Monday, February 28, 2005

Contact: Chris Kilcoyne


ODAC to Receive Sportsmanship Honor on Capitol Hill Tuesday


SALEM, VA – On Tuesday March 1st, in conjunction with the 15th annual Sportsmanship Day, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) will be honored by the Institute for International Sport in Washington, D.C. for the league’s continued promotion of sportsmanship within its member institutions.

 

A reception will be held on Capitol Hill to recognize distinguished individuals and organizations that have had a significant impact on the practice of good sportsmanship in the United States and abroad. 

 

Joining the ODAC in being honored on Tuesday will be the late Sen. John Chafe who helped launch National Sportsmanship Day, Monte Lorell Sports Editor of the USA Today, The Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Play For Peace and the USA Today.

 

“This recognition by the Institute is truly an honor for all members of the ODAC,” said Commissioner Brad Bankston. “Our members have worked hard to address and focus their student-athletes, coaches, fans and administration on the importance of positive sportsmanship. In addition to our honor, it is important to note the strides Division III has taken in this area. There are many deserving conferences and individuals across the nation worthy of receiving similar recognition.”

 

On Tuesday, 13,000 schools throughout the United States and around the globe will celebrate the 15th annual National Sportsmanship Day.  The Day will involve active discussions involving over five million students, coaches, administrators and parents on the issue of sportsmanship.  A new feature for 2005, “Team Sportsmanship,” will involve a number of high school and college “sportsmanship teams” visiting elementary and middle schools on National Sportsmanship Day to discuss sportsmanship principles.

 

The Institute for International Sport was founded in 1986 by Daniel E. Doyle, Jr. The basic concept of the Institute was rooted in Doyle's overseas experiences in the 60's and 70's. While traveling in Europe as a prep basketball player in 1968, and visiting Cuba as the head men's basketball coach of Trinity College in 1979, Doyle saw the power of sport as a medium to foster friendship and goodwill.

 

Doyle is currently working with all 13 member institutions in the ODAC, addressing coaching staffs and student-athletes on the importance of honorable competition. His lectures are part of an NCAA grant used to improve the welfare of the conference student-athletes. He will continue his visits throughout the rest of the 2005 academic year.

Doyle turned his vision into a reality while studying at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, drafting a thesis that outlined what is now the Institute for International Sport (IIS). After sharing his idea with several universities, including the University of Rhode Island (URI), Doyle convinced then URI president Edward D. Eddy and then Rhode Island Governor Edward DiPrete that URI should be the home of the Institute. On July 1, 1986 the IIS officially opened in a one-room office and Doyle's dream became a reality.

Nearly twenty years after its founding, the Institute for International Sport remains guided by international leaders in the academic, business, government and athletic communities. The IIS has fostered an extraordinary number of global friendships through sport, culture and education. As the Institute continues to grow in the 21st Century, the organization's mission remains the same: