By Michelle Brutlag Hosick, The NCAA News

Emphasizing that on-ice attacks are unacceptable behavior, Michigan State suspended two hockey players for the remainder of the season for their actions in a game against Michigan January 24. Andrew Conboy and Corey Tropp will sit out the final 10 regular-season games and any postseason opportunities. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association, whose membership includes both schools, supported the action.

Michigan is also revamping its security policies after the father of the victim confronted Tropp in the Spartans’ locker room.

“What happened near the end of the game this weekend is not the way in which we want our hockey program represented,” Michigan State coach Rick Comley said in a statement. “We cannot condone their actions. We felt that we had to send a strong message that this behavior will not be tolerated.”

National Harbor, MD – The NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct announced an Association-wide sportsmanship effort that will address negative fan behavior at sporting events around the nation.

The initiative called “RESPECT” was announced Wednesday at an Association-wide education session during the NCAA Convention.

A recent survey of student-athletes, coaches, conference commissioners, administrators and fans indicated that fan behavior was the most pressing matter to be addressed at college sporting events.

Ejections Down 55% in Three Years Using STAR Sportsmanship Program

January 28, 2009

Birmingham, AL – Statistics from the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) confirm that Alabama has reported a significant reduction in high school sports ejections. Over a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, AHSAA reports 55 percent fewer player and coach ejections.

AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese credits the commitment of the state’s education leadership, athletic directors and coaches in utilizing the mandated STAR Sportsmanship™ program as the vehicle for this remarkable improvement statewide.

Alabama schools began implementing the STAR Sportsmanship program three years ago in grades 3-12 as a tool for Sportsmanship and Character Education, Steroid/Drug Prevention and Critical Thinking Skills Development.

The interactive, online program engages students with graphically appealing digital games, sportsmanship heroes and current events from the real world of sports, role-playing exercises in real-life scenarios and modeling of consequences.

The Alabama State Legislature, Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS) and the State Superintendent of Education took leadership roles in initiating state-sponsored access to the program beginning in 2005.

By the 2007 fall and winter sports seasons, 98.7 percent of ejections in Alabama high school sports were by schools not using the STAR program.