RAILROADER: IHSAA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD!

Matt Smith, just got this email from the IHSAA. I just had to share it with the greatest Coaches, Student-Athletes, and Fans in the WORLD!

To:          Selected Member School Principals

From:    Bobby Cox, Commissioner

Re:         2010-11 IHSAA Sportsmanship Award

 

Good afternoon and congratulations to you and your school for earning a 2010-11 IHSAA Sportsmanship Award.  Your school is being recognized for exemplary behavior during the previous year by not incurring any IHSAA by-laws violations, having any coaches or students ejected from an interscholastic contest and implementing an active sportsmanship program in your school.

On behalf of the IHSAA staff and our Board of Directors, please accept my sincere congratulations for this important achievement.  Within the next few days, your school will be receiving a sportsmanship banner representing this accomplishment if it is your school’s first award.  If you are a repeat winner of this award, a year placard is being shipped to your school.  We hope you will proudly display this award in your gymnasium and take occasion to recognize your accomplishment before your school community.  Should you wish to make such a presentation, members of the IHSAA staff or Board of Directors are most willing to be present as you mark the occasion.  Please contact me or any of our Assistant Commissioners if you desire a staff or Board member to be in attendance.

Again, congratulations on your award and continued best wishes throughout the remainder of the school year.

GARRETT RAILROADERS ARE THE BEST!

Sportsmanship Blog!

Please take a look at the Sportsmanship Blog. Just click on the link on the right and enjoy great inspirational articles, debates about sportsmanship, and valuable information for Parents, Coaches, Players, and Fans. The Blog is produced by the Josephson Institute -- the founders of our Character Counts Program.

We value Character as one of the most important lessons our Student-Athletes learn at GHS.

The Lions Den!

Daniel may have survived the Lions Den with the help of God, but the Railroaders couldn't survive the Lions Den at Leo tonight. Leo's aggressive trapping defense and up tempo game style were too much as the Lions defeated Garrett 85-57.

I was very proud of how are players and coaches worked hard throughout this game.  It was great to see Drake Landis and the rest of the boys on the team scrapping for every loose ball all the way to the end of the game.  I also want to tip my hat off to the Leo Lions and specifically Coach Cogdell for their sportsmanship tonight. I know Coach Cogdell  and Athletic Director Brock Rohrbacher very well and Leo does not have a reputation for being gracious in victory. But, Coach Cogdell backed off the defense after the game was well in hand and the Leo fans also displayed good sportsmanship throughout the game. At the very end of the game, in a great display of sportsmanship, he also decided to hold the ball instead of continuing to attack on offense. Although this prevented us from substituting some jv kids into the varsity game, it was done with good intentions. Thanks Coach Cogdell, it is good to be a part of a conference where players, coaches, and fans can be gracious in VICTORY as well as defeat.

Next up, the Boys travel to Angola to take on former NECC Rivals.  I guess we go from the Lions Den to the Hornets Nest. This is a triple header basketball night is next Tuesday, December 21st with the C-Team game starting at 5pm, the JV at approximately 6:15pm and the Varsity at about 7:45pm. Good Luck Railroaders!

NEW SPORTSMANSHIP BLOG

I found a great NEW blog from Character Counts that is something we should all follow. I have it listed in my favorite links. The articles are great. The First Posts include an article about Derek Jeter faking an injury by a pitch that never hit him. I was greatly disappointed in Derek's actions. Even the greatest of players sometimes don't get it. If we have a win at all costs mentality, where does the final line get drawn.  Read the articles. Help teach our students and fans the true meaning of sportsmanship.