IN THIS ISSUE:

FRONT ROW

Youth Sports: Teaching Instead of Trouncing
Collegiate Sports: Time for a Trojan Hearse?
Professional Sports: Young Bostonians to Lakers: “Congrats”
Jocks Behaving Badly: Gun Crazy
Jocks Behaving Exceptionally: History Doesn’t Always Repeat Itself
Michael Josephson's Commentary: The Wooden Pledge


SIDELINES

Announcements
Trivia Test: Who Brought Flowers to the '98 World Cup?
You Make the Call: Should Galarraga Have Gotten Credit for a Perfect Game?
Principle of the Month: How to Cheer for Your Children
Say What?
Trivia Test Answer

FRONT ROW

YOUTH SPORTS

Teaching Instead of Trouncing

Back in April, two J.V. girls’ softball teams met in Indianapolis for what could have been an epic drubbing. The girls on the inner-city Marshall Community team were playing their first game ever. They had almost no equipment, and their coach was a chemistry teacher who’d never seen a softball game. Their opponent, Roncalli, hadn’t lost a game in two-and-a-half years.

Midway through the second inning, after Marshall had walked nine batters, the Roncalli girls decided to forfeit. Instead of beating up on Marshall, they decided to spend the time teaching their opponents how to play the game. They worked on batting stances, pitching, and catching.

Showing compassion without condescension is tricky. After the practice, Roncalli coach Jeff Traylor noted, “One wrong attitude, one babying approach from our players would shut down the Marshall team, who were already down…. But our girls made me as proud as I have ever been.”

In the following days, Traylor collected donations from Roncalli parents for Marshall’s team. Word spread quickly, and now Marshall has helmets, gloves, balls, and even new infield dirt from the Cincinnati Reds.

Marshall still hasn’t won a game yet, but the girls are rapidly improving, and they’re so excited about softball that they’re looking to play in a summer league.

COLLEGIATE SPORTS

Time for a Trojan Hearse?

In June the NCAA placed strict sanctions on USC for several rules violations, including improper benefits received by Heisman-winning tailback Reggie Bush and basketball player O.J. Mayo. The football team will be banned from the postseason for two years, will lose 30 scholarships over three years, and it must vacate the last two games of the 2004 season and the entire 2005 season.

According to the report, Bush received gifts from agents, including free housing for his family, and a limousine and new suit for his Heisman Trophy acceptance.

Are the sanctions justified?

Writing for Bleacher Report, William Moor points out that “Current USC players, USC recruits, and fans will suffer because of something that was committed years ago. The main culprits – Pete Carroll and Reggie Bush – escape virtually untouched.”

Carroll seemed to have seen the sanctions coming, as he abruptly took a job with the Seattle Seahawks after turning down the NFL for years. Meanwhile, USC’s freshmen and sophomores can’t transfer without losing a year of eligibility, and the juniors and seniors can’t transfer without releases from the school, which USC is unlikely to grant.

Former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer told the Los Angeles Times not to blame Carroll: “You think Reggie Bush is the only athlete who had an agent or had an agent involved with him? You're crazy…. Every high-profile program has that…. Happens all the time, and it’s going to happen in the future.”

That kind of moral relativism doesn’t bode well for the shaping of the characters of our student-athletes, but it helps explain the grab-all-you-can-while-you-can mentality of so many athletes coming out of college. No doubt we’ll be hearing from the NCAA Committee on Infractions again before long.

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

Young Bostonians to Lakers: “Congrats”

In the greatest rivalry in the NBA, the Boston Celtics and L.A. Lakers have faced each other in 12 Finals since 1959. Young Bostonians grow up thinking purple and gold the ugliest color combination in the history of vision. (They might be right.) Many L.A. kids go through life totally incapable of appreciating clovers, leprechauns, and St. Patrick’s Day.

So we have to give kudos to teacher Judith Nee and her kindergarten class at Oliver Hazard Perry School in South Boston. After the Celtics lost the championship last month, she asked her students if it’s nice after a game to “go boo and stamp our feet.”

According to Colneth Smiley Jr., writing in the Boston Herald, the students shouted “No!” The right thing to do is clap, shake hands, and say, “Good game.”

In that spirit, the kids made a poster that reads Congrats Lakers, and they hung it up in their class.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a different team,” said one student. “We’re all people. And there’s always next year.”

Wise words from a five-year-old.

JOCKS BEHAVING BADLY

Gun Crazy

Last month in Memphis, Tennessee, a Little Leaguer’s father pulled a gun on the coach because his son wasn’t getting as many at-bats as the other kids. Somehow the coach disarmed the angry dad. The state’s Department of Safety has suspended his handgun permit.

That father is lucky to have gotten off so easy. A gunfight might have erupted if the coach in Memphis had been like the assistant coach of the Fruitport Soccer Club in Michigan. When a father confronted him about his yelling and swearing at his team of 8- to 10-year-olds, the coach drew a pistol and pointed it at the man. He’s been charged with felonious assault.

If you can’t go to the field without cursing at 8-year-olds and carrying a gun, it’s time to hang up that whistle. In fact, let’s all agree to leave our firearms, knives, and other deadly weapons at home when attending children’s sporting events. And let’s remember that youth sports exist to entertain, exercise, and educate our children. After all, not getting what one wants – whether it’s playing time, a league championship, or a son who’s the next Ken Griffey, Jr. – is a rite of passage on the way to well-adjusted adulthood.

JOCKS BEHAVING EXCEPTIONALLY

History Doesn’t Always Repeat Itself

In the 1985 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals went up three games to two against the Kansas City Royals. In the ninth inning of game six, with the Cardinals ahead by one run, umpire Don Denkinger called Jorge Orta of the Royals safe on a routine ground ball to first base.

Television replays and photographs later confirmed that Orta was out. After Denkinger’s miscue, the Royals rallied and won the game. Denkinger didn’t apologize for his mistake, even after Commissioner Peter Ueberroth told him he’d missed the call.

In the seventh game, Denkinger worked behind home plate. Still upset, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog and pitcher Joaquin Andujar shouted abuse at him throughout the game. In the fifth inning Denkinger finally ejected Herzog and Andujar. According to Wikipedia, Herzog told Denkinger that if he’d gotten the call right in game six, there wouldn’t have been a seventh game. Denkinger shot back that it wouldn’t have hurt if the Cardinals batted better than .122. After his ejection, a raging Andujar smashed the toilet in the Cardinals’ clubhouse.

Kansas City went on to win 11-0 and take home its first Series trophy. For years after that, Denkinger had to deal with hate mail, crank calls, and even death threats.

Fast forward 25 years to an almost identical play on June 2, 2010. Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga had a perfect game going all the way to the last out, but umpire Jim Joyce called a Cleveland runner safe on a ground ball to first base, even though Galarraga clearly beat him there.

Galarraga’s perfect game, which would have been only the 21st in the history of baseball, was ruined. He could have thrown a fit, but he didn’t. He just smiled, went back to the mound, and got the last out.

After the game, Joyce watched a replay and realized he’d made the wrong call. He was so distraught that he immediately found Galarraga and apologized.

Galarraga accepted his apology. The pitcher told Fox Sports, “I say many times: Nobody’s perfect. Everybody makes a mistake. I’m sure he don’t want to make that call. You see that guy last night, he feels really bad. He don’t even change. The other umpires shower, eat. He was sitting in the seat (and saying), ‘I’m so sorry.’”

The next day the Tigers and Indians faced each other again, with Joyce officiating. He’d been offered the day off but instead went back to work. Before the game, Galarraga handed Joyce the lineup card at home plate, and the two men shook hands.

In sharp contrast to the fall-out from Denkinger’s blown call, everyone involved in this incident, including Detroit Manager Jim Leyland, behaved with respect and compassion. Other than a few early death threats, the public, players, and managers have been extremely supportive of Joyce.

Three days after the incident, Don Denkinger himself called Joyce to offer his support. But the first thing Joyce did was offer his support to Denkinger, apologizing for stirring up memories of his infamous call. Again, Joyce demonstrated his ability, even in the worst moment of his career, to put someone else’s feelings before his own.

Maybe that helps explain why, in a poll conducted by ESPN magazine after the incident, MLB players named Joyce the best umpire in the league.

MICHAEL JOSEPHSON'S COMMENTARY

The Wooden Pledge

The tidal wave of praise and tributes commemorating Coach John Wooden’s passing last month at age 99 makes it hard to add something new. My effort is the following pledge derived from his Pyramid of Success and some of his favorite maxims. I invite you to take the pledge and pass it on to others.

The Wooden Pledge

I pledge to improve and safeguard my character and to myself be true, being faithful to my convictions in all I say and do.
I will strive to do what's right and let my conscience be my guide, knowing my worth is measured by what I am inside.
I'll take on each day enthusiastically and give every task my all.

I will not whine, complain, or make excuses, even if I fall.
I will live my life with purpose, thinking ahead and having a plan.
I will never allow what I can't do interfere with what I can.

I will find opportunity in adversity and do things right the first time through and never be afraid to change or try something new.
I will be patient, poised, and confident, working toward each goal, being sure to govern my emotions and demonstrating self-control.
I will count my blessings daily and be grateful for what I possess, getting joy from moderation and avoiding all excess.

I will work hard and take initiative in order to excel,
and I'll make big things happen by doing the little things well.
I will pursue victory with honor, not letting praise or criticism change how I act, and I'll strive to be worthy of pride and emulation, in reputation and in fact.
I will be sincere, honest, and loyal, worthy of other's trust.

I will be respectful and responsible, doing what I must.
I will always act with fairness and show others how much I care, and I'll be a good citizen and always do my share.
I will live my life with dignity, passion, and fun
and make each day my masterpiece when all is said and done.

Derived by Michael Josephson of the Josephson Institute of Ethics from the writings and philosophy of Coach John Wooden.

Learn how Coach Wooden helped launch our Pursuing Victory With Honor sportsmanship campaign and see a video of him talking to Institute president Michael Josephson here.

For an archive of Mr. Josephson’s commentaries, click here.

	ANNOUNCEMENTS
Good Fun and Good Character Lessons for Students If you like our Good Ideas books, which offer a treasure trove of classroom activities, you'll love our new Good to Go cards (for kids 5-11). They provide 100 character-related discussion starters and activities to stimulate student creativity and teach ethical lessons. The two-sided cards are perfect for advisory groups, afterschool programs, centers, homerooms, before-the-bell fillers, and dinner table discussions. Made almost entirely from recycled materials. Buy now »
	TRIVIA TEST
Who Brought Flowers to the '98 World Cup? In the first round, two teams faced each other as their countries struggled to set up diplomatic relations. Before the game, the players on one team presented the players on the other with white flowers. Who were they? Who won? See the answer below.
	YOU MAKE THE CALL
Should Galarraga Have Gotten Credit for a Perfect Game? According to a poll of 100 Major League Baseball players, 86 percent said Commissioner Bud Selig was correct not to retroactively award Armando Galarraga a perfect game. What do you think? Should Selig have overturned umpire Jim Joyce’s bad call? See “History Doesn't Always Repeat Itself” in lefthand column for background on this incident. Yes. Galarraga deserves to be credited for a perfect game, and MLB should officially recognize it. No. The fact that the call stands adds weight to Joyce’s apology and Galarraga’s grace. I’m not sure. Click here to vote Results of Last Month’s Poll Was Grant Whybark’s gesture good or bad sportsmanship? Grant’s gesture was wonderful and the right one under the circumstances. 28% Grant’s gesture was wonderful, but he could have accomplished it better. 45% Grant’s gesture was wrong on every level. 14% I'm not sure. 11%
	PRINCIPLE OF THE MONTH
Principle Eleven: How to Cheer for Your Children Principle Eleven of the Arizona Sports Summit Accord states that everyone involved in athletic competition – including parents – has a duty to treat the traditions of the sport and other participants with respect. Missourian Janice Schnake Greene says the beginning was innocent: “It wasn’t telling them what to do as much as helping them, especially when they were little.” But over time her tone on the sidelines of her daughters’ soccer games changed, and the advice she shouted became more critical and demanding. Eventually, the critical comments extended beyond her kids to other people’s, and one day she shouted, “Pass the ball!” at someone else’s 11-year-old daughter. The girl’s mother got up and left, and Greene realized she needed to change. She apologized to the woman and reminded herself that her daughters played soccer for fun. Now she concentrates on staying positive. “We talk about the game, but it’s in a whole different way,” Greene says. “We can have smiles and laughter after the game – even if they’ve lost.” Along those lines, personal trainer and coach Todd Herman has some great suggestions for how to root for your children: First: “Take the focus off winning and losing…. Winning and losing are outcomes. Always focusing attention on outcomes causes stress. There are just too many other factors at play, so your outcomes can’t be controlled.” Second: “Support the concepts of learning and growing.” Instead of “Did you score any goals?” a parent could say, “Did you learn anything new in today’s game?” Third: “Give specific feedback.” Just saying, “Good job,” can be meaningless, but complimenting specific plays and focusing on how the player is improving can do wonders for a kid’s confidence. Nearly 50 influential leaders in sports issued the Arizona Sports Summit Accord in 1999 to encourage greater emphasis on the ethical and character-building aspects of athletic competition. Read the full text here.
	SAY WHAT?
“If coaches are going to start running naked, it’s just as well Stan Van Gundy didn’t get an NBA title.” – Omaha World-Herald writer Brad Dickson on Argentina coach Diego Maradona’s promise to run naked through Buenos Aires if his team wins the World Cup “As I read the decision by the NCAA… I read between the lines and there was nothing but a lot of envy. They wish they all were Trojans.” – USC athletic director Mike Garrett after the NCAA sanctioned the university for football and basketball violations “USC drew a two-year bowl ban and lost 30 scholarships under NCAA sanctions. USC looks so bad, O.J. Simpson is reminding his fellow inmates that he played his first two years at City College of San Francisco.” – Comedian Argus Hamilton “John Wooden’s players listened to him. They adored him. He generated trust the way a power plant produces electricity. But could he have coached today’s athletes? It is doubtful that any great coach from that era could penetrate the layered insulation of modern players.” – CBSSports.com writer Mike Freeman “You can’t blame Danica Patrick for capitalizing on her looks. But somewhere along the way you have to add some substance. After five years on the Indy circuit, Patrick has one more win than Stevie Wonder.” – FanHouse.com writer David Whitley “This year, NASCAR decided to let its drivers race even more roughhouse. That’s like the National Rifle Association asking gun owners to be more trigger-happy.” – Syndicated columnist Norman Chad “No wonder the English goalkeeper allowed that easy shot to give America a 1-1 tie in the Group C opener. You couldn’t stop a beach ball with those big goofy [gloves]. What, is Hamburger Helper a sponsor? Doesn’t Roger Rabbit need them back? And is it difficult to play goalie while also taking things out of the oven?” – ESPN.com writer Rick Reilly “Tiger Woods said his foundation will open two new learning centers in Washington. They’ll bring him together with local schoolchildren who’ll teach him how to erase text messages before mommy sees them.” – Comedian Argus Hamilton “If Phil Jackson wrote another memoir, it would be called Me. If Doc Rivers wrote his first, it would be titled Have a Seat. How Are You? Can I Get You Anything?” – CBSSports.com writer Mike Freeman “In England, soccer players get knighted; in the United States, they get Business Select tickets on Southwest.” – Syndicated columnist Norman Chad “North Korea = Oakland Raiders. Al Davis and Kim Jong-Il, secretive old dudes who don’t know when to hand over the reins. Word is that North Korean citizens won’t be told about results unless they win – if only Oakland could do the same thing.” – Column on nepatriotsdraft.com comparing World Cup teams to equivalent NFL squads “As the good book says, lead us to the promised land. And that’s a quote from the King James version.” – New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg imploring LeBron James to choose either the Knicks or Nets if he leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers “The late Dale Earnhardt appears on a new commemorative Wheaties box. Cannot confirm the box has been aggressively knocking other cereal boxes off the shelves.” – Miami Herald writer Greg Cote “No matter how many megamillions the colleges make from television and tickets, they don't have to pay the football players a nickel. That's the American way.” –Sportswriter and NPR commentator Frank Deford “When Wimbledon announced that those loud, annoying noise-makers wouldn’t be allowed onto the grounds this year, I took it wrong. Wimbledon banned the vuvuzela, not the Sharapova.” – FanHouse.com writer David Whitley ~ Classic From the Past ~ “Left hand, right hand, it doesn’t matter. I’m amphibious.” – Charles Shackleford, basketball player
	TRIVIA TEST ANSWER
In the ’98 Cup, the Iranians presented the Americans with flowers in a gesture of peace. They beat the Americans 2-1 in their first-ever victory in a World Cup finals.
	CONTACT US
Josephson Institute 9841 Airport Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90045 (310) 846-4800 (800) 711-2670 http://CharacterCounts.org http://JosephsonInstitute.org
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