Today, we have a serious problem in all high school sports — athlete profanity.

Who is responsible for such inappropriate behavior? That’s easy; every adult who is involved directly or indirectly with sports.

After watching people play the new “blame game” on various news media topics, I think I have a pretty good handle on what is a contributing factor regarding the profanity problem. Today, if something happens that doesn’t go one’s way, it is somebody else’s fault. We have become what I have dubbed the “United States of Excuses”.

To digress a bit, as an educator for four decades, I had a framed slogan hanging on the back wall of my classroom that all my former students viewed daily:

“Excuses are like sewers;

Every street has one;

And they all stink.”

My students were taught to accept responsibility and the consequences for their actions, be it good or bad. But somehow such beliefs have faded away.

Closely associated with the contemporary excuse-making trend is the byproduct of overt adult swearing over various matters that turned out poorly for them. And guess who is listening and taking in all adult profane language — the kids. So, in their young minds, it must be OK. Thus, the present phenomenon of “foul month” behavior in high school athletics.

Since wrestling is my area of extensive athletic experience as a competitor, coach, official, mat sport writer, promoter, and finally a state rules interpreter, let me share with you what I have witnessed recently. I have observed matches where the wrestlers blatantly swore during competition. When the official penalized them, the coaches said nothing to their wrestlers. I cringe at the thought of what my coach would have done to me.

But it even gets worse. At one wrestling tournament, a coach was actually upset with the official for penalizing his wrestler for using profane language.

At another multiple dual-meet event, a wrestler was disqualified from the meet for profanity directed toward his opponent. His coach actually went to the tournament administrator and demanded that the official involved not do any of his team’s matches during the remainder of the competition. The director wisely rejected the request.

Talk about the warped priorities of this coach. I question his qualifications for developing student character and what he is doing in the field of coaching.

The usual excuse made for athlete obscene language is “They hear it at home, on TV, the internet, listening to the lyrics of music, and even from famous professional sports personalities.” Without question, I do not care where they hear it and neither should coaches.

I have always been under the impression that part of a coach’s role was to build positive character traits at practice and during the rigors of competition. That’s what high school sports coaches were originally expected to accomplish, as well as producing winning teams.

Sports fans should not have to be exposed to such inappropriate language during competition. If an athlete screams obscenities in anger while competing, he should immediately be ejected. And, without any hesitation, the coach should wholeheartedly agree with the ejection and harshly discipline the athlete.

I do have a recommendation for coaches dealing with this very serious contemporary problem. During my years as a high school wrestling coach, I had one very simple rule for my wrestlers to follow. I simply stated:

“When we compete at dual meets and tournaments, no matter what happens during your matches, you keep your months shut or pay dearly. If there is a problem when you are competing, I will deal with it. There is only one person who will speak to the official about the situation and possibly make a scene. And that will be me. You will be perfect gentlemen.”

Jeff Stern, senior editor for Referee Magazine, offered the following thoughts:

“Athletes put officials in a tough position when they use profanity, particularly if it’s directed at the official or their opponent. If that language goes unpenalized and chaos follows, the public will almost always accuse the officials of ‘losing control’ of the contest. If it is penalized, officials are accused of over-officiating and not paying attention to more important matters. Clearly, the most important role models in this area are the parents and coaches. Only if they teach the importance of proper conduct will this issue not be an issue.”

B. Elliot Hopkins, director of Sports, Sanctioning, and Student Services for the National Federation of High School Associations, stated, “There is never a place for profanity in education-based athletics and activities. The very nature of what we stand for is ‘education.’ To allow profane language is an indication that we are not educating our young people to be more emotionally intelligent. If we are unable to send that message by our words, but more importantly by our actions, then we are failing them. We should teach character and resilience. That will carry them much further in life.”

Dan Comer, assistant executive director of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, has this advice for all scholastic coaches:

“Coaches, ask yourself this question: ‘Do I walk the walk or simply talk the talk?’

“As leaders of young men and women, you are continuously being watched at practice, observed in competition, and imitated by your athletes. You must be positive role models — now more than ever. Recent foul, obscene, and vulgar language has no place in high school sports. Coaches, you must be the standard-bearers for promoting change in such negative behavior during the rigors of scholastic competition.

“Make it happen!”

There must be absolutely no compromise regarding good sportsmanship. It should be a high priority of all coaches to stress zero tolerance regarding any form of profanity. If they fail to address this, “Good Sportsmanship” will become just another oxymoron.

Bill Welker, EdD, served as the WVSSAC Wrestling Rules Interpreter, Clinician, and Supervisor of state tournament officials for 28 years.