All Articles by Donald C. Collins, J.D.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that cheerleading is a "contact sport."  What does this mean for you and your child?  Have the courts gone mad or are the courts correct?

It’s the biggest fear of anybody who runs an urban athletic program, and it just happened in Chicago. A group of gang-bangers with no affiliation with your school or program decide to bring their foolishness into your gym.

A listing of acts of poor sportsmanship in youth sports in the last three months of 2008 and a shout out to a state athletic association standing up for good sportsmanship.

A listing of acts of poor sportsmanship in youth sports and a few shining examples of good sportsmanship.

A listing of some of the worst displays of sportsmanship in youth sports.

The January to March, 2008 period saw a continuation of bad behavior (a/k/a "bad acts") in youth sports. Here are just six examples.

You may have read about a vote by the sportsmanship committee of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) to ban bare-chested spectators and fans who paint their chest at indoor high school sporting events. The proposal will be voted on soon by the WIAA's governing board. In my view, the WIAA is doing the right thing.

Everyone involved in youth sports has a role to play: players play; coaches coach; officials officiate; and spectators sit in the stands or stand on the sidelines and cheer positively. Nine out of ten incidents of bad sportsmanship occurs where people stray from their role. If everyone followed the golden rule of sportsmanship - to know their role and stay within it - the result would be fewer people misbehaving at youth sports competitions.

A school or independent youth sports organization (YSO) should require a preparticipation physical exam or evaluation (PPE) before allowing a child to practice or play an organized sport. In most places, not just any PPE form will do. Most schools or sports programs specify the PPE form that has to be completed.