[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 6, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S1896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               NATIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP DAY--MARCH 6, 2001

 Mr. REED. Mr. President, today is the 11th Annual National 
Sportsmanship Day, which is a unique program that champions 
sportsmanship and enhances student leadership and academic skills. The 
object of the 2001 National Sportsmanship Day is to promote 
appreciation for the critical role of ethics and honesty in athletics 
and society through student-athlete outreach programs, writing and art 
contests, coaches' forums and other activities aimed at furthering the 
principles of sportsmanship.
  National Sportsmanship Day was founded at the University of Rhode 
Island in 1991. Today, more than 12,000 elementary, middle, and high 
schools, as well as colleges and universities in all 50 States and over 
100 countries will participate in the events planned to help instill in 
young people the importance of playing fair and the value of hard work 
and discipline. The Institute of Sport is also proud that National 
Sportsmanship Day will be webcast over the Internet. Through online 
interaction with featured guests, exclusive interviews, and 
sportsmanship polls, this event will harness the power and expanse of 
the World Wide Web to reach students and supporters here and around the 
world.
  The organizers of National Sportsmanship Day have gathered some of 
the best of our nation's sportsmen and women to serve as 2001 Sports 
Ethics Fellows. By sharing their remarkable accomplishments athletes 
Grant Hill of the Orlando Magic, soccer great Mia Hamm, Sergei Fedorov 
of the Detroit Red Wings, and 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Lenny 
Krayzelburg, among others, will help encourage young athletes to strive 
and succeed by the rules of fair play. And in so doing, these gifted 
athletic heroes will inspire today's athletes to impart on future 
athletes the lessons of good sportsmanship.
  Also part of this event and in its third year is a program called 
``The No Swear Zone,'' which is a pledge that can be signed by athletes 
and coaches to stop the use of profanity in sports and everyday life. 
Further, in conjunction with National Sportsmanship Day, the Institute 
for International Sport will launch the Center for Sports Parenting. 
This online center will provide an interactive service where parents, 
coaches, educators, and team officials involved in youth sports can 
seek guidance on youth sports. Indeed, it is equally important for 
adults involved in youth athletics to teach and lead in the spirit of 
sportsmanship.
  Sportsmanship needs to be taught to each successive generation, and I 
commend the Institute of Sport and all this year's participants for 
making sure that this valuable life lesson continues to lead the way on 
and off the field.

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