The Mail-Journal, Volume 11, Number 4, Milford, Kosciusko County, 20 February 1974 — Page 43

M M O I S

Ethics — it’s what you do that counts

The following item was taken from a speech made by Art Avis, athletic director at Hutchinson, Minn., and included in materials given to this paper by Eldon Ummel, athletic director at Wawasee high school. Avis’ views of ethics are forthright and meaningful to all coaches and worth printing in this sectional supplement. Clifford B Fagan, editor of the National Federation Publication said that athletic directors are being delegated more responsiblities for supervision of coaches and interscholastic athletic programs because of the increased duties today's principal has and because the program of interscholastic athletes has grown in breadth and depth. It is gratifying when those who have responsibility for supervising the athletic program speak out clearly and loudly concerning various aspects of the coaching profession. Following are excerpts from Avis’

>Goocl \Luck \Warriors Office Supplies Main St. Syracuse

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1928 SECTIONAL CHAMPS — The above photo was loaned to The Mail-Journal by Ruth Mench of Syracuse and shows the 1928 Syracuse high school sectional champs. The team won all of its scheduled games of the season while the school's second team lost only two games that year. They lost the county tourney but won the sectional, going all the way to the state where they were defeated by Bedford. From left are Don Riddle, Alden Snavely. Earl Auer. Dale Shock, Wayne Holser. Everett Crow. Leon Connolly and Junior Bockman.

presentation to the first annual Minnesota Athletic Directors* Conference held a couple years ago. The thoughts hold true today. The dictionary says that ethics is the science dealing with the moral duty of man. I seriously doubt that any one of you here will admit to being an immoral person and therefore, you all must be ethical people. But in the function of the athletic director can we all say that this is really true. Aren’t there times that each slip a little? Can you truly say that you have never slipped a little or become a party to slipping by one of your coaches? Where do you draw the line’’ I am reminded of the talk given by Dr. Libor Brom at our recent Coaches Association luncheon. He may not have been talking directly about ethics but he came very close when he said, “At times, you must decide whether something is either right or it is wrong.’’ Certainly, in our actions

The Warriors and wish them luck in the sectional. CROW ROOFING AND SHEET METAL Phone 457-4670 Syracuse

as athletic directors we are often confronted with a decision that something is either right or wrong, that something is either black or white. In the area of ethical behavior we must be most careful of trying to live in the grey area. If we do, it is too easy to slip one way or another and the more we do it the easier it becomes. It becomes easy to justify the action of ourselves, our coaches and our schools when deep down we know that action is not truly justified. If we are going to stand out in our chosen field, and that is why we are here today ... to learn and to promote our position, we have to draw lines. Tell your coaches, your student body, your administration if necessary, “This is the line of ethical behavior, don’t cross it.” Tell yourself, “I must not compromise my principles and position because it is the easy way.” Sometimes it is the difficult thing to do but it is the only way if we are to receive the

recognition we want and, 1 feel, richly deserve. Some organizations go as far as to develop a written code of ethics The Coaches’ Association has a new one, The National Council of Secondary School Athletic Directors is moving to establish a code. That's fine but, it is not what one writes or says that is important. FT IS WHAT ONE DOES THAT COUNTS. We live in a strange world. It seems that we must have something written down before we know what we believe. Possibly, it is because we want to know what the other fellow believes as we do. If not, there seems justification for us to compromise our own beliefs. Therefore, a written, code • becomes important. Assuming jhat is the direction this association wants to go. what shall be included? Whatever is done, written or unwritten, our philosophy must reflect a positive attitude toward the young people. We offer them our experience, our wisdom, our leadership, our instruction. Let us also offer them our moral and ethical behavior Our primary' job is still to make men of boys. We cannot justify anything else from ourselves, our coaches or from any other person connected with our athletic programs. And remember, it is not what we write or say, it is what we do that counts. To be more specific, let me pose a few questions that each of us is called on to answer from time to time: 1. What should you as an athletic director do when one of your coaches violates a rule relating to practice sessions, illegal use of equipment, etc.?

M M O I S

2. What should you do when one of your coaches is relieved of las coaching position without a hearing? 3. What should you do if your coach, or any other coach, makes a habit of not being ready to play at the scheduled time? Trying to out-wait his opponent? 4. What do you do when one of the boys on your squad deliberately breaks the rules of the game? 5. What do you do if a college recruiter violates the rule for contacting one of your athletes? That is a violation of ethics on his part. 6. What do you do when your student body shows unsportsmanlike conduct during a game, provoked by the other side ar not? 7. What do you do when one of your star players breaks a training rule that can be overlooked 7 8. What should you do if rabid fans (yours or the other schools) badger an official during or after the game? Shall I go on? Oh, just one more. 9. What should you do when any of your coaches fails to join the State Coaches Association and the association of his sport? Gentlemen, write it down, talk about it, but above all, remember, “It is not that which you write or say that is important, it is that which you do that counts.”

►FRONT PAGE [PHOTOGRAPHS [• > The front page photos for [ [this special sectional sup-j plement were taken by Lynn [ Hively. a student at Wawasee[ i [high school. ( [