From players and coaches to fans and parents on the sidelines, everyone plays a major role in the atmosphere of sporting events. As emotions take over, it can be easy to get caught up in the game and become focused on winning. However, remaining respectful and having integrity for the game and others can be the deciding factor in a student or team’s level of sportsmanship. 

The football team boasts a large student section, with an average attendance of 300 students per game. Senior Dallas Adsit (he/him), a middle linebacker, described Inglemoor’s student section as one of the most impressive he’s ever seen. 

“If you see these other schools we’ve played, they just have no one there,” Adsit said. “Even at the games where we have poor attendance, we’re filling out more kids.” The energy of the student section is almost unmatched in terms of sheer volume and spirit. However, when cheers become overly rowdy or controversial penalties are called, students can become uncontrollable. Athletic Director Kealey Stanich (she/her) said that there have been multiple instances where she has had to intervene with the student section at football games due to their reaction to controversial or missed calls by referees. 

“They’re gonna start booing,” Stanich said. “They’re gonna start saying things.” Even so, good sportsmanship isn’t just about the fans. The attitudes of the athletes contribute to how the game is played and approached. Senior volleyball captain Demaree Fraser (she/her) said the amount of playing time athletes get can affect the overall team environment. In volleyball, coaches can roster up to 14 players, but in games, only six are allowed on the court. Typically, only one or two players enter as substitutions, which means that six or seven players won’t play for an entire game at a time. Most often, underclassmen who make the varsity team fill this role due to inexperience. 

“Playing time is not going to be even. That can frustrate people and cause them to have less of a good attitude on or off the court,” Fraser said. 

Furthermore, Fraser said that it is also important for coaches to establish team expectations and make sure everyone gets a chance to stand out on the court. “It’s not just focusing on your starting six,” Fraser said. “Giving other people that opportunity and coaching — that could help give the opportunity to play.” Athletes said that disrespect from other teams is also an issue at times. Adsit said that during a home game, one of the opposing team’s players punched him, resulting in an ejection for the player, that the incident was not the first time he experienced aggression on the field. “A kid on Mercer Island tried to kick me,” Adsit said. 

The actions of coaches too, can heavily influence the environment of a game. Adsit said that while Inglemoor’s coaches try to remain respectful, he and his teammates have experienced disrespect from opposing football coaches, such as yelling at Inglemoor players and coaches during games. When coaches communicate clear expectations for how players should treat each other and other teams, and demonstrate those expectations themselves, they can exemplify good sportsmanship for players and students. However, if they act aggressively towards opposing teams, they can create a precedent that it is okay to treat other athletes and coaches in unsportsmanlike ways. 

Although both coaches and athletes heavily contribute to game atmospheres, they rely on the student section for support. If a student section is overly loud or rude to the opposing team, this could be distracting to the home team and diminish a team’s confidence. This can make players feel self-conscious and question their decisions when playing.

For Inglemoor specifically, the girls varsity volleyball team was awarded the 2025 KingCo Sportsmanship Award for exemplary sportsmanlike behavior and representing the values of respect, accountability, engagement and safety. 

“Sportsmanship is always key,” Stanich said. “We represent Inglemoor; we represent us with respect; and we always cheer on our teams. We don’t cheer against the other teams.”