Character and Integrity
	Cheerleaders are a wholesome symbol of America. Promoting community pride and patriotism with sportsmanship and true leadership spirit has long broken the stereotype of the air-headed, gum popping, stuck-up bimbo. Integrity of character is what cheerleaders are made of. Character is a core quality of a cheerleader - Character is the cornerstone of a quality cheerleading program.

These traits are set standards of personal character in youth development.

How do cheerleaders learn such character and integrity?

Since Ohio’s curriculum doesn’t yet have character education as a primary focus, the simple fact is that most character development is learned outside the classroom. Cheerleaders from youth, through all-star, high school and collegiate learn their ethical behavior and moral responsibilities through: Older role models, Early childhood experience, Family support, Positive coaches, Their church community, & Peer influences.

The cornerstone of a quality CHEERLEADING PROGRAM is character.
	Members of your team must stay mentally focused and attentive on their activity in order to perform skills safely. The adult teachers of character development: coaches, administration, parents, must also practice their ethical values and strongly adhere to them.

The coaches and administration

wear a lot of hats: teacher, counselor, safety monitor, coordinator, executive paper handler, pseudo-parent, communicator and mentor. Mentors are caring adults who make an active, positive contribution in the life of a child who is not their own. Social development as well as skill development must be built into your program. Help your cheerleaders to express their talents, build their self-esteem and just have fun. Give them tools on how to cope with problems, show them how to have respect for the game, their opponents, their teammates and themselves.

Parents

Are encouraged to stay involved with their son and daughters program. Actually, parents are the second most driving force in the popularity of cheerleading and overall program ventures. This does not mean re-living your childhood dreams through your child. Allow them to make mistakes, it shows they are trying something new and shows that they are learning. Your child can’t be compared to others. You are their main supporter. Teach them that they are winners even if they didn’t win. Teach them to accomplish their goals.

Student Athlete
	Be a positive influence on your friends. When they behave negatively or take foolish risks, don’t go along. Surround yourself with others of integrity. You are the student leader with a wholistic attitude – participate effectively to develop a program that fits everyone’s needs. Like it or not, you are an instant role model and everything you do will reflect on the organization.

We are proud to support
	The Positive Coaching Alliance Character Counts - Six Pillars of Character, Victory with Honor The Nat'l Council of Youth Sports and their Hershey "Strive" Awards Get Psyched Sports - Athletic Curriculum Arizona Sports Summit Accord Get Psyched Sports

Food for Thought

The Intimidating Power of Integrity     A teacher wrote telling me that a parent with a great deal of clout at her school asked her to change attendance records to make her child's record look better.       The teacher said she thought long and hard about the request but eventually refused, knowing it would make the parent angry. First, I commend her moral courage. I wish it didn't take courage to do the right thing, especially in such a clear case as this, but in the real world people with power often retaliate when they don't get what they want. This can make your life difficult. Still, moral courage is the much-needed bodyguard of conscience and character. The personal costs of putting our integrity on the auction block are so high, we simply have to take the risk. Once we start on the slippery slope of moral compromise, it's hard to resist the slide downward. My first instinct was to think of the parent who subjected the teacher to this corrupt and corrupting request as a thoroughgoing villain, but I suspect she's a basically decent mom so intent on helping her child that she ignored her moral brakes. But it is wrong to ask someone to lie or cheat, and when it comes from someone with power, it's even worse. Power is intimidating even when it's not used. But unswerving integrity can also be intimidating. Clearly improper requests deserve an immediate, firm and dignified response that leaves no ambiguity that they are inappropriate. Be careful not to be self-righteous, but let the person who asks worry about what you think of them and, if they persist, let them -- not you -- worry about the potential consequences. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.  From our Friends at Character Counts!      #479.4

With a continual parade of scandals

there has been talk about codes of ethics.  We have written dozens of codes and have a healthy respect for their value as an element of cheerleading and athletic culture. Let's understand that ethics codes don't make people ethical. They don't make bad people good. Nor do they make people with bad judgement wise.  Ethics Codes would not have prevented some og the shocking behavior we've witnessed. There are two aspects to ethics:  discernment and discipline.  Discernment - knowing right from wrong, Discipline having the moral willpower to do what's right.  A code can define what's right and acceptable and provide a basis for imposing sanctions on those who don't follow it. But unless this reinforces an established ethical culture, it won't do much to assure that peopl will do what's right. It is proper and prudent to clarify existing laws and establish standards of conduct in areas not governed by them.  Ethics Codes transform moral obligations into binding rules. To the extent we need more clarity, we need more and updated codes. To the extent we need more character, we need a lot more.                 We are proud to support the Arizona Sports Summit Accord

Gold Medal Standards for Youth Sports from the Arizona Sports Summit Accord

Leaders in Sport Call for New Emphasis on Ethics, Sportsmanship and Character-Building On May 25, 1999, nearly 50 influential leaders in sports issued the Arizona Sports Summit Accord to encourage greater emphasis on the ethical and character-building aspects of athletics. It is hoped that the framework of principles and values set forth will be adopted and practiced widely. The Accord is the result of a summit conference convened May 12-14, 1999 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The summit, entitled “Pursuing Victory With Honor,” was sponsored by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, and the United States Olympic Committee, Coaching Division. Preamble, Strategies, Press Release

Senate Bill 159

September 27, 2005, Sen. Larry Mumper of the 26th District offered testimony on Senate Bill 159, legislation that will create a Coach’s Conduct and Ethics Policy for Volunteer Coaches of Recreational Youth Athletics. This may seem like common sense for most, however for some once a coach steps across the line onto the field or court all common sense is lost. The Ohio Parks and Recreation Association has taken a proactive approach to this. In the spring of 2003, a youth sport summit was conducted and surveys taken to gain a feel of the youth sports culture within our state. As a result of this summit, a youth sports task force was formed to further study and recommend positive solutions to challenges in administering youth sports and the facilities used by youth sports. Senate Bill 159 supports these efforts. The provisions of the bill require a volunteer coach to pledge to do all of the following: • Treat every coach, player, official, parent and administrator associated with the recreational activity with respect and dignity. • Prevent the placement of a participant in a situation that would jeopardize the individual’s health or safety. • Conduct all activities that the volunteer coach controls in a manner that is not harmful to the mental or physical welfare of the participants. • Cooperate with the administrators of the recreational athletic activity in the enforcement of the rules associated with the activity. • Manage all games, competitions and practices in such a manner that all participants have an equal opportunity to improve their athletic skills through participation. • Report to the administrator of the athletic activity any situation or practice that violates reasonable recreational guidelines. • Comply with any other requirement that the association determines is beneficial to recreational youth activities. • The association shall include in the conduct and ethics policy a statement that explains the possible disciplinary actions that may occur if a coach violates any requirements in the policy.