Our Centers for Ethics:

The Arizona Sports Summit Accord

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Press release

Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden and other eminent leaders in sports will announce the “Arizona Sports Summit Accord” demanding new emphasis on ethics, sportsmanship, and character-building at a press conference at 10:00 a.m. PST Tuesday, May 25, 1999 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Participating in the announcement Tuesday with Coach Wooden will be Michael Josephson, founder and president, CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition and Josephson Institute; Tom Crawford, director of coaching, United States Olympic Committee; Dr. Robert Maxson, president, California State University, Long Beach; and John Naber, Olympic gold medalist and president of the U.S. Olympians.

SUMMARY

Leaders in Sport Call for New Emphasis on Ethics, Sportsmanship, and Character-Building

On May 25, 1999, nearly 50 influential leaders in sports issued the Arizona Sports Summit Accord to encourage greater emphasis on the ethical and character-building aspects of athletic competition. It is hoped that the framework of principles and values set forth will be adopted and practiced widely.

The Accord is the result of a summit conference convened May 12-14, 1999, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The summit, entitled “Pursuing Victory With Honor,” was sponsored by Josephson Institute, the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, and the United States Olympic Committee, Coaching Division.

Delegates to the summit were a virtual Who’s Who of sports. Together, they represented the diverse constituencies that influence and control Olympic, intercollegiate, high school, and youth sports (including university presidents, collegiate athletic directors and coaches, athletes, officials and umpires, faculty representatives, sports organizations, and media representatives).

The summit was opened by Arizona Governor Jane D. Hull who pledged support for the efforts of the group. The tone of the meeting was set by an inspiring 90-minute discussion with John Wooden, legendary UCLA basketball coach, led by NBC announcer Bob Costas and Bill Dwyre, sports editor of the Los Angeles Times.

Stating the premise that “sports can and should enhance the character and uplift the ethics of the nation,” the Accord declares, among other things, that:

• Participation in sports is a privilege, not a right, and that athletes and coaches have a duty to conduct themselves as role models, on and off the field.

• Recruitment decisions for educational institutions must be based on a specific determination that the athlete is seriously committed to getting an education and has or will develop the academic skills and character to succeed.

• The academic, emotional, and moral well-being of athletes always must be placed above desires and pressures to win.

• Coaches and athletes must refrain from all forms of disrespectful conduct including verbal abuse, taunting, trash-talking, and unseemly celebrations.

• The leadership of high school, youth, and other sports programs must ensure that all coaches, paid or voluntary, are basically competent in character-development techniques, first-aid, and principles of effective coaching.

• Sports leaders should promote sportsmanship and foster the development of good character by teaching, enforcing, advocating, and modeling six “pillars of character”: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

Participants pledged to mount extensive communications and training programs throughout their organizations and to seek widespread adoption of the Accord’s principles.

COMMENTS FROM SIGNATORIES TO THE ACCORD

Dr. Robert Maxson, president of California State University, Long Beach: “This was the best meeting of its sort I ever attended. It’s now our job to give life to these principles by putting them into action in our own institutions and by encouraging those we work with to adopt these important principles.”

Dr. Tom Crawford, director of coaching, U.S. Olympic Committee: “The Accord will be part of the foundation of an ethics and character-building course that will be offered to all U.S. coaches involved in the Olympic movement starting in the fall of 1999.”

Jim Livengood, president, National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors; athletic director, University of Arizona: “This was an awesome process. The participants were deadly serious about doing something meaningful. None of us wanted just another set of written platitudes. I know I intend to re-examine our programs and to try to improve them in every way we can. In addition, we’ve committed to work with CHARACTER COUNTS! and Arizona State University to offer two one-day programs for about 1,000 coaches and athletic administrators throughout the state.”

Grant Teaff, executive director, American Football Coaches Association: “The impact of this statement will depend on its implementation. The American Football Coaches Association is deeply committed to the character-building message of this accord. A detailed plan to make character-building the centerpiece of future publications, conventions, meetings, and training will be presented to the AFCA board in June.”

Michael Josephson, founder and president, CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition and Josephson Institute: “At a time in our society when respect for established institutions is in significant decline, this declaration by a virtual Who’s Who of sports powerfully affirms the intrinsic value of sports as a source of inspiration and example of ethics and character.”

John Naber, president, U.S. Olympic Alumni Association: “I was greatly encouraged by this important statement of such a diverse group of sports leaders. Given the quality and reputations of the people involved, we expect the statement to have great impact.”

Dr. Lloyd V. Hackley, chairman, CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition: “We will not let this document become just another well-intentioned declaration. The entire CHARACTER COUNTS! movement was built on a similar document that provided the framework for the nation’s largest and most successful character-development initiative. The Arizona Sports Summit Accord will be widely distributed, and individuals and athletic organizations will be invited to become charter signatories.”

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