Stop! Think about it first. If you feel it might not go over so well, then go with that feeling. Restrain yourself.
Another way of thinking about it: If you put it on the internet, assume it is out there for anybody to see.
It is probably not private. Even if you think it is private.
I have been following a number of high school athletes since I joined the Twitter world. It is a great way to make contact, or to get a feel for what the athlete is going through on the day of a big game, for example.
Unfortunately, I have also read some cringe-worthy messages.
Very few things offend me.
Well, I am offended by people who are offended over just about anything. So, please, do not think I am offended by the use of bad language toward a coach, a teammate, an opponent, or an administrator.
I’m just bewildered.
What are they thinking? Do they think this is a direct (private) message to someone?
Do they know this it out there for all of their followers to see?
If one person has 100 followers, posts an ill-advised comment, and then just two of those followers retweet the comment, well, boom, just like that, it could be out to 1,000 people. The cancer spreads.
It is really no big deal that I read ugly comments. Oh, technically, if it is out there, as a journalist, I could use it.
Just turn on ESPN for proof. Not a day goes by without ESPN sharing a tweet — negative or positive — made by an athlete.
However, I am not into making teen athletes look bad. I hope I never feel the need to quote a high schooler’s twitter account for anything negative.
My fear, especially for athletes who are considering playing sports beyond high school, is a recruiter finding something distasteful.
Skyview football coach Steve Kizer told me that a Northwest Division I coach has instructed his staff to “follow” potential recruits on Twitter. That coach said he drops potential recruits if they display boorish behavior online, or if they are negative toward a teammate or a coach.
If you are tired of a long basketball season and cannot wait for it to be over so you can “chill,” well, probably not best to let the whole world know.
A college coach might be reading and thinking to himself, “This player doesn’t love the game.”
If you cannot wait until the end of the baseball season so you can drink again without repercussions from your high school, well, you probably should leave that to yourself, too.
College coaches know some of their athletes party. They do not want anybody foolish enough to brag about it, especially someone who is not of age.
And if you are ticked off with your coach, or a teammate, or a principal, and then make disparaging comments about them, well, … you get the idea.
College coaches might not want to invest a scholarship in such a player.
Every example listed above has happened either in Clark County or somewhere throughout the country, among high school athletes, in just the last few months.
It is probably wise to use common sense on Facebook, too. However, with Facebook, it is easier to control who reads you. With Facebook, someone has to request to be your “friend” and you must agree to let them in your little part of the internet.
With most Twitter accounts, it is a follow-me world. Yes, you can make your Twitter account private, but most people do not. That would take away the benefits of Twitter.
Just remember, with social media, you are never alone. Someone’s watching. It might be a journalist. It might be a parent. It might be an impressionable younger athlete.
And it might be a college coach who is looking for character to go along with talent.
Paul Valencia covers high school sports for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4557 or e-mail at paul.valencia@columbian.com.
