Page 59 - 2020 IHSAA Annual Report
P. 59
Sportsmanship
High school sports
continue to battle a
virus of another kind:
bad adult behavior.
As the overwhelming majority of athletic directors in Indiana
will tell you, poor sportsmanship—especially among parents
and adults—has been spreading like wildfire in recent years.
It’s largely based on unrealistic expectations and an attitude of
entitlement, and it’s toxic.
The IHSAA Sportsmanship program, now in its 16 year, is
th
designed to help stop the spread of negativity by providing
every member-school with a robust kit of materials that
encourage good sportsmanship and by posting multiple social
media messages per week in an effort to keep sportsmanship
top of mind all year long.
According to a recent survey,
73% of all athletic directors
awarded #FaceOfSportsmanship
pins to worthy adults and
students during the school year.
And 500+ pin presentations
appeared on social media
along with the hashtag
#FaceOfSportsmanship. This
compares to only 200 last year.
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