Push-ups possible punishment for problem punters: Park Board
Posted April 8, 2013 9:29 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s only a game, right? But some people can get a little too wrapped up when watching amateur sports.
That’s why a Vancouver Park Board Commissioner wants something done about spectators who bully athletes from the stands.
In a motion being debated tonight, Constance Barnes has proposed a number of punishments for those caught hurling abuse. These include doing 100 push-ups or providing the opposing team with a bag of oranges.
She admits it’s a way light-hearted way to get into growing problem.
“It is humourous… I myself, I can do some pretty good push-ups but I doubt I could do 100 and that’s why I put the word ‘may’ [in the motion]. It was just [a way] to bring a little bit of humour to a very, very serious subject,” she maintains.
Her motion would direct staff to come up with ways on how to cut down on abusive comments hurled from the stands.
Barnes points out to her detractors that yes, the Park Board should have a say on the matter, as sporting groups haven’t done that great of a job policing themselves.
She adds it’s not just about bullying. “It’s about getting out and playing, making our children healthy, keeping them fit, and making sure that they feel comfortable in any and all facilities of the Vancouver Park Board.”
One of the solutions Barnes is suggesting is a telephone hotline you can call if you see someone getting a little too wrapped up in the action on the field.
