We are a membership organization governed by rules. We have rules for everything -- what we can do, what we can't do, and in some cases, what we should and should not do. The rule book gets thinner and then thicker once again. When the rule book gets too thick, we usually hear a call for deregulation. I have yet to find anyone opposed to deregulation, but how do we decide what to deregulate? Everyone seems to have his or her favorite set of rules, so when it comes time to drop some rules, we are reluctant to do so, and we keep our rules.
Rules, rules, rules. Whenever a problem occurs, we create a new rule to fix it. One reason we have an overabundance of rules is that we attempt to level the playing field. With all the rules we now have, the playing field is not yet level, and I doubt that it ever will be. While we sometimes feel overburdened and restricted by rules, we know that simply having no rules is not the answer. Even with all our rules we continue to have violations of all sorts. Some violations are inadvertent, while others appear to be simple disregard for rules and regulations.
At the present time, intercollegiate athletics seems to be surrounded by a string of controversies, ranging from legal and sometimes criminal activities to accusations of academic dishonesty and fraud. Recently a group interested in integrity in sports met to discuss how we got to where we are, where we have been, where we are headed in the future in intercollegiate athletics, and what else we can do other than make additional rules. The group represented a diverse population and a wide range of constituent groups. Participating in the meeting were such well-known persons as Bob Costas, Tom Selleck and John Wooden, as well as many lesser-known individuals with athletics interests. These included athletics directors, faculty athletics representatives, coaches, university presidents, media representatives, various institute directors and representatives of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
We knew before the discussion began that there were no easy answers and that the task would be difficult. With this in mind the participants were dedicated to responding to one essential issue --sports in America. Some in the
group wanted to focus exclusively on intercollegiate athletes, but it was abundantly clear that the problems we are experiencing do not begin and end at the college or university level but range from Saturday morning elementary soccer to professional sports. To focus on one level to the exclusion of another would be to miss the very essence of the problem. We know that many of our attitudes and beliefs are acquired at an early age and span the full spectrum of our lives as we interact with athletics events.
Michael Josephson, founder of Character Counts and president of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, spearheaded the event. Josephson is committed to the issue of ethics in general and, for this occasion, integrity in the world of sports. His energy and creativity made the forum come alive. Most of us are too busy in our personal and professional activities to think about the role of athletics in our society, why we engage in athletics in the first place, and what we teach and are being taught through our participation in athletics events. However, as a participant in the forum immersed in extensive discussion of integrity in sports for two days, I began to look differently at such issues as the character of athletes and winning with integrity.
At the conclusion of the forum, some of us decided that we wanted to share the knowledge we had gained with a broader audience. Nothing beats being there and interacting with the participants, but we hope that in some small way this article will give you a flavor of what actually went on in the forum. It was made clear from the outset that we would not just discuss the issue of integrity in sports, but that there would be a product that would show the results of our efforts that could be made available to a broader audience.
In this regard, I believe that we were successful in developing The Arizona Accord, Pursuing Victory with Honor. This document is not the final word but simply the views of a group of influential leaders in sports. It is a beginning toward recognizing that having rules in and of themselves is not enough. To be sure, we must have rules to define the parameters of the games but in order to pursue victory with honor and integrity we must also have a framework of principles and a common set of values. The participants who developed The Arizona Accord believe that it provides such a framework.
The participants in the forum also believe very deeply that in order for sports to continue to maintain a lofty position in our society, something has to change. We think that adopting the principles in the Accord will go a long way toward righting the current wrongs in sports. A game without principles is only a game, and victory without honor is no victory at all.
At its best, athletics competition can hold intrinsic value for our society. It is a symbol of a great ideal, pursuing victory with honor.
The love of sports is deeply embedded in our national consciousness. The values of millions of participants and spectators are directly and dramatically influenced by the values conveyed by organized sports. Thus, sports are a major social force that shapes the quality and character of the American culture.
In the belief that the impact of sports can and should enhance the character and uplift the ethics of the nation, we seek to establish a framework of principles and a common language of values that can be adopted and practiced widely.
The profession of coaching is a profession of teaching. In addition to teaching the mental and physical dimensions of their sport, coaches, through words and example, must also strive to build the character of their athletes by teaching them to be trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair, caring and good citizens.
Accord Signatories/Summit Conference Participants
(Signatories represent themselves, not their organizations.)
Jennifer Alley, executive director -- National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators
George Atkinson, president -- Athletes Committed to Kids
Steve Baker, president -- National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
Audrius Barzdukas, associate director of coaching -- U.S. Olympic Committee
Percy Bates, professor, University of Michigan -- Faculty Athletics Representatives Association
Bob Bradley, associate athletics director -- University of Kentucky
Richard Brown, chief operating officer -- Josephson Institute of Ethics
Bob Costas, announcer -- NBC Sports
Tom Crawford, director of coaching -- U.S. Olympic Committee
Dan Doyle Jr., founder and executive director -- Institute for International Sport
Bill Dwyre, sports editor -- Los Angeles Times
Herman Frazier, associate athletics
director, Arizona State University -- U.S. Olympic Committee
Robert Frederick, athletics director -- University of Kansas
Dan Gable, wrestling coach -- University of Iowa and U.S. Olympic Teams
Christine Grant, director of women's athletics -- University of Iowa
Lloyd Hackley, chairman -- Character Counts! Coalition
Jim Hallihan, executive director -- Iowa Games
Jack Hayes, executive director -- California Interscholastic Federation
Elliot Hopkins, -- National Federation of State High
director of educational services -- -- School Associations
Dick Jones, associate director
of program development -- YMCA of the USA
Michael Josephson, president and founder -- Character Counts! Coalition and
-- -- Josephson Institute of Ethics
Ron Kinnamon, vice-chairman -- Character Counts! Coalition
David B. Knight, professor -- University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Richard Lapchick, director -- Center for the Study of Sports in Society
Ted Leland, athletics director -- Stanford University
Jim Livengood, athletics director, -- National Association of Collegiate
University of Arizona -- -- Athletic Directors
Barry Mano, president -- National Association of Sports Officials
Robert Maxson, president -- Long Beach State University
Dave Mazzarella, senior vice-president -- USA Today
Robert Minnix, associate athletics director -- Florida State University
James Moeser, chancellor -- University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Mike Montgomery, men's basketball coach -- Stanford University
John Naber, president -- U.S. Olympic Alumni Association
Bill Nielsen, corporate vice-president of public affairs -- Johnson & Johnson
Jack Roberts, executive director -- Michigan High School Athletic Association
Ann Marie Rogers, associate athletics director -- University of Florida
Harvey Schiller, president -- Turner Sports
Tom Selleck, actor/producer; founding
spokesman and advisory council member -- Character Counts! Coalition
Fred Skousen, vice-president -- Brigham Young University
Grant Teaff, executive director -- American Football Coaches Association
Michael Thomson -- author, sports psychologist
Mary Lee Tracy, president -- Cincinnati Gymnastics
Michael Wadsworth, athletics directors -- University of Notre Dame
John Wooden, former men's basketball coach -- University of California, Los Angeles
Comment -- Local program could serve national need
BY EARL W. EDWARDS
EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
This summer, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania established the Student
-Athlete Center for Excellence (SACE) to provide all student-athletes with the guidance, counseling and instruction necessary to enhance academic and athletics performance.
The SACE was born out of a joint effort to safeguard East Stroudsburg wrestlers after the three tragic collegiate deaths in late 1997. This interdisciplinary endeavor included experts from exercise physiology and nutrition interacting with the wrestling student-athletes.
The overwhelming response by the student-athletes led the professionals to expand their services to all student-athletes.
This is a collaborative effort between academics and athletics to create a unique, comprehensive and educational monitoring program for our student-athletes. SACE was founded to encompass all aspects of student welfare. The model is based on academic guidance, physiological assessment and psychosocial counseling.
The SACE includes coaches, counselors and athletics administrators. Its mission is to encourage student-athletes to strive toward their individual potential in both academics and athletics. Initial efforts of SACE include: (1) assessing the nutritional knowledge of student-athletes; (2) providing exercise physiology services to student-athletes; (3) guiding student-athletes toward satisfactory degree progress; and (4) offering psychological counseling services to student-athletes.
While initial research efforts have concentrated on student-athletes in the East Stroudsburg community, SACE plans to expand its efforts to the national level as a collaborative research program focused on bridging the academic and athletics communities. SACE anticipates engaging in scholarships, projects and publications that will service the East Stroudsburg community, as well as regional and national constituencies.
We envision SACE as providing a center for conducting research that will benefit student-athletes not only on the East Stroudsburg campus, but also throughout the NCAA membership.
SACE represents the vast potential of collaborative efforts here at East Stroudsburg. In a very short time, it has gone a long way toward creating a safe and productive environment for East Stroudsburg student-athletes.
Earl W. Edwards is the director of athletics at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Shala Davis and Gregory B. Dwyer, members of the movement studies and exercise science department, assisted with the article.
Opinions -- Recruiting for academic success would be a win-win proposal
Joe B. Wyatt, chancellor
Vanderbilt University
Chronicle of Higher Education
Discussing a proposal that would link academic performance and the number of athletics grants-in-aid an institution may provide:
"The truth is that, for far too long, we as leaders of institutions that field varsity athletics teams have paid lip service to the education we owe our athletes. Colleges and universities have recruited, trained and exploited a seemingly endless procession of students for their athletics ability, casting them off when their eligibility ends. Too often, we have looked the other way when an athlete begins to fail academically. Although we offer academic services to student-athletes, college administrators have not emphasized and reinforced academic success for those students nearly as much as we have athletics success. Perhaps we've been too eager for more 'wins' -- and the publicity and financial benefits that follow.
"The situation is nothing short of a crisis for higher education. At stake is our credibility as educators capable of preparing students for life in the new, knowledge-based society. At the same time that presidents and other education leaders are making the case for increased public and private financial support for research, student aid and academic scholarships, we are faced with highly visible proof that we are not fulfilling even our most basic responsibilities to our athletes."
NCAA
Kenneth A. Shaw, chancellor
Syracuse University
USA Today
Discussing whether it would be appropriate to delegate more authority from the NCAA to conferences:
"We would no longer have what we've been trying to create, presidents being responsible for intercollegiate athletics.
"I see the conferences and their commissioners as being very important, but they're hired hands. They work for the presidents."
Staying in school
Gil Brandt, consultant
Playboy magazine all-star team
Chicago Tribune
Discussing a presentation by Peyton Manning, who remained at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for his senior football season rather than turn pro early:
"We had him expressly talk to the 25 guys we had there about the benefits of staying in school and about staying away from agents. A kid stays in school and it's probably the best year of his life. He makes relationships that will last the rest of his life. A lot of people forget about that."
Ron Dayne, football player
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Chicago Tribune
"College is more fun, and the NFL is more like a business. Guys know that they can always work next year."
Brandon Short, football player
Pennsylvania State University
Chicago Tribune
"I'm an emotional player and I followed my heart. The money's attractive. God willing, it will still be there next year.
"At the end, it's not the money you make, it's not the car you
drive. It's your legacy that's important."
Agents
Dave Hart, athletics director
Florida State University
Atlanta Journal
"Agents and gambling are the biggest problems that face college football right now."
Cornelius Griffin, football player
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Atlanta Journal
"I think the burden should be on the agent, but I can't blame a guy who takes the money. If you're poor and you've never had anything, how can you tell a guy not to take it? You don't know his situation or what kind of shape his mama and daddy are in."
Joe Hamilton, football player
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta Journal
"They (agents) try to find out what you like to do in your free time, like play video games and stuff. That's how they try to get close to you and act like your friend. But sooner or later, they are going to want to talk business."
Phillip Fulmer, football coach
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Atlanta Journal
"Ultimately, it comes down to the guys and what they think is important. You try to educate them as much as you can, and I think we've done that. I trust my guys, but I can't afford to stick my head in the sand. Every damn one of them could be sitting with an agent right now."
Sportsmanship
Marc Hansen, columnist
Des Moines Register
"Today the idea is to make the guests feel as ill at ease on the playing floor as the rules allow.
"Now it's commonplace to put the pep band close enough to the visiting team so that the trombone player can reach out and poke the fourth assistant in the ribs with his slide.
"While you're at it, put a chunk of the student section directly behind the visiting bench so the players have trouble hearing the coaches and the coaches have trouble hearing themselves think.
"Of course, most of the student-spectators come from loving, caring families with solid middle-American values. So there is no reason to believe they won't comport themselves like ladies and gentlemen.
"As good hosts, they would never wave their arms furiously under the basket while their guests were shooting free throws. They would never try to distract their guests.
"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, this sort of behavior was known as poor sportsmanship. Now it is called the homecourt advantage.
"Even in the days of good sportsmanship, there were homecourt advantages. The fans still yelled their lungs out for the home team.
"But nobody talked much about it or stayed up past midnight trying to figure ways to make it work against the other guys.
"Like it or not, it's here to stay and there's no reason for hand-wringing other than to make the hand-wringer feel better.
"He does. Thank you so much."
By Percy Bates