Today, I apologized to my 10-year-old son. We had gone to the regional semifinal boys high school soccer match at Dolphin Stadium in Gulf Breeze. I apologized for sitting silently while an "adult" sitting close behind me heckled the players from the visiting team (Stanton from Jacksonville) repeatedly calling one player a "flopper" if he fell and belittling the injuries of the Stanton players. By the way, this player was excellent. Everyone appreciates the occasional wisecrack (even the visitors), but this was a mean spirited, unending drone that was an embarrassment to our city, team and spectators. It obviously upset the parents of the visiting team. I guess that this was a chance for the heckler to be on stage since he was not on the field. He acted like the refs had a financial stake in the game. I never turned around to see who the guy was. Maybe, I was afraid that I might know him.

The players and parents from Stanton had driven from Jacksonville for their one big chance (probably ever) to compete at this level, and you can be assured that even years from now they will remember one loudmouth jerk from Gulf Breeze making their loss almost undignified instead of the great competition between athletes that it was. They played their hearts out but Gulf Breeze was better. A lot of people still believe winning can be done with class where everyone gives their best and the results speak for themselves. However, the cliché that "all that it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to remain silent," is very appropriate here. Silence in the face of this jerk is seen as approval by all attending whether it is true or not.

Is this what the parents in attendance wanted their children and students to learn? Is this how we want visitors to our city and school to think of Gulf Breeze? Is this what we want our children to think is desirable, normal or acceptable? IS there even a need to ask such questions? I think not. I apologize to all of you for sitting silently. It won't happen again. I promise.

Alan Krys is a resident of Gulf Breeze.