Ejection-free schools deserve recognition
Published 5:12 pm Wednesday, October 21, 2015

DAVID CUCCHIARA | DAILY NEWS
Southside is currently in its 12th ejection-free academic year, which leads all North Carolina high schools (tied with Ocracoke). Pictured is sophomore midfielder Devin Guzman in a game against Farmville Central, another ejection-free school in the region.
In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to lose control, especially when competing in a sport. For schools throughout North Carolina and the country, it’s hardly uncommon to have a coach ejected for cursing, a player thrown out for an altercation or a fan asked to leave for taunting. Believe it or not, the vast majority of institutions will have one or more ejections during an average athletic season.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association announced this month that 139 member schools, about 35 percent of the 403 total institutions, were ejection free in their athletic contests during the 2014-2015 school year. The guidelines record ejections for unsportsmanlike acts such as fighting, taunting, profanity, obscene gestures or disrespectfully addressing or contacting officials, according to a recent NCHSAA press release.
Since 2007, the numbers of ejections have risen, but over the last two years, ejections have dropped. Here in Beaufort County, two local schools continue to be pillars of sportsmanship in the region. Northside went without an ejection during the last academic year, while Southside is currently tied with Ocracoke High School for the most consecutive ejection-free years in North Carolina, 11 in a row. Other ejection-free schools in the area are Ayden-Grifton, Bear Grass, Farmville Central, Mattamuskeet, Plymouth and South Creek.
Success has varied from sport to sport for Northside and Southside. However, every coach, player and fan has kept his or her cool through it all and that is certainly commendable.
High school sports have become overloaded with unsportsmanlike conduct and over-the-top coaches and fans. The reason for competing, oftentimes, becomes misconstrued. Whether it’s in youth sports or college sports, activities that were originally meant to build character and stress the importance of teamwork can become breading grounds of disrespect.
It’s good to see those essential values intact here in Beaufort County.