RESPECT Campaign - A Guide for Campus Implementation
Background: During the past two years, the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct conducted extensive research regarding this issue. Based on membership and public surveys, in addition to multiple membership presentations, the committee reached the following conclusions:
- Fan conduct is the most serious and pressing issue.
- Coaches and student-athletes believe they should be responsible for establishing expectations of appropriate behavior.
- Athletics administrators should enforce guidelines for appropriate behavior, addressing negative incidents when they occur.
- In terms of defining sportsmanship, respect and integrity are two words that consistently resonate with the membership.
Response: The committee launched a sportsmanship initiative entitled, "RESPECT" involving a communication plan and creative materials for member institutions and conferences to implement. The committee unveiled the initiative at the 2009 NCAA Convention.
Phase I: Addressing Fan Behavior
Local Activation
Identify three campus leaders (one administrator, one coach, and one student-athlete) charged with coordinating efforts to create and sustain a campus culture of respect.
The team must determine what success looks like on your campus or within your conference:
- Define your areas of concern where negative fan behavior exists (e.g., within a particular sport, solely with the student sections, during night games, etc.)
- Define what success looks like within these areas of concern and what result(s) you would like to see (e.g., minimize/eliminate our fans taunting the visiting team through negative cheers; stop our fans from throwing objects at the officials when they leave the field, etc.).
- Define and activate the best means to reach the audiences of greatest concern. (See below.)
- Commit to reinforcing the importance of a respectful competitive environment frequently and consistently. There is no quick fix.
Resources and Implementation
Downloadable Materials
What resources are available and how do I use them? Pick a few and do them well. Don't try to do it all.
National Office Staff
National office staff is readily available for assistance, feedback or guidance in the areas of communications, public and media relations, marketing, promotion, activation, etc.
Research Summary
Use the research findings to back up your initiatives with athletics department and institutional leadership. You may not be in a "crisis" situation, but do not underestimate the impact of fan behavior on the overall perception of your athletics programs.
Print Ads
- Place the ads in your game programs.
- Place the ads in any athletics department materials directed toward your fans/attendees.
- Incorporate the same text and wording into your existing materials if a sportsmanship initiative is already underway.
In-Venue Signage and Messaging
Place signage activation in your athletics venues where you know your fans will see the messages (e.g., restrooms, turnstiles).
PA Announcer Scripts
Provide to your public address announcers to read to the fans before player introductions, during timeouts, intermissions, halftimes, or postgames.
Ticket Backs and Mailings
Define what is expected from your fans as part of the language that goes with ticket drive letters or ticket mailings. Insert the language onto ticket backs.
Communication to Alumni Groups and Boosters
Educate alumni groups and boosters on the importance of the school's image and how it can be impacted by their behavior in the stands. Ask alumni and boosters to serve as role models/leaders when attending competition.
Sample Alumni Mailing Language
(if the buck slip is not used, this language can be incorporated into letters regarding ticket confirmations, event announcements, etc.):
Thank you for your ongoing support of the [name of institution] athletics programs. You are some of our school's greatest ambassadors which is why we ask that you join us in supporting positive behavior and delivering a great sporting event for everyone. On behalf of our student-athletes, we thank you for respecting them as well as our coaches, officials and institution.
Radio and TV Announcer Preparation
Educate announcers about the importance your school places on a respectful competitive environment. Encourage them to note positive and passionate fan behavior and conversely discourage the glorification of negative fan behavior.
Suggested Media Spokespersons and Talking Points
Maximize the roles of those who have the most influence on your fans: President, Coach, Student-Athletes, Athletics Director.
Education them on the message they need to send and reinforce frequently and consistently.
Ask them to publicly speak to the importance of having a respectful competitive environment. Ask them to define their expectations and to ask that fans work with them to uphold these principles.
Training Materials for Your Venue Staffs (ushers, security, concessionaires)
Review existing training manuals and/or orientation sessions for your venue staff.
Define what fan behavior is acceptable or not.
Define the expectations of your venue staffs in addressing potential negative behavior (e.g.,. fan ejection, warning system, etc.)
What can conferences do?
- Encourage member institutions to implement the campaign on their campuses. The committee will provide a presentation template for 2009 spring conference meetings summarizing the campaign and reviewing steps for campus implementation.
- Make sportsmanship best practices a standing agenda item-facilitate the discussion.
- Coordinate with institutions to establish clear policies and actions to apply when a negative incident (on or off the field) occurs.
- Establish programming to recognize good sportsmanship (e.g. awards) and rely on conference SAACs to develop institutional best practices.
Phase II: Creating a Campus Culture
Local Activation
- Define your areas of concern where negative coach or student-athlete behavior exists (e.g., within a particular sport, coach, team, etc.).
- Define what success looks like within these areas of concern and what result(s) you would like to see (e.g., addressing student-atheletes swearing at officials; penalizing coaches who use foul language; coaches inciting the crowd to taunt the other team).
- Define and activate the best means to reach the internal audiences of greatest concern.
- Commit to reinforcing the importance of a respectful competitive environment frequently and consistently. There is no quick fix.
Resources and Implementation
What resources are available and how to I use them?
Best Practices Web pages
Student-Athletes
- Create a sportsmanship oath for your team and have it signed by each of your teammates. Read the oath. In the case of unsportsmanlike conduct, your team will agree to pre-determined (established by the team, institution and/or conference) standards.
- Develop a set of expectations for sportsmanship related to competition. For example, shaking hands with the opposing teams after every game and encouraging opposing teams' success in future games.
- Ask the athletics department or SAAC to set student-athlete guidelines or commitments on how they may approach an official to question a call (e.g., frame the issue as a question, do not raise your voice, no hand gestures). Design penalties to be used if these guidelines/commitments are violated.
Coaches
- Communicate expectations with your team before the problem occurs.
- Arrange a preseason/postseason conference call with your conferences administrators and coaches to reiterate the necessity of sportsmanship and ethical conduct.
- Have a set of talking points for the media to illustrate how your team has represented the sportsmanship and ethical conduct standards set by the NCAA.
- Establish an award system for your student-athletes that will acknowledge their positive action.
Suggested spokespersons and talking points.
Publicized and respected recognition program for exemplary behavior.
Establish an institutional award for sportsmanship noting that the winner automatically becomes the nominee to the conference, which then selects the conference winner for the NCAA Sportsmanship Award.
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