A Georgia high school baseball team was fined $1000 by the Georgia High School Association after the GHSA ruled the pitcher and catcher from Stephens County conspired to hit the umpire with a rogue pitch. Judge for yourself, but from the video it's easy to see how the GHSA made its call.

While the players maintain the pitch was an accident, Stephens County Principle David Friend told ABC news that although the kids in question are upstanding members of the school community, "At the same time, I've seen the video like everybody else has, and on tape it looks real bad. I can see why people would come to that conclusion."

"There has been a lot of focus and publicity on this one kid and one pitch," Friend said, "but in high school sports today, there is a need to stress sportsmanship and class, and I don't think these kids, among others, represented our school and our community the way we expect at all times."

It's good to see Friend standing up for sportsmanship. High school is the training ground for college athletics and if competitors don't learn early the value of treating their opponents with respect, they're likely to repeat the same poor behavior in college.

The NCAA has several programs to promote good sportsmanship. Most recently, Division II launched their game environment initiative, designed to promote a positive experience at all Division II sporting events.

While these programs are encouraging and impactful, it's easy to wonder if we should spend more time focusing on high school behavior. Would players be inclined to act with poor sportsmanship if, like Stephens County, they knew they would be subject to a fine, a behavior warning that could carry post-season bans and mandatory sportsmanship training?

What's the best way to fix poor sportsmanship?