Young people from the United States and Israel will benefit from a new exchange program designed to promote citizenship through sports.

A delegation of Israeli officials came to Indianapolis to meet with representatives of the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) recently to discuss the creation of the U.S.-Israel Citizenship Through Sports Youth Exchange Program, a joint initiative that will involve annual exchange visits by American and Israeli high-school students.

"This joint effort focuses on the value of athletics competition as a vehicle for increasing understanding of our citizenship responsibilities, both nationally and internationally," said Cedric W. Dempsey, NCAA president.

The four-member Israeli delegation and the representatives of the NCAA and NFHS outlined a shared commitment to:

* Address the increasing problem of violence in secondary schools in both the United States and Israel;

* Promote the values of good citizenship through education and sports; and

* Encourage a sport culture that supports those values necessary to teach and learn respect for self and others.

"This is a very important opportunity for our country to cooperate, adopt and adapt the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance Program for the benefit of our youth," said Yair Levin, the Israeli deputy director general for external relations. "We hope that this program will continue, develop and leave a permanent mark on our democratic society."

The first visit by Israeli students to the United States is expected to take place this summer, with a visit by American students to Israel in spring 2002.

"We have made the development of good citizens a major priority in high-school sports in the United States," said Robert F. Kanaby, NFHS executive director. "We are pleased to encourage the number of opportunities high-school students are provided within an international setting that promote the theme of teaching citizenship through sports."

The International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame has added a new "educator" category to those who will be inducted into the hall this June.

"It has become increasingly apparent that each class of inductees should include an educator whose perspective and courage have made a clear impact in the scholar-athlete movement," said Daniel E. Doyle Jr., founder and executive director of the Institute for International Sport, which oversees the hall on the University of Rhode Island campus. "Frankly, we hope that this decision will cause other educators to reflect more carefully on the proper role of sports in their institution."

The hall opened in 1999 and has held an induction ceremony every June since.

To nominate an educator for the honor, contact Kent Thackrey at the Institute for International Sport at 401/874-9085.

The American Sport Institute is presenting "The Call of Sport: A Model for Educational Reform" next month in Mill Valley, California. Presented in association with the California Interscholastic Federation, the conference is thought to be the first of its kind to link sport and educational reform.

Daniel Boggan Jr., NCAA senior vice-president, will deliver the conference's keynote address on the relationship between athletics and academics.

Ten nominees for an award honoring the top collegiate point guard in Division I women's basketball have been announced by the Rotary Club of Detroit, coordinators of the Conseco Nancy Lieberman-Cline Step Up Award.

The criteria for the award are the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Lieberman-Cline during her playing career.

In alphabetical order, the nominees are:

Sue Bird, University of Connecticut; Stacey Dales, University of Oklahoma; Niele Ivey, Notre Dame University; Sheila Lambert, Baylor University; Kara Lawson, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Brandi McCain, University of Florida; Kelly Miller, University of Georgia; Tasha Pointer, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick; Georgia Schweitzer, Duke University; and Jackie Stiles, Southwest Missouri State University.

Associated Press sportswriters from across the nation nominated the finalists and will select the winner, which will be announced April 7 at an awards luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center.

-- Compiled by Kay Hawes