Division III league's CEOs commit to sportsmanship effort

 In response to what league members see as a growing national concern, the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference is launching a "Fan Sportsmanship Initiative." Presidents of the institutions in the Allegheny Mountain want to ensure that their schools are not involved in acts of poor sportsmanship.

The conference is using a grant from the NCAA to educate those who attend Allegheny Mountain athletics events about what is expected from spectators. The slogan for the initiative is "Be Loud, Be Proud, Be Positive," and it includes five parameters for fans:

• Cheer for your team, not against the visitors.

• Don't get personal in comments about players, coaches or officials.

• No profanity, vulgarity, racist or sexist comments.

• Stay away from the playing area and team bench areas.

• Alcohol will not be tolerated at any contest.

The message, aimed at students, student-athletes, coaches, parents, alumni, faculty, staff and the general public, will be included on signage at all events, both indoors and outdoors, and in game programs, on Web sites and in student newspapers at every member institution.

"As a conference, we did not have a coordinated approach to what was expected of fans at our events," said Lori Bechtel, chancellor at Pennsylvania State University, Altoona. "With this initiative, we spell out clearly what our expectations are, and we get that message out to our fans."

Conference Commissioner Donna Ledwin calls the marketing effort "basic and straightforward," and she believes that once a standard of behavior is established, fans, spectators and competitors will behave in positive ways to support their teams.

"A lot of people think sportsmanship, be it for players or fans, is like the weather -- we spend a lot of time talking about it, but no one can really do anything about it. Our presidents think differently," Ledwin said.

Olympic hopefuls get help from U.S. Athletic Trust

For many college student-athletes pursuing Olympic dreams, the road between graduation and finding international success can be a difficult one, especially without the logistical and financial support formerly provided by their athletics departments.

The mission of one organization, the U.S. Athletic Trust, is to make that journey smoother for as many American Olympic hopefuls as it can.

Established in 2000 by former track and field Olympian August L. Wolf, the trust helps bridge the gap between college and international stardom for promising athletes by providing basic financial assistance to cover living and training expenses, as well as career coaching to minimize the impact of delayed professional careers. The organization also hopes to raise public awareness about the need to support future Olympians competing for the United States.

"Essentially, the trust was founded to support athletes between the time of their college graduation and departure from the cradle of the NCAA system and the advent of their internationally successful athletics careers when, ideally, they sign lucrative contracts with big-name sponsors," said Jolene Wilkinson, a sport chair for the trust and an Olympic hopeful herself.

Athletes representing any Olympic sport are invited to apply. To be eligible, athletes must have graduated from an American college or university or be a full-time student, if NCAA eligibility has been exhausted. Candidates also must demonstrate world-class potential and be fully committed to training for the Olympic Games.

Currently, there are 20 athletes affiliated with one of three levels of program support through the trust. As resources allow, athletes in the Leaders and Development Programs are eligible to receive some level of logistical support, goods-in-kind such as health insurance or wireless service provided by trust corporate partners, and career mentoring.

Most athletes are involved in the Achievers Program. In addition to logistical support, goods-in-kind and career support, those participants also receive direct funding from the trust to help absorb travel and training costs.

The trust, which is not endorsed, sponsored or affiliated with the U.S. Olympic Committee, is volunteer-driven and relies on donations of cash, vehicles, airline frequent flyer miles and assets such as real estate or stocks.

For more information, see www.usathletictrust.org or call 208/514-7542.

-- Compiled by Leilana McKindra