---William Penn High School captures honor tenth consecutive year---

( Dover, DE.)  The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) Sportsmanship Committee has selected seven schools as recipients of the 2006-07 State Champions in Sportsmanship award.  This is the highest honor for sportsmanship that can be bestowed on any of the 93 member schools of DIAA.

The schools are: 

• William Penn High School, Colonial School District (10^th consecutive year)
• Hodgson Vo-Tech High School, NCCO Vo-Tech School District (2^nd consecutive year)
• A.I. DuPont High School, Red Clay Consolidated School District (2^nd consecutive year)
• Tower Hill School, Wilmington (2^nd consecutive year)
• Sussex Technical High School, Sussex Technical School District
• Concord High School, Brandywine School District
• Wilmington Christian School, Hockessin

This year’s selection of seven schools is a new high water mark for DIAA.  Last year, five schools won the award and prior to that, no more than three schools had won the honor in one year.  In the ten years this program has existed, ten different schools have won the award. 

“Winning this prestigious honor means the schools selected have made a concerted, top down effort to incorporate sportsmanship in the culture of their school,” said Kevin Charles, executive director of DIAA.  “It is written into their mission statement, is critical to their code of conduct and is communicated as an expectation at all levels from the administration to the faculty, the coaches, the students, the parents and spectators.”

“These schools have created a sportsmanship committee which not only deals with negative incidents in their schools, but more importantly approaches sportsmanship in a holistic, proactive manner,” said Secretary of Education Valerie A. Woodruff.  “When handled in this manner, sportsmanship becomes not only an expectation, but becomes embedded in the school culture.”

All 54 member middle schools and high schools compete against a rigorous ten-point standard, not against other schools.  Therefore, it is possible that there could be 54 winners annually.  Requirements for consideration include:

• A written board of education policy on sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity in interscholastic athletics.
• A sportsmanship, ethics and integrity committee to coordinate the planning and implementation of a sportsmanship, ethics and integrity program.
• Presentations during the school year to coaches, athletes, parents, fans and support groups emphasizing the school’s philosophy on sportsmanship, ethics and integrity.
• A procedure for receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints dealing with sportsmanship, ethics and integrity.
• Plan for dealing with special situations such as heated rivalries, overflow crowds and unruly spectators.
• A program for acknowledging/rewarding positive examples of sportsmanship, ethics and integrity.