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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --August 15, 2000
Contact: John Johnson or Andy Frushour-- 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Aug. 15 - The lineup of headline speakers for the Michigan High School Athletic Association's third statewide Sportsmanship Summit is taking shape, and registration is continuing for the September 27 day-long event at the Lansing Center.

Previous Sportsmanship Summits in 1997 and 1998 have taken place with overflow crowds, and a record 2,000 attendees are expected at this year's event - the largest of its type in the country. The crowd is expected to be made up of contingents of coaches, administrators, student-athletes and community members from MHSAA member schools.

The 2000 conference will feature an opening keynote address from Bill Curry, a television football commentator for ESPN. Other speakers include Michael Josephson, president of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the nationwide CHARACTER COUNTS program (www.charactercounts.org); Jody Brylinski, associate professor of health and physical education at Western Michigan University; Barry Mano, puslisher of Referee Magazine (www.referee.com); and Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association (www.afca.com).

At the beginning of the conference, a special presentation will honor retired Michigan State University women's basketball coach Karen Langeland as a positive sportsmanship role model.

In addition, a number of sessions geared specifically for student-athletes will be offered; the popular video, "What Kids Wish Their Parents Knew About Sportsmanship" will be shown to open the conference; a session about sportsmanship issues on the Internet will be offered; and all attendees will be encouraged to sign a statewide Sportsmanship Accord.

Registration for the Sportsmanship Summit is limited to the first 2,000 people. Registration is $20 per person, which includes conference materials, morning refreshments and lunch. More information may be obtained through the MHSAA office at 517.332.5046 or via e-mail at [email protected].

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,300 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for
athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments conducted in 12 sports for girls and 12 sports for boys which attract approximately 1.3 million spectators each year.

MEDIA ADVISORY - With the new school year starting, and the topic of poor parental sportsmanship still burning, we hope that you will take an active role in promoting this conference, attending this conference and reporting on the need for good sportsmanship. MHSAA Executive Director John E. "Jack" Roberts and Communications Director John Johnson are available for interviews and talk shows in the weeks leading up to the Sportsmanship Summit. In addition, there will be a media reception prior to the beginning of the Sportsmanship Summit at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the conference at the Lansing Center, involving Roberts, Johnson and the key speakers. Media registration is complimentary. A draft copy of the Sportsmanship Summit is included in this mailing. Contact the MHSAA office for more information.