Some public address announcers are stingy with the microphone. Bill Cook gladly surrenders his prior to tip-off at Heyworth High School home basketball games. He believes in the message about to be delivered.

So when a student from each participating school stands at the scorers table, ready to read the Heart of Illinois Conference's newly adopted Code of Conduct, Cook is supportive and encouraging.

"I always tell them, 'Loud and slow. Make sure you project it all around the place,' " Cook said.

Cook had three children compete in athletics at Heyworth, with the youngest, Lucas, graduating last year. He's been to a lot of games in a variety of sports and locales.

And while he may be the unofficial "Voice of the Hornets," he knows his is not the one fans - particularly students - need to hear in regard to sportsmanship and behavior.

The code was written by students from HOIC schools and is read prior to each conference contest, in hopes of curbing what students saw as declining sportsmanship and abusive fan behavior.

Is it helping?

Julie Kronmiller believes it is.

She has been attending Heyworth sporting events for 12 years, watching her three children play for the Hornets. Her son, Nick, is a senior guard this season.

"It's coming from the kids, kind of asking you to behave," she said. "That means more than an announcer saying it."

Kronmiller's husband, Phil, said the nine-item code "makes you think before you say something."

Among the code's guidelines is to "respect our game, yourself and others," to "practice self control," and to "set a good example for us and those around you."

Phil Kronmiller considers it a good and timely reminder that it is a game, but added, "You still keep score, so it's hard to not let your emotions play a little bit."

"In 12 years, I've never seen students have a problem. It's more the adults," he said. "The yelling at the refs needed to be quieted down, and it's good to remind people not to yell at kids and single them out."

Gene Froebe knows the importance of that message. He had three sons play at Tremont and a daughter who was a cheerleader.

He rarely missed a game … or the chance to be heard.

"I yelled. I'll be honest with you," Froebe said prior to a recent Tremont home game. "I've had my son say, 'Dad, be quiet.' That hit home."

He's hoping the code will have a similar impact. Froebe's moment of introspection came after his youngest son, Kent, became a coach.

"He said, 'As a coach's father, you have to be quiet and set an example,' " Froebe said. "My tongue got red (from biting it), and I had a slip-up or two. But by and large, I learned I had to keep my mouth shut."

Some are unchanged

He wishes he had changed sooner, and called the HOIC code "a good idea." While Froebe would like to see it eliminate poor sportsmanship and fan behavior completely, he said putting a dent in it "is probably as good as you could expect."

Wayne Weber is skeptical even that will happen, at least in terms of adult behavior.

Weber's daughter, Abby, plays for the Fieldcrest girls basketball team, and he has seen strides in student cheering sections. He said when Fieldcrest's girls played at rival El Paso-Gridley, the EPG student section "was very well-behaved."

Yet, Weber has noticed no difference in adult fans. He called that disappointing, but said, "Some fans are just the way they are."

"I think it's a real good code of conduct," Weber said. "I just wish people would listen to it a little bit closer."

Good luck in that regard, said Fieldcrest fan Dave Bachman.

"They can read whatever they want, but you have a lot of people who are set in their ways and they're not going to change," Bachman said. "(Student behavior) goes through cycles, and it depends on who their parents are. If their parents are rowdies from the '70s, they're going to yell."

Perhaps, but LeRoy football coach and athletic director B.J. Zeleznik said the code is something athletes "feel strongly about," and therefore is carrying over to student sections.

He and other HOIC administrators have seen students police themselves in regard to comments made toward other teams/players. His hope is that accountability will spread throughout the stands.

"For the parents and the general population, I don't know that it (the code) has curbed everything, but it has opened their eyes to the fact the kids are aware of what's being said and what's going on in the crowd, and that it has an impact on their experience," Zeleznik said.

"Sometimes people forget they are teenagers out there trying to have fun. They think it's the scholarship athlete or the millionaire athlete. It's teenagers trying to learn and have fun."

Constant reminders

The code is posted in many of the HOIC gymnasiums. Tri-Valley has a 9 by 12 foot version that principal David Mouser said is difficult to miss.

It has come in handy this season in the heat of the moment, particularly among adults.

"There have been times I've made eye contact with somebody and pointed to the code of conduct. People will respond with a nod and say, 'I know,' " Mouser said.

"It puts the emphasis where it should be … on the game and friendly competition. The kids are there to have fun and compete. It's not a forum for people to go crazy."

When they do, Matt Winkler is often unaware. The Fieldcrest boys' basketball coach said he rarely hears the crowd because he is so wrapped up in what's happening on the court.

Still, he hears the code read before each game. He said his players also hear it and have read it and understand it. He's hopeful the crowd "tunes into it" as well.

"They need to realize sportsmanship is a big part of this game," he said. "We're trying to teach kids how to behave on the floor and off. That doesn't deter from the fact we want them to be highly competitive. You can compete and be a good sport."

Fred Weghorst, father of Tremont senior guard Brett Weghorst, said the code has had a positive impact on sportsmanship on the court.

The Turks played recently at Deer Creek-Mackinaw, and while Weghorst said the fans "may not have gone by the by-laws (code) too well that night," the players did.

"We're big rivals, but when we would knock a guy down, one of our guys would be there to help him up," Fred Weghorst said. "I think it makes the kids kind of think a little bit."

Heyworth athletic director Charlie Lockenour considers that a key to the long-term impact of the code.

He said the current HOIC students have made sportsmanship a priority, providing a blueprint for respect and decorum at games. It will be up to future classes to see the job through.

"Hopefully, it's kind of like that pebble in the water and it just keeps expanding and expanding, from this generation down the road to where little brothers and sisters will do it," he said.

---

More on this topic

Students write rules to save fun

Parents hear students - loud and clear

Code has refs feeling less targeted

HOIC code of conduct creators

HOIC Athletic Code of Conduct video