[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 44 (Thursday, March 9, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S3742]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              COMMEMORATION OF NATIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP DAY

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, it is with great pride that I bring to the 
attention of my colleagues National Sportsmanship Day which was 
celebrated on March 7.
  My pride stems from the fact that this celebration, which is 
recognized by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, 
originated as a concept of the Institute for International Sport. The 
institute, housed at the University of Rhode Island, has brought us the 
hugely successful World Scholar-Athlete Games and the soon to be held 
Rhode Island Scholar-Athlete Games. National Sportsmanship Day, now in 
its fifth year, has grown into a national and now an international 
movement.
  National Sportsmanship day was conceived to create an awareness among 
the students of this country--from grade school to university level--of 
the importance of ethics, fair play, and sportsmanship in all facets of 
athletics as well as society as a whole. The need to periodically 
refocus our young people on sportsmanship and fair play is sadly 
evident on the playing field in these days of taunting, fighting, 
winning at all costs mentality, and the lure of huge sums of money for 
athletes hardly ready to cope with life's normal challenges.
  To commemorate National Sportsmanship Day, the Institute for
   International Sport sends to all participating schools--now 
numbering 5,000 in all 50 States as well as a number of schools in 
nearly 50 countries--packets of information with instructional 
materials on the themes surrounding the issue of sportsmanship. 
Throughout the country, students are involved in discussions, writing 
essays, creating art work, and in other creative ways engaging each 
other on the subject.

  The institute's nationally recognized Sports Ethics Fellows Program, 
which counts among its present members Olympic gold medal skater Bonnie 
Blair, promotes and supports National Sportsmanship Day activities.
  Mr. President, as it has in past years, the President's Council on 
Physical Fitness and Sports had recognized National Sportsmanship Day. 
I ask unanimous consent that the letter signed by the council's 
cochairs Florence Griffith Joyner and former Congressman Tom McMillen 
be printed in the Record following my remarks. I also urge my 
colleagues, Mr. President, to encourage students to focus on National 
Sportsmanship Day.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                        The President's Council on


                                  Physical Fitness and Sports,

                                Washington, DC, November 28, 1994.
     Mr. Todd Seidel,
     Director of National Sportsmanship Day, Institute for 
         International Sport, University of Rhode Island, 
         Kingston, RI.
       Dear Mr. Seidel: The President's Council on Physical 
     Fitness and Sports is pleased to recognize March 7, 1995, as 
     National Sportsmanship Day. The valuable life skills and 
     lessons that are learned by youth and adults through 
     participation in sports cannot be overestimated.
       Participation in sports makes contributions to all aspects 
     of our lives, such as heightened awareness of the value of 
     fair play, ethics, integrity, honesty and sportsmanship, as 
     well as improving levels of physical fitness and health.
       The Council congratulates the Institute for International 
     Sport for its continued leadership in organizing this 
     important day and wish you every success in your efforts to 
     broaden participation and awareness of National Sportsmanship 
     Day.
           Sincerely,
     Florence Griffith Joyner,
       Cochair.
     Tom McMillen,
       Cochair.
       

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