I think you can cheer your team on without being demeaning towards the opposite team. If you cheer when a point is scored fine - if you bad mouth the other team then that sucks but there's no mention of that.

So the team which lost came from a small school - the only way it really hurts them is if someone teaches them that loosing a basketball game characterizes who they are.

It shouldn't be a big deal. If they play with good sportspersonship, shake hands at the end of it and get a good run at it I think it could be waaay more fun then winning as part of an overly serious team.

There is nothing in the article that suggests the girls left the field upset. In fact it said they'd lost every game but were still playing and determined to finsh the game no matter how outscored they were. If they cared about loosing that much they wouldn't have a team because they would have quit after one of their other many losses.

Knowing it doesn't matter win or loose is probably half the reason they enjoy it! I think making a news item out of it and a big deal is way worse than loosing in the first place. Now EVERYONE knows they're on a loosing streak.