In an age when boorish fan behavior is the norm rather than the exception, it was refreshing to see how Horizon Christian represented the area at last week’s Class 1A state basketball tournament in Baker City.

The Hawks capped an outstanding season with a sixth-place finish at the tourney, but just as important — more so in some ways — the school brought home the boys Sportsmanship Award.

That trophy is given to the school which displays the best sportsmanship — on and off the court — during the annual tournament.

The Oregon School Activities Association, which governs the state’s high school sports, has a committee of volunteers at each championship event site. Peter Weber, OSAA assistant executive director, said those volunteers essentially watch fans in the stands, players on and off the court, and coaches on the sideline. Weber, who was the OSAA official in charge of the 1A tourney, said added emphasis was placed on sportsmanship this year.

“It’s taken on a bigger deal with us,” he said. “We are trying to import to our schools how vital it is.”

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Sportsmanship is discussed at the pre-tourney coaches’ meeting and each school had a representative on site to monitor fan behavior. (Some at Baker City may have noticed the bright, lime green, laminated placard Horizon Athletic Director Oscar Stenberg was wearing during Hawks’ games. That wasn’t a fashion statement; rather he was in charge of monitoring the loud, but well-behaved Horizon hopefuls. As one might expect, that turned out to be an easy job.)

The OSAA volunteers take notes throughout the tourney, for example, watching how coaches conduct themselves on the sidelines. In fact, it’s the coaches who often set the tone for sportsmanship. When coaches are jumping up and down and stomping their feet, it tends to encourage others — fans and players — to do the same.

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On the final day of the tourney, the volunteers, OSAA representatives and even referees are queried about which schools were the best “sports.” Some may pooh-pooh the sportsmanship award by labeling it as a glorified consolation prize. But in reality, the sportsmanship award is a good indicator of which schools have best learned lifetime lessons that transcend the world of sport.