Dear Parents and Community Members,

We hope this message finds you well. As we gear up for another exciting season of athletics, we wanted to take a moment to emphasize our school's commitment to fostering a positive and respectful environment both on and off the field.

The New Mexico Activities Association has recently updated their sportsmanship bylaws, underscoring the importance of maintaining sportsmanship and respect at all times during athletic events. The recently updated sportsmanship bylaws now include a "two strikes" rule for unsportsmanlike conduct. If an egregious act of unsportsmanlike behavior occurs two or more times during the same season, at the same school, in the same activity, there will be penalties. For teams, this could result in suspension from participation in that activity for the remainder of the season. For non-team participants like fans, repeated acts of unsportsmanlike conduct could lead to individual or “all fan attendance” suspension from attending such activities for the rest of the season. The NMAA‘s goal is to emphasize the importance of maintaining a respectful and positive environment during athletic events.  Over the last several years we have personally witnessed the impact of “Official” shortages in every sport as a consequence of these types of behaviors. Something has to change. Ultimately, whether we agree or disagree with the policy, we want to be there for our kids! 

For Silver Consolidated Schools, we hold true to the belief that our fan base plays an integral role in upholding the spirit of healthy competition and creating a supportive atmosphere for our students.  We host a full stadium and pack the seats in our gyms for our students.  And when we travel… we roll deep and with pride.  We need you all at our games!

We are proud of our students' hard work, dedication, and the values they demonstrate as they represent Silver & Cliff in athletics and other extracurricular activities. It's essential that we, as parents, guardians, and members of the community, uphold those same values in the stands. Silver Schools is known for its passion and enthusiasm, and we are confident that we will continue to express our support for our kids in ways that are positive, respectful, and uplifting.

When we stand united to cheer on our students, we want to reinforce the importance of Competing with Class. We may not always agree on a call made by a referee, coach or play made by a student at the time, but we need to remember why we are at the games; we’re there for our kids.  Our cheers, our encouragement, and our presence at games all contribute to the overall experience for our athletes and everyone involved. We believe in the power of positive reinforcement and how it can inspire our students to excel not just as athletes, but as well-rounded individuals.

Unsportsmanlike conduct, whether it's from participants, coaches, or spectators, not only tarnishes our reputation but also impacts the experience for all involved. We ask you to join us in demonstrating respect for our opponents, officials, and each other. Examples of egregious unsportsmanlike conduct, such as fans entering the playing surface to engage in acts of violence or abuse, constant verbal attacks on officials, attacking other fans, coaches physically or verbally attacking officials, players fighting other players during post-game handshakes, or student sections verbally chanting inappropriate or demeaning comments towards individuals, teams, or officials, are not aligned with our district values.  Our faith in our fan base's ability to Compete with Class is unwavering, and we are committed to maintaining a respectful and positive environment for everyone.

Let's continue to cheer on our students, celebrate their achievements, and demonstrate the strength of our unity. Together, we can continue to maintain a legacy of sportsmanship that our school and community can be truly proud of.

Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication.

Sincerely,

Silver Consolidated Schools

#OurSuccessIsBuiltOnYOU
#GoFightingColts
#GoCowboys 
#GoCowgirls

Below is the most recent article and Video outlining the consequences from NMAA. 

During the offseason, the New Mexico Activities Association updated the sportsmanship bylaws to include specific penalties for “egregious” acts of unsportsmanlike conduct.

The updated bylaw now specifies the possibility of suspension of a team/fan from athletic activities for Unsportsmanlike Conduct. The bylaw reads, Any time an egregious act of unsportsmanlike conduct by a team participant, including a coach, occurs two or more times during the same season, at the same school, in the same activity, the team will be suspended from participation in that activity for the remainder of the season.

Also, any time an egregious act of unsportsmanlike conduct by a non-team participant (for example a parent or fan) occurs two or more times during the same season, at the same school, in the same activity, the non-team member, along with all school spectators will be suspended from attendance in that activity for the remainder of the season.

Examples of egregious unsportsmanlike conduct by participants, coaches, or spectators include but are not limited to, fans entering the playing surface to engage in acts of violence or abuse, constant verbal attacks on officials, attacking other fans, coaches physically or verbally attacking officials, players fighting other players during post game handshakes, or student sections verbally chanting inappropriate or demeaning comments towards individuals, teams, or officials.

In the event the second act of misconduct occurs when there are no contests left in the current season, the penalty may be applied to the next season in the same activity. The NMAA will notify the school that the team and/or individual/spectator has been placed on warning after the first offense.

There are likely a lot of questions with this “Two Strikes and You’re Out” policy.  We hope this video will answer those questions. New Sportsmanship Bylaw

Video: New Sportsmanship Bylaw