SPORTSMANSHIP WATCH : Fair Shake

Imagine: A Ventura County high school sports league has banned the traditional handshake after the game because a few athletes have used the occasion to get into scuffles with members of the opposing team.

The decision puts public safety first, we suppose, but what in the world ever happened to “it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game”?

The new policy prohibits postgame handshakes after all competitions in the Marmonte League, which includes schools in Simi Valley, Camarillo and the Conejo Valley in eastern Ventura County. In place of the congratulatory handshake, competitors, both boys and girls, will shake hands before the game--before egos are bruised. Have we come to this? Have we made winning so important that it has dumped poison onto even the fields of amateur sports?

The new rule targets the wrong thing. The way to stop those fights is not to ban the handshake. Coaches must get rid of any players who throw punches. That includes stars and, if necessary, the entire team. Kick them out.

High school sports are supposed to be a learning opportunity. Prep sports teach youngsters how to function as a team. Games also teach young athletes that winning isn’t everything, and losing is not the end of the world.

Most school districts require students to maintain at least a C average to play team sports. That requirement should include at least a C in courtesy on and off the field. Good sportsmanship should be required at every contest--and players should shake on it.