Watching the behavioral missteps of college and professional athletes during competition always calls to mind a dining experience with friends and their children.

Bored with waiting for his chicken fingers and French fries, one of the kids started crawling underneath neighboring tables.

It’s not uncommon for rambunctious kids to do that sort of thing, but the problem in this instance was that the neighboring tables were fully occupied by people who were trying to enjoy their meal.

The parents espoused the belief that children need to find themselves.

That approach is terrific until someone else has to accommodate it.

Obviously, the perpetrators of bad behavior in college and pro sports weren’t all sent forth as children to search for their inner self, but they share a lack of discipline.

In an NBA play-in game against the Orlando Magic, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks was ejected after being assessed two unsportsmanlike technical fouls.

The first was for throwing the ball at a game official. The second, to quote referee James Williams, was for “kicking the ball away and making a mockery of the game as we were attempting to shoot the free throw for the first technical foul.”

In essence, taunting, bat flips and other forms of unsportsmanlike conduct demonstrate a sense of entitlement and, as Williams alluded to, a lack of respect for the sport.

Depending on perspective, intent and outcome, taunting can be viewed as an egregious act of self-indulgence, a profound error in judgment or a ticky-tack call by the refs.

A failed fourth-and-goal attempt from the Ohio State 1-yardline may have doomed Penn State in a 20-13 loss last November, but it was an unsportsmanlike penalty for taunting on Nittany Lion defensive back Elliot Washington II that kept a Buckeyes touchdown drive alive in the second quarter.

After tackling receiver Carnell Tate short of a first down to force an impending punt, Washington looked down and stepped over Tate. That was enough to draw a flag.

Coaches contend that it’s their job to place an athlete in a position to succeed. Once there, however, the athlete must blend training, coaching, skill, knowledge, instinct and commonsense into a compound that initiates success.

Unfortunately, there are times when an athlete substantiates a saying oft repeated by a former NFL team administrator.

“If stupid could fly, think how many more planes we would have?”

Responding to a question about styles of leadership when he was head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Pete Carroll observed, “If we’re not having fun, I’m screwing it up.”

Through many years of coaching experience, Carroll had discovered a way to “live in the positive end of the spectrum” by balancing discipline and self-direction.

Which brings us back to the kid who sought personal development under tables in a crowded restaurant.

Exactly how the parents finally lured him back to his own table has been lost in time.

However, his exit from the establishment is unforgettable.

The kid crashed a bachelorette party, and the only way the celebrants could move him along was to give him a balloon.

Since penalties, ejections, fines and suspensions have become increasingly ineffective deterrents in the college and pro ranks, perhaps those in charge of enforcing rules should revert to a time-honored tactic to encourage good behavior.

Bribe the athletes with something that an unruly kid would like.

Jim Caltagirone writes a monthly column for the Mirror.