COUNCIL AIMS TO PUT SPORTSMANSHIP BACK INTO GAME DAY
The Sportsmanship Council is back in business.
The council, which promoted good sportsmanship throughout the 1980s, was reorganized following some incidents of poor sportsmanship which marred the 2005 football game between Ohio State and Texas. Those incidents spurred the re-establishment of the Sportsmanship Council, this time as a student-led initiative designed to find better ways to combat instances of poor sportsmanship.
After months of work, the council submitted a list of recommended actions that could be implemented during the 2006-07 school year.
Among the recommendations that will take effect this fall:
- Roving ambassadors: These game-day helpers will provide assistance to any fans on hand at the game who need it. Whether a fan needs directions, advice, or other types of help, these ambassadors will be able to provide it.
- Establishment of a welcome center: This will be a check-in spot for visiting fans. Those staffing the welcome center can provide fans of the visiting team a primer on Ohio State football game days.
- A sportsmanship pledge: This pledge will be taken by students who then will take an active role in promoting good sportsmanship on game days.
- The Best Fan in the Land contest: A contest designed to help identify a fan who most exemplifies the spirit of Ohio State and of good sportsmanship.
Many of these projects are still in the developmental stages. More details will be available as we get closer to Ohio State’s Sept. 2 home opener against Northern Illinois.
These initiatives will be implemented with the help of contributing student organizations. The organizations participating in the Sportsmanship Council include Student-Alumni Council, Undergraduate Student Government, Ohio Staters, Block O, and the Ohio State Marching Band. The Ohio State Alumni Association is also represented on the Sportsmanship Council.
