WIAA working crowd control at Girls' BB State Tournament

[Barou]

[/quote]

I still dont have a lot of faith in the WIAA but with this case they werent going to win either way. If they let this 3 year old boy hug his sister I would bet money that there would have been another some one with a story to get out there also. It is just how it works these days.

[/quote]

Yes they could have "won" there.  Instead of setting the screen in between the athlete and her little brother you let that interaction happen and then NICELY inform the coaches and the athletes that fans, family, etc are not allowed to be on the gym floor.  We saw how receptive the player was she would have followed direction.

It's been mentioned before, common sense!  Deb Hauser didn't use any in this situation.  It looks bad because it was bad.  Rule enforcement does NOT have to be heavy handed all the time.  There did not appear to be any risk of chaos ensuing and a plethora of fans rushing the court.  Safety wasn't at risk.  Complete lack of perspective. 

[bigoil]

Just need to point this out .... the lady on the video is Deb Hauser......the mother of the two star players from SPASH is Stephanie Hauser.....and yes they both work at the WIAA.....just needed to clarify

Oh my bad, related?

[bigG]

I still dont have a lot of faith in the WIAA but with this case they werent going to win either way. If they let this 3 year old boy hug his sister I would bet money that there would have been another some one with a story to get out there also. It is just how it works these days.

[/quote]

Yes they could have "won" there.  Instead of setting the screen in between the athlete and her little brother you let that interaction happen and then NICELY inform the coaches and the athletes that fans, family, etc are not allowed to be on the gym floor.  We saw how receptive the player was she would have followed direction.

It's been mentioned before, common sense!  Deb Hauser didn't use any in this situation.  It looks bad because it was bad.  Rule enforcement does NOT have to be heavy handed all the time.  There did not appear to be any risk of chaos ensuing and a plethora of fans rushing the court.  Safety wasn't at risk.  Complete lack of perspective. 
[/quote]
Parents should have kept the kid in the stands and this wouldn't have happened. The rule is not illogical nor unjust. Follow the rules and your kid doesn't have to be a "victim" of the oppressive WIAA. Let it go once; you've set a precedent. WIAA is an no-win. Let's let one team have people on the court, but not the other. I'm sure there are adorable other little brothers and sisters; they should all get to run out there. But, if one got hurt, the WIAA would have the same witch hunt. My job is much like this; so sooner or later i have to make a decision and stick with it. We made this woman make a decision, and now attack her for upholding the law. very reflective of current societal trends.

[DocWrestling]

This was the last game of the entire tournament.  Everyone was exiting except for family.  It is not like something was immediately afterwards.

Again think even the bigger picture.  Imagine after winning the state championship in wrestling, the wrestler was taken straight to the podium and then from there was told to go directly to the bus and get on it.  No contact with family.  That is what WIAA was doing here.  As Bigoil stated they were probably informed prior and they had to set up an alternate location for the bus and family to hook up.  That is idiotic.  In this case with Appleton North, this little boy did not see his sister again until I am assuming they got back to Appleton based on the families posts.

It is almost like play the game, make us some money, get your award and get off the court as fast as you can and out the door!  These are young kids that play for themselves, their school, and their families.  They do not play for the WIAA!

This the pinnacle of high school careers and they want to celebrate it with their families.  WIAA needs a policy change here and I am not saying they need to allow family on the floor.  Was Deb Hauser going to prevent the Appleton North girl from leaving the floor to go give her family a hug?  Credit the Appleton North girl for respecting the process and listening and no credit to Deb Hauser for understanding the process and whole point of youth sports.  Again the impression is that they only care about crowning a champion.

[rl77]

Deb Hauser was thinking "big picture" by doing what she was supposed to do, keeping an individual that did not belong on the court off the court. Get rid of the "cute little brother big bad WIAA person" and look at in an objective way. Parents ARE NOT ALLOWED on the Kohl Center floor. If a state champ wants to see mom, dad, and little brother he/she must go to the main concourse to do it. The same is expected here. No controversey.

[Barou]

I still dont have a lot of faith in the WIAA but with this case they werent going to win either way. If they let this 3 year old boy hug his sister I would bet money that there would have been another some one with a story to get out there also. It is just how it works these days.

Yes they could have "won" there.  Instead of setting the screen in between the athlete and her little brother you let that interaction happen and then NICELY inform the coaches and the athletes that fans, family, etc are not allowed to be on the gym floor.  We saw how receptive the player was she would have followed direction.

It's been mentioned before, common sense!  Deb Hauser didn't use any in this situation.  It looks bad because it was bad.  Rule enforcement does NOT have to be heavy handed all the time.  There did not appear to be any risk of chaos ensuing and a plethora of fans rushing the court.  Safety wasn't at risk.  Complete lack of perspective. 
[/quote]
Parents should have kept the kid in the stands and this wouldn't have happened. The rule is not illogical nor unjust. Follow the rules and your kid doesn't have to be a "victim" of the oppressive WIAA. Let it go once; you've set a precedent. WIAA is an no-win. Let's let one team have people on the court, but not the other. I'm sure there are adorable other little brothers and sisters; they should all get to run out there. But, if one got hurt, the WIAA would have the same witch hunt. My job is much like this; so sooner or later i have to make a decision and stick with it. We made this woman make a decision, and now attack her for upholding the law. very reflective of current societal trends.
[/quote]

Not questioning the rule.  The interaction was completely inappropriate.  The "fan" wasn't an adult it was a small child.  Yes, parents should have known better.  Guessing with their current emotion and the post game celebration seemingly modest they temporarily lost sight of the rule.  A friendly reminder in THAT situation would have restored order very civilly and within the positive spirit of student athletics.  My job is also similar.  I deliver unpopular news to employees more than I would like.  I find that being validated and treated with respect is a lot more important to people than most "issues" they may have.  No way that scenario deserved that response from the "adult".

[DocWrestling]

Watch the video.  She not only keeps the little kid away she pushes the player back to the ceremony and away.  What would have happened if she tried to go to her brother?   Was the WIAA going to stop her?  With them you never know.

Is this really what we are paying WIAA administrators to do?  That is in her job duties?

[Dale Einerson]

The whole idea behind a policy is you don't use common sense regarding application of the rule thereafter...that is how policy works.  If you use common sense thereafter you don't have a policy or a rule.

The rule was developed for safety and obviously crowd control that can lead to unruly and escalating problems.  I am in support of the WIAA on this matter...

Another perspective...at the Kohl Center we know we cannot rush the mat or send our little children out to greet our state place winners after their matches.  We know this.  Some of us remember the very excited, and even out of his head Oscar Mireles run to mat 1 after his baby Sergio wins State...he was turned around and ushered out.  Yet, how many times have we watched a winner run into the arms of their Coaches, then run up an aisle to hug their favorite supporters?  No negative reaction from tournament organizers as far as I can recall...

I suspect if big Sis, in this case, ran off the court momentarily to hug her little bro, all would be well with the world.

One of the most wonderful things to see in Wisconsin sports is the Wisconsin Women's Volleyball Team greet its court side fans at one of their always sold out events.  The fans don't run on the floor, the athletes greet the fans and high five and hug and go around almost the entire court, all of them, to great applause.  It is controlled, it appears to be safe; it is a coming together of fans and athletes.  It works...

[woody53]

I got to say I am did much the same thing a few years back at Team State. A Mom was trying to get out and hug her son, as he just sealed the victory for his team. I was trying to get the awards going and she followed me out onto the mats. I asked she go back. I wasn't videoed but after I wish I let her do the hug. Pressures of the moment trying to get everything done.

[Barou]

The whole idea behind a policy is you don't use common sense regarding application of the rule thereafter...that is how policy works.  If you use common sense thereafter you don't have a policy or a rule.

The rule was developed for safety and obviously crowd control that can lead to unruly and escalating problems.  I am in support of the WIAA on this matter...

Another perspective...at the Kohl Center we know we cannot rush the mat or send our little children out to greet our state place winners after their matches.  We know this.  Some of us remember the very excited, and even out of his head Oscar Mireles run to mat 1 after his baby Sergio wins State...he was turned around and ushered out.  Yet, how many times have we watched a winner run into the arms of their Coaches, then run up an aisle to hug their favorite supporters?  No negative reaction from tournament organizers as far as I can recall...

I suspect if big Sis, in this case, ran off the court momentarily to hug her little bro, all would be well with the world.

One of the most wonderful things to see in Wisconsin sports is the Wisconsin Women's Volleyball Team greet its court side fans at one of their always sold out events.  The fans don't run on the floor, the athletes greet the fans and high five and hug and go around almost the entire court, all of them, to great applause.  It is controlled, it appears to be safe; it is a coming together of fans and athletes.  It works...

Fair enough, take common sense out.  A rule was broken and we know how the WIAA chooses to not use discretion.  Totally separate debate IMO.  The primary issue here is the interaction between a high ranking member of the WIAA, a student athlete, and a young child.  IMO expectations of professionalism and tact should be at a higher level for the adult WIAA employee.  Surprisingly, it is starting to appear I'm in the minority on this thread.  How people interact and treat each other is important to me and I put a lot higher level of expectation on people of authority and how they interact.  

[DocWrestling]

Maybe this is an instance where the WIAA can learn from the pros and take positive steps to improve.  After championships with team celebrations the pros embrace the fact of families and allow families on the field/court to join the celebration.  It fits with what the pros are trying to promote.  It seems pro sports have much bigger crowds and higher security risks.  Simple and cheap to get credentials for family members ahead of time.  Could be silly simple bracelets.  Could end up being a memento of the occasion if done right.  Let immediate families be part of the ceremony and then usher them off to a prepared location where they can enjoy the moment.  For that matter, there should be a location for the families to meet with the players that lost.  How great would it be if the WIAA embraced families and created family areas for after events.

Things like this should lead to positive change, review, and reflection.  Not an insensitive non-apology from the WIAA that says "WE ARE NOT CHANGING!"

[Dale Einerson]

The whole idea behind a policy is you don't use common sense regarding application of the rule thereafter...that is how policy works.  If you use common sense thereafter you don't have a policy or a rule.

The rule was developed for safety and obviously crowd control that can lead to unruly and escalating problems.  I am in support of the WIAA on this matter...

Another perspective...at the Kohl Center we know we cannot rush the mat or send our little children out to greet our state place winners after their matches.  We know this.  Some of us remember the very excited, and even out of his head Oscar Mireles run to mat 1 after his baby Sergio wins State...he was turned around and ushered out.  Yet, how many times have we watched a winner run into the arms of their Coaches, then run up an aisle to hug their favorite supporters?  No negative reaction from tournament organizers as far as I can recall...

I suspect if big Sis, in this case, ran off the court momentarily to hug her little bro, all would be well with the world.

One of the most wonderful things to see in Wisconsin sports is the Wisconsin Women's Volleyball Team greet its court side fans at one of their always sold out events.  The fans don't run on the floor, the athletes greet the fans and high five and hug and go around almost the entire court, all of them, to great applause.  It is controlled, it appears to be safe; it is a coming together of fans and athletes.  It works...

Fair enough, take common sense out.  A rule was broken and we know how the WIAA chooses to not use discretion.  Totally separate debate IMO.  The primary issue here is the interaction between a high ranking member of the WIAA, a student athlete, and a young child.  IMO expectations of professionalism and tact should be at a higher level for the adult WIAA employee.  Surprisingly, it is starting to appear I'm in the minority on this thread.  How people interact and treat each other is important to me and I put a lot higher level of expectation on people of authority and how they interact.  

To your point, what would the world say if the high ranking WIAA member asks the little boy to wait courtside, then whispers in the ear of the big Sis "go to him, but come right back."  Rules and common sense applied...also requires somebody to be very nimble of mind at a tumultuous moment, which is an unfair expectation for almost all of us...

[DocWrestling]

Woody,

Why the huge rush to get these awards ceremonies done so fast?  I would think that this situation might have been different if Deb Hauser did not appear to be in such a rush.

I understand there may be games following but can we not just schedule in an extra 15 minutes before next team takes the court/field?
Why the rush when this was the last game of the night?

Seems like this is the moment that should be lengthened, embraced, and cherished especially with team sports.

I was part of a state championship winning football team and we had to go to the fences to find and hug family.  Sure would have been cool if that family could have come out on the field, including the coaches families.  Some of the coolest and most treasured moments at our high school now are after athletes have left everything on the field and win or lose they are allowed to mingle with family and classmates on the field/court afterwards.  Everyone getting their chance to say job well done and thanks for putting in all that hard work to represent yourself, your team, your family, and your community.

[woody53]

Woody,

Why the huge rush to get these awards ceremonies done so fast?  I would think that this situation might have been different if Deb Hauser did not appear to be in such a rush.

I understand there may be games following but can we not just schedule in an extra 15 minutes before next team takes the court/field?
Why the rush when this was the last game of the night?

Seems like this is the moment that should be lengthened, embraced, and cherished especially with team sports.

I was part of a state championship winning football team and we had to go to the fences to find and hug family.  Sure would have been cool if that family could have come out on the field, including the coaches families.  Some of the coolest and most treasured moments at our high school now are after athletes have left everything on the field and win or lose they are allowed to mingle with family and classmates on the field/court afterwards.  Everyone getting their chance to say job well done and thanks for putting in all that hard work to represent yourself, your team, your family, and your community.

Has a lot to do with allotted TV time.

[bigG]

The whole idea behind a policy is you don't use common sense regarding application of the rule thereafter...that is how policy works.  If you use common sense thereafter you don't have a policy or a rule.

The rule was developed for safety and obviously crowd control that can lead to unruly and escalating problems.  I am in support of the WIAA on this matter...

Another perspective...at the Kohl Center we know we cannot rush the mat or send our little children out to greet our state place winners after their matches.  We know this.  Some of us remember the very excited, and even out of his head Oscar Mireles run to mat 1 after his baby Sergio wins State...he was turned around and ushered out.  Yet, how many times have we watched a winner run into the arms of their Coaches, then run up an aisle to hug their favorite supporters?  No negative reaction from tournament organizers as far as I can recall...

I suspect if big Sis, in this case, ran off the court momentarily to hug her little bro, all would be well with the world.

One of the most wonderful things to see in Wisconsin sports is the Wisconsin Women's Volleyball Team greet its court side fans at one of their always sold out events.  The fans don't run on the floor, the athletes greet the fans and high five and hug and go around almost the entire court, all of them, to great applause.  It is controlled, it appears to be safe; it is a coming together of fans and athletes.  It works...

Fair enough, take common sense out.  A rule was broken and we know how the WIAA chooses to not use discretion.  Totally separate debate IMO.  The primary issue here is the interaction between a high ranking member of the WIAA, a student athlete, and a young child.  IMO expectations of professionalism and tact should be at a higher level for the adult WIAA employee.  Surprisingly, it is starting to appear I'm in the minority on this thread.  How people interact and treat each other is important to me and I put a lot higher level of expectation on people of authority and how they interact.  

We also see lack of interaction on the part of parents. Probably great folks; but may have lost their heads in the euphoria of the win. Kid wandered out and was shoo back. This is so not newsworthy. Fun fodder, though.

If we're not happy with rushing awards, then keep it off TV; or find a channel that will offer ten minutes of kids and families running out there.