IHSA

IHSA Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - 2007-08

Sportsmanship Advisory Committee

October 10 , 2007

The IHSA Sportsmanship Advisory Committee met at the IHSA Office in Bloomington, Illinois, on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 beginning at 10:00 a.m. Committee members present were: Julie Cochran, IESA; Matt Hensley, Mahomet (M-Seymour); Patti Hie, Crystal Lake (Prairie Ridge); Sara Keene, Columbia; John Schmitt, Pecatonica; Mike Ward, Pleasant Plains and IHSA Assistant Executive Director Beth Sauser was also in attendance. Jeff Craig, Park Forest (Rich East); Therese McLaughlin, Calumet City (TF- North); and Tamara Sterling, Chicago (Simeon) were not in attendance.

RECOMMENDATION FOR BOARD ACTION:

1. Do What’s Right Poster Contest

Recommendation: Create a statewide contest for students of member schools to create posters promoting the Do What’s Right! program.

Rationale: Involve member school students in marketing and promoting the Do What’s Right! sportsmanship program as well as the 9 Expectations through out the state.

Received the report from the Sportsmanship Advisory Committee.

Committee Discussion and Actions:

1. Member schools of the following conferences: Central Suburban League, East Suburban Catholic, Fox Valley, Girls Catholic Athletic, Heart of Illinois, Mississippi Valley, North Suburban, Northwest Up-State Illini, Okaw Valley, Southwest Prairie, Southwest Suburban and Southwestern are all eligible to earn a State Final Sportsmanship banner at team bracketed tournaments. The committee discussed and approved to extend the deadline to register for this program until October 24, 2008 in response to the number of requests from conferences with scheduled October meetings. The committee also requested the IHSA to send notification to all schools of the extended deadline.

2. Reviewed and edited the State Final Committee information and schedules.

3. Reviewed and discussed the results of the 2007 conference sportsmanship survey results. The committee appreciated the responses and will work to address conference needs, especially for schools that do not have an established sportsmanship program.

4. Reviewed the DWR! information on the IHSA website.

5. Create a statewide contest for students of member schools to create posters promoting the Do What’s Right! program.

6. Contact the IADA to schedule a Do What’s Right! session during the May conference and include as an agenda item for the Fall district meetings.

7. During the Principal Town Meetings the committee requests the DWR! program be presented in a five slide overview. 1. Nine DWR! Expectations, 2. Sportsperson of the Year, 3. Fall DWR! Division Summits, 4. 2008 DWR! Program Binder and 5. 2006 State Final Banner Winners.
8. Discussed and created the details of the Sportsperson of the Year Award (See Attachment)

9. Committee discussed creating a DWR! information binder to distribute to member schools in August of 2008. The committee will each research sections of the information and then at the February meeting begin to assemble the information.

10. The Committee discussed the formation of the DWR! 7 division Summits. The tentative dates for the summits are September 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 25, 2008. A meeting will be held in each division from 9am to 1pm. There will be sessions for students, coaches as well as sessions for Principals and Athletic Administrators. Additional information will be forthcoming.

11. Next scheduled meetings: February 13, 2008 and April 16, 2008.

Statewide Sportsperson of the Year Award
Sponsored by Walgreens

How will the program work?
Any IHSA member school that is part of the Do What’s Right Sportsmanship Program or has a Sportsmanship Program approved by the IHSA may nominate one (1) student, male or female, to be considered for this award.

Who will receive the Award?
One student from each of the seven (7) Board Divisions will receive this award. The award will be an upscale trophy/plaque. (See map below outlining Board Divisions, we could highlight the award winners with an in-store sign)

Criteria for Nominees?

Student must be a senior at an IHSA member school with a Sportsmanship Program recognized by the IHSA.
Student must be chosen by the Principal or Athletic Administrator
Student shall not have EVER been ejected from a high school contest.
Student must have a minimum of a 2.5/4.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).
Student must have participated in a minimum of two (2) IHSA sponsored activities or sports in his/her senior year (managers and statisticians are eligible).
Student must have demonstrated good sportsmanship throughout his/her high school career.

Execution

The IHSA will inform all member schools about the new program through the IHSA website and all-school mailings. (Posters, trinkets giveaways, i.e. rubber band bracelets, ink pens, etc.)
Each eligible school will receive a nomination form by April 1st; the nomination form along with all applicable supporting materials will be due back to the IHSA by May 1st.
Each nominee shall need to provide two (2) letters of recommendation and a 500 word essay that details the importance of good sportsmanship in interscholastic competition.
The IHSA will organize a selection committee to review the nominations and select the seven (7) winners.
The winners will be announced by May 15th.

Sponsorship/Promotion

Walgreens will have presenting sponsorship status of the award.
There will be a program Ad in all IHSA State Final Programs outlining the program and highlighting the previous years’ winners.
Website banner with winners and a photo of the award with Walgreens Logo.
Walgreens logo on Application Forms and in Program Ad’s.
Walgreens logo on Sportsmanship Banners earned by schools.
Posters promoting the Do What’s Right Program with Walgreens logo and locations.