Beyond the Game: Sportsmanship, Accountability, and Protecting the Student Experience

Southern University Laboratory School | A Message to Our Students, Coaches, Families, Fans, and Stakeholders

Dear Kitten Family,

At Southern University Laboratory School, we believe that athletics is about far more than wins, losses, and championships. It is about developing character, building relationships, teaching accountability, and creating meaningful experiences that our students will carry with them for a lifetime. Protecting those experiences is a responsibility we all share.

Recent events involving high school football programs across Louisiana have reminded us just how quickly emotions can change the course of an entire season. Following major altercations, Carroll High School, Capitol High School, and Thrive Academy have had their football seasons suspended. Assumption High School has also lost the opportunity to host its remaining home football games.

These unfortunate circumstances should serve as a powerful reminder that the actions of a few can have lasting consequences for many.

The Cost of a Moment

When emotions escalate and sportsmanship is abandoned, the consequences extend well beyond the individuals involved. Student-athletes who have practiced, sacrificed, and committed themselves to their teams can suddenly lose opportunities they will never have again.

For some students, that means missing their final high school football game, Homecoming, Senior Night, or the opportunity to walk onto the field one last time wearing their school's uniform.

Once those moments are taken away, they cannot be recreated.

Furthermore, these consequences do not affect football players alone. They impact marching bands, cheerleaders, pep squads, student trainers, coaches, families, alumni, and entire school communities. Coaches may face serious professional consequences, including the revocation of their coaching credentials. Innocent students who have invested countless hours preparing for performances, celebrations, and athletic contests can lose those experiences through no fault of their own.

As educators and adults, we must ask ourselves an important question: Are our actions contributing to the experiences our students deserve, or are they placing those experiences at risk?

Our Expectations Are Simple

At Southern University Laboratory School, we have three simple rules that we expect every student, coach, parent, fan, and stakeholder to respect:

1. Let the coaches coach.

2. Let the players play.

3. Let the officials officiate.

We understand that athletics creates excitement, pride, passion, and sometimes disappointment. However, disagreement with a coaching decision, an official's call, or the outcome of a game never justifies disrespect, threats, intimidation, fighting, or disruptive behavior.

In an October 15, 2026, memorandum to member schools, Louisiana High School Athletic Association Executive Director Eddie Bonine emphasized:

"Competition should be intense, but physical violence, retaliation, and behavior that threatens the safety of others have no place in high school athletics."

Mr. Bonine further reminds schools that responsibility for maintaining a safe and respectful athletic environment extends to administrators, coaches, student-athletes, and spectators.

At Southern Lab, we fully embrace that responsibility.

Individuals whose actions jeopardize the integrity, safety, or orderly operation of our athletic events will be addressed in accordance with applicable Southern University Laboratory School policies, LHSAA regulations, and, when appropriate, through law enforcement.

Sportsmanship is not a suggestion. It is an expectation.

Our Seniors Deserve Their Moment

Unfortunately, the consequences of recent events have also reached our own Kitten Community.

Our Senior Night activities were originally scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2026. Because we will no longer have a football game that evening, we must adjust our plans to ensure that our seniors receive the recognition they have earned and deserve.

Let me be clear: Our seniors should not lose the opportunity to be celebrated because of circumstances beyond their control; however, this is the situation that we find ourselves in. 

Principal Nadia Seals will work collaboratively with Athletic Director Coach Thomas Saulsby to develop appropriate plans for honoring our seniors and communicating expectations and arrangements to students, families, and stakeholders.

Our students have worked too hard, and their families have sacrificed too much, for these milestones to pass without meaningful recognition.

Lower the Temperature. Extend Grace. Protect the Experience.

As we move forward, I am asking our entire Kitten Community to be intentional about the example we set.

Our young people are watching how we respond to adversity, disagreement, disappointment, and competition. They are learning from what we say, but even more importantly, from what we do.

We can cheer passionately without disrespecting others. We can disagree without becoming disagreeable. We can support our teams without attacking officials, opposing players, coaches, or one another.

In his memorandum, Mr. Bonine makes the expectation unmistakably clear:

"Sportsmanship is not optional."

Those words should resonate with every person who attends or participates in a Southern Lab athletic event.

As we continue through the school year, let us work together to lower the temperature, extend grace, demonstrate restraint, and keep the best interests of our students at the center of every decision.

There will always be another game, another call, and another opportunity to compete. However, our students only get one senior year, one final season, and one opportunity to experience many of the traditions that make high school special.

Let's not allow a moment of emotion to take away a lifetime of memories.

Thank you for your continued partnership, your commitment to our students, and your dedication to preserving the pride, tradition, and legacy of Southern University Laboratory School.

#TheFewTheProudTheLab

Herman R. Brister
Director
Southern University Laboratory School

Scholarship. Spirit. Legacy. Family.