North, Lanesville and Crawford receive Sportsmanship Award

The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) have announced that 70 high schools around the state qualified to receive the inaugural IHSAA / ICJI Sportsmanship Award for the 2003-04 school year. The winning schools were selected from a total of 398 high schools that participated in the sportsmanship program last year. Winning schools were determined by their compliance with IHSAA and ICJI program requirements.
Among those named for the award are Crawford County, North Harrison and Lanesville high schools.
North Harrison’s banner was raised last Tuesday prior to the Cougars’ matchup against South Central, with the IHSAA being represented by Bill Amerson, who is the principal at Jeffersonville High School.
Each qualifying school will receive a commemorative 2003-04 IHSAA Sportsmanship Award banner to hang in their gymnasium. The four-color, 4 X 7 feet banner will be personalized and presented during a special banner ceremony. Schools also received official IHSAA sportsmanship patches for all student-athletes to wear on their uniforms or warm-ups during the 2004-05 school year. The banner and patches act to remind every student-athlete, coach and fan about the importance of good sportsmanship.
‘One of the goals of the IHSAA and this program is to develop not just ‘All-Americans’ but good Americans,’ said Blake Ress, Commissioner of the IHSAA. ‘By recognizing these schools, we are emphasizing the importance of a positive attitude, fair play and the development of sportsmanship, citizenship and character ‘ some of the most valuable outcomes of high school athletics.’
In order to be eligible for the award, schools are required to have a written sportsmanship plan in place and a method for sharing that plan with faculty, coaches, parents, fans and student-athletes. Schools cannot have any players or coaches ejected from a game and cannot be on probation or suspension by the IHSAA due to a rules violation. In addition, every Indiana high school receives a sportsmanship kit containing videos and posters to distribute to all coaches, student-athletes and parents.
Other schools around the Southern Indiana area that received the honor include: Brownstown Central, Crothersville, Cannelton, Medora, Mitchell, New Albany, New Washington, Orleans, Restoration Christian and Tell City.
For a complete list of schools who received the award, go to the Internet at www.ihsaa.org