and actions by student sections during basketball games. The chants include “Air-ball, Season’s over, and USA-USA-USA.” Yes, even USA is banned.

You may be thinking the same thing I am thinking: What has the world come to? We live in an always-evolving world where people seemingly get punished for being ahead in society and those who fall short are rewarded. The idea that everyone has to be equal has now spread to the basketball court. These rules restrict freedom and the benefits of having a home-court advantage.   

The new rules went into effect after the holiday season.  The intent was to decrease any action that may “taunt, disrespect, distract or entice an unsporting behavior in response.”

When I read these rules for the first time, I assumed that there was a prior incident or incidents that led to the enforcement of the rules. There actually was no minor or major reason to enforce the rules.  They came out of nowhere and hit communities in Wisconsin pretty hard. One school reacted by showing up to a game with duct tape across their mouths to protest the WIAA’s rule.

Who would have thought that a sport where both teams shake hands after the games and pick each other up off the ground does not have enough sportsmanship? I have always thought that basketball was one of the best sports for showing sportsmanship.  Even when the court gets stormed after a big win, the two coaches find each other through the madness and shake hands.

These rules would make more sense at a YMCA soccer game for five-year-olds, where scores aren’t kept,  there are no league standings, and a team that gives up 50 goals and scores two goals in one season will receive the same trophy as a team that scores 50 goals and gives up two in one season.

In a high school game, however, the players have to try out and make the team, not have their parents sign up for them.  The high school players know they will eventually find themselves in a hostile environment every now and then.

In an emotional and high-stakes game, it is advantageous to the home team to have their own crowd standing behind them.

“Students give the players confidence they don’t get in road games because of the relationships the students have with each other,” said Brandon Killian, a Trinity 2015 alumnus.

Student sections have always been more directed towards encouraging the home team rather than degrading the away team.  It is especially this way for Trinity’s boisterous student section.

Trinity senior Jake Woosley, football quarterback for the Rocks, said, “Sometimes we would have problems with our cadence on offense because (our) student section was too loud.”

Woosley said the toughest away student section is at Male High School.  I would have thought that hearing their occasionally offensive chants may disrupt our team and lower our performance; however, according to Woosley, “It makes it fun when people are against us.”

Male is definitely known for their rowdy and at times uncontrollable student sections.  So, apparently these chants (and some that are actually bad) help the visitors.

The Trinity student section has always followed the rules of the game, whether it is football, basketball or baseball, and stayed respectful to opponents.  So, I don’t think we have to worry about our classic chants being removed from game day anytime soon.  Of course, it is ultimately up to the KHSAA to make the call on that.

I do not see any reason to take out anything related to how schools show support to their teams.  It would take away from the originality of the atmosphere of a high school game.  There is always a “small town” feel in small, compact gyms where students are standing shoulder to shoulder for a couple of hours watching their friends play a game.

It wouldn’t be the same if all we could chant were things like “Good pass,” “Nice shot” or the one I would try to start after a loss: “Thanks for beating us!” The good thing is we can still create the kind of passionate environment we always have.