Parents hurling abuse at referees and umpires and jeering and laughing at mistakes made by members of opposing teams have become a familiar sight at school sports tournaments. Some sports-mad parents have even threatened referees after a game.
In a bid to get parents to display good sportsmanship, schools are now getting them to sign honour codes and pledges.
Former Rondebosch Boys' High pupil David Becker, and Matthew Pearce, an old boy of Bishops in Cape Town, led the initiative to draw up an honour code in which parents acknowledge that the game "is the players' game and not theirs". The code, endorsed by rugby legend Francois Pienaar, also urges parents always to use appropriate language with players, coaches, officials and other spectators.
Parents of Jeppe High School for Boys in Johannesburg have signed a pledge in which they agree to refrain from "coaching" their child or any other pupil from the sidelines, questioning the decisions made by umpires and referees and becoming involved in arguments with coaches, teachers, pupils and visitors.
Michael Berger, chairman of the school's governing body, said parents had embraced the pledge, which was aimed at promoting a positive culture of sportsmanship among parents. "Boys see what their parents do and how they behave, and this can either have a positive or negative effect on the boys."
Rondebosch Boys' High headmaster Shaun Simpson said that while he had witnessed "some atrocious behaviour" from parents of some visiting schools where "winning at all costs is clearly the culture", his parent support was good and positive.
"An incident which stands out for me is once having to ask a parent from a visiting school to apologise to the referee for harassing him perpetually and having her answer, 'I was just supporting our boys'."
In July last year, parents attending a rugby match at Rondebosch Boys were confronted with a sign that read: "The referees are human. As an adult, are you a positive role model?"
St John's College principal Paul Edey said letters were sent annually to parents outlining what is expected of them "while supporting their children from the sidelines. There have been incidents where we have noticed inappropriate behaviour from our Old Boys or parents, and we do intervene and advise them that their behaviour is not acceptable."
He said that the issue of parents' behaviour on the sports field was also discussed regularly at the Gauteng Boys' Schools meeting which included both private and public schools.
Jac Fourie, headmaster of Hoërskool Noordheuwel in Krugersdorp, Gauteng, said besides hurling verbal abuse at referees, parents even threatened them after a game.
"If a school gets a bad name with referees because of parents behaving badly, unions can refuse to appoint referees to schools."
Andri Barnes, principal of Glenwood Boys in Durban, said the code of conduct for parents, endorsed by the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union, was printed on programmes handed out during sports matches.
It states that it is directed at those who "from time to time, shout abuse at match officials and players".
At King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, where parents wear special supporters' clothing, the code urges them to remain in designated areas alongside the field.
David Barnard, a hockey and softball coach at Hoërskool Centurion in Pretoria, said he had been forced to stop a softball match for a short while last year after a parent became upset with the umpire.
"I approached the parent and asked him to settle down. The sports organiser for the school said it was not the first time the parent had behaved badly."
Vickus Kemp, who has been coaching athletics for 18 years, was among parents attending a prestigious athletics meeting at the Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria on Thursday. He called for the banning of unruly parents from sports matches. "Abusive and violent parents have no place in school sport. School sports have become too competitive and this is contributing to parents behaving badly."
Another parent admitted that he coached his son from the sidelines. "I'm not going to say I'm an angel. I will tell him before he throws the shot put or javelin: 'Remember to keep your head up, arms wide apart, keep your balance and move in a straight line.'"..