Proactive Efforts to Manage Crowds at Athletic Contests

While reasons may vary and can be debated, managing crowds at athletic contests represents an increased concern around the country. Sportsmanship issues, possibilities of violence, a lack of civility in society, the occurrence of an emergency, and others could be contributing factors.

Athletic directors are tasked with many responsibilities in schools nationwide, and managing crowds is one of the more important duties, as Sean Dowling, athletic director at North Plainfield High School in New Jersey points out.

“An athletic administrator is charged with ensuring a safe environment for all participants, coaches, staff, officials and spectators for every contest, and this has to be one of the most important and critical of all of their responsibilities.”

Dan Talbot, senior director of athletics for Polk County Public Schools in Bartow, Florida, agrees and added, “Effective crowd management does not simply involve efforts for a specific contest, it begins long before with careful planning, collaboration and ongoing communication. This means creating policies and expectations for spectators, students and staff, working closely with local police, fire departments and emergency medical staff, and then effectively communicating details with all entities.”

Nathan Flannery, athletic director at Deerfield (Illinois) High School, noted that “Crowd management is built on a proactive, team-based approach, and ‘team-based’ cannot be emphasized enough. What makes the plan effective is the people who put it into action. Before each contest, staff, security and event workers gather to review expectations and make adjustments based upon the type of event, anticipated attendance or rivalry factors.”

At Terre Haute (Indiana) North High School, Kris Painter, athletic director, concurred and stated, “For big, or rivalry games, we meet with our off-duty police officers and other contest officials, and give them specific assignments. In this meeting, we also review examples of what inappropriate behavior they should be looking for, if there might have been any comments in social media posts that might incite the crowd, and provide instructions how to keep fans from going into restricted areas.” In addition, Painter sends a flyer entitled “What to Expect at Terre Haute North Athletic Events” to the athletic director of opposing schools as a proactive step.

In addition to sportsmanship expectations, “This document provides options for purchasing tickets, the type of security we will have, what they can or cannot bring into the facility, and anything that they would need to know about attending a contest and to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.”

Similar to Painter’s efforts, Dowling sends a detailed pre-game itinerary to opponents and officials prior to large revenue-generating contests.

“This communication includes key information such as parking instructions, entry and exit points for the stadium or gym, designated warm-up areas, press box assignments for visiting coaches, and timing details for the visiting band. All of this should help eliminate confusion and ensure that everything is problem-free.

“In New Jersey, the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) mandates that the ‘Sportsmanship Bias Statement’ be read before every contest, and game officials read this statement to both teams prior to the start of play. We also reinforce these state-wide expectations by using our own sportsmanship public-service announcements throughout the game, which emphasize that sportsmanship applies to not only players and coaches, but also to spectators.”

In addition to sportsmanship expectations, Dowling also emphasizes the value and role of a public-address announcer.

“This person plays a critical role assisting with the management of any unexpected situation during a contest. With prepared, written scripts, the announcer should be able to assist with scenarios involving lightning or inclement weather, fire alarms, altercations in the stands, an active shooter situation, the loss of power, and other possibilities. This individual can be instrumental in maintaining order, providing directions and ensuring the safety of everyone.”

As part of the plan in the Polk County Schools, Talbot emphasized that for proactive game-day operations the following components are necessary.

“You should strategically station administrators, security personnel and event workers in high-traffic areas such as entrances, student sections and concession lines. Having fans met by a familiar face with a simple greeting can have a powerful, positive influence on spectators.

“We assign faculty or trained staff to supervise and engage with the student section directly, and we encourage positive cheers and address inappropriate behavior immediately. Also, we work with and empower the student leaders of the spirit club or section captains to model positive sportsmanship and to set the tone for their peers.”

Not only is anticipating and planning for potential problems important, the four athletic administrators all mentioned that effective communication is a critical factor.

“Crowd management is more than responding to issues at a contest, it first starts with clear communication involving sportsmanship reminders, sharing operational expectations, and guiding your staff to be a positive visible presence to create the right atmosphere,” Flannery said.

With respect to effective communication, Painter said “If we see or hear inappropriate behavior, we always start with a constructive conversation. We try to ‘steer’ the student or adult fan in the right direction without being confrontational, and normally this does the trick. Especially when officials are being harassed, we try to address this issue immediately before it gets out of hand and escalates.”

While Downing noted his school has a zero-tolerance policy regarding verbal abuse of officials, he said he normally addresses the situation quietly and in a one-on-one fashion.

“At times, I use humor to defuse tension. I might say to a frustrated spectator, ‘Perhaps if you ask nicely, the official will change their call.’ When they respond, ‘No, they won’t,’ I reply, ‘Exactly – so why bother?’ This lighthearted approach often resets the tone without escalating the situation.”

Talbot expertly summed up the place and value of communication. “The single-most effective strategy for a positive contest environment is proactive communication in which expectations are set early and then reinforcing them throughout the event. It also helps if your security personnel are visible, approachable and well-informed, which again goes back to communication.”

“I think visibility is our most successful approach as it sends a message that we are working to make the environment safe and enjoyable for everyone,” Painter added.

In addition to planning and communication, Talbot also concluded that consideration should also be given to post-event procedures, particularly with homecoming or rivalry contests.

“Whenever feasible, try to stagger the release of students and visiting fans to reduce bottlenecks and to minimize potential conflicts. This would also include supervision in parking lots and using local police officers to control the flow. And don’t forget to meet with your staff and security personnel to document any incidents, and to explore what could be done differently or better in the future.”

With proactive planning, effective communication, collaboration with opposing athletic administrators, training and utilizing staff and security personnel, and positively reacting to situations, effective crowd management can be accomplished.

“Ultimately, the most effective tactic is to foster a spirit of respect and accountability,” Talbot said.

Who would disagree with that?

Dr. David Hoch is a former athletic director at two high schools in Baltimore County (Maryland) for 16 years. He has 24 years of experience coaching basketball, including 14 years on the collegiate level. Hoch, who has a doctorate in sports management from Temple (Pennsylvania) University, is past president of the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association, and he formerly was executive director of the Maryland State Coaches Association. He has had more than 800 articles published in professional magazines, as well as four textbook chapters. Dr. Hoch is the author of five books: Coaching within the Education-Based Athletics Concept; The Parents’ Guide to Education-Based Athletics; Leading an Education-Based Athletic Program; A Lifetime of Memories from Education-Based Athletics: Humorous, Inspirational and Occasionally Sad; and Refocusing on Education-Based Athletics – A Call to Action. Hoch is a member of the NFHS High School Today Publications Committee.