The biggest play makers in sports are not always the ones who sail the highest on a slam dunk or evade a defense for a thrilling rush to the end zone. Some athletes are constant play makers just by virtue of the position they play. These guys are either going to come up big or come up short in virtually any contest. There are no irrelevant actions; every move they make results in their team’s success or failure. They would be the kickers in football, and of course goalies.
Add to the fact that a hockey goalie is poised at a post near the stands, often away from the action at the other end of the ice, and alone within ear shot of the crowd.
“There are always a few people who try and chirp from the stands,” said Dalton McGrath of the FHL Danville Dashers, a former Sons of Hockey Star of the Week and PHN Goaltender of the Month who also spent time with the Peoria Rivermen. “This year in Port Huron there was a guy who would always chirp in the second period, and I would laugh because it was some of the worst chirping I have ever heard.”
Peter DiSalvo of the SPHL Mississippi RiverKings is a former President’s Cup champion with Pensacola and splits time in the ECHL, playing last season with the Colorado Eagles, the and the Adirondack Thunder. He spoke to PHN at length about the mental part of his position, and the ways that some unsavory fans choose to vent.
“The mental part of my game is huge,” said DiSalvo. “I always try to block out the crowd because I like to stay in my own zone. With high amount of pressure on goalies in general and the fans getting loud, all we can do is play our game. We can only control what we do on the ice. I block out the negative energy.”
DiSalvo explains that many times it just goes too far, both on the ice and on the internet.
“I get my share of negative comments on social media,” Peter related. “I just ignore it and move on. Fans get caught up in the moment and take it upon themselves to speak their minds. But there’s a proper way to react, and an improper way. Insulting a player’s ethnicity, attacking their families, telling them they don’t deserve to be alive; these should be obvious examples of how NOT to get involved. I mean it’s embarrassing; not only for other fans but for the organizations that have their unfortunate support. Every team is represented by the fans first. No team wants to represented by people like that.”
“Watching sports is insanely complicated and very personal,” writes journalist Eric Simons in his book The Secret Lives of Sports Fans. According to Simons, there are many factors at play in the passionate fan. The hormonal changes that sports provoke, mirror neurons that project a person into the action they are watching, dopamine- the brain’s reward system – inciting passion or addiction, and the basic human need for belonging. Being extremely attached to a sporting event spikes one’s self-esteem. On the down side, however, a team’s failure can pose a threat to a person’s self image.
And then of course there is the just plain nasty person that psychology is wasted on.
“No fan should hide behind the stands or use social media to attack players,” DiSalvo encourages of fans. “If you want to say something to a player, coach, or even a referee/linesman, either find them and say it to their face or don’t say anything at all. And if you use social media to say something, don’t private message anyone. Let the whole world see what’s on your mind so everyone can see what your team is represented by. Don’t hide behind closed doors. If you feel the need to yell at anyone on the ice, just boo them. People are trying to teach their kids about sportsmanship. Players can take just about anything, we suck it up. In hockey there’s a balance between proper respect and just having fun. If you want to make a statement, just boo. Never harass anyone.”
There have been countless articles written on fan etiquette. Fans who attack players and belittle other teams’ fans are maybe better off watching television. In the end people are going to be people, and there will always be all kinds of them. This author’s challenge; make the choice for sanity and self control in the stands and be one of the decent ones.
Photos courtesy Shawn Crose, Peter DiSalvo, Jeremie Allen, and gettyimages.com
Follow the author on Twitter @RonnaReporter
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