Page 16 - 2016 IHSAA Annual Report

s e c t i o n 1 2015-16: A Year Of Passion, Pageantry And Progress

The “Face of Sportsmanship” is Your Face

Sometimes newspaper headlines, television In addition, an IHSAA Sportsmanship Task
replays and social media chatter would lead Force under the leadership of Assistant
us to think otherwise, but the fact remains Commissioner Sandra Walter has been
that the number of sportsmanship incidents holding schools accountable like never
at high school athletic events in Indiana before, and with positive results that are
continues to decline. well-documented. When this publication
went to press, contest officials had filed 2,889
The IHSAA has dedicated time, energy unsportsmanlike reports with the IHSAA
and financial resources toward making the during the 2015-16 school year compared
practice of good sportsmanship top of mind with 2,979 a year earlier. There were 329
for everyone including Indiana high school ejections in 2015-16, compared with 344 in
athletes, student bodies, coaches, administra- the previous year. And the number of times
tors and fans. Thanks to Ivy Tech Community an Indiana high school coach was ejected fell
College’s sponsorship of the IHSAA’s from 44 to 37, a decrease of nearly 20%.
“Sportsmanship has a Face” communications
program, reminders about the importance That’s the good news. The news that is less
of practicing good sportsmanship were impressive is that six fans and two high
disseminated throughout the school year in a school administrators were ejected during
variety of interesting ways—even to the point the current year compared with only one fan
of distributing a total of 262,000 uniquely and no administrator ejections in 2015-16.
designed popcorn boxes to member schools,
colorful and impactful reminders for fans The IHSAA remains committed to
that they, too, wear the face of sportsmanship. countering all of the societal influences
The goal continues to be to reach everyone that seem to promote poor behavior at
connected to high school sports with this sporting events with a program that reminds
important message. athletes, coaches and administrators
alike that, indeed, they all are the “Face of
Sportsmanship.”

A Colorful
Reminder

More than 260,000
colorful popcorn boxes
were distributed to the
IHSAA’s 408 member
schools to help remind
high school sports
fans that they, too,
wear “the face of
sportsmanship.” The
2015-16 sportsmanship
campaign was presented
by Ivy Tech Community
College.

16 INDIANA HIGH S CHOOL A THLE TIC ASS OCIA TION Annual Report 2016