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NCAA News Release

NCAA National Office, NFHS And IHSAA Partner On Ambassadors Cross-Age Mentoring Program For Students Throughout State Of Indiana

For Immediate Release

Thursday, March 4, 2004
 Contact(s)
Gail E. Dent
Associate Director of Public Relations
317/917-6117
INDIANAPOLIS---The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national office, National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) have announced a partnership to introduce an innovative "Ambassadors" mentoring program that will touch the lives of thousands of students throughout Indiana this fall.

Ambassadors Cross-Age Mentoring opens a bridge for high school student-athletes, who are role models in the classroom and on the playing fields, to talk candidly with elementary and middle school children about fundamental values, such as respect, integrity and caring. The high school student-athletes use their experiences in sports to encourage discussions aimed at helping younger students make positive decisions in daily life. The mentoring program also encourages two-way communication with the elementary and middle school students to create dialogue on peer issues and concerns.

Indiana is the first state to offer Ambassadors Cross-Age Mentoring statewide. Piloted in 15 Indianapolis-area high schools in 2003, Ambassadors mentoring is part of the NCAA Stay in BoundsTM character initiative. Stay in BoundsTM - developed in partnership with the Lilly Endowment, Citizenship Through Sports Alliance and more than 30 community partners - has touched the lives of more than 60,000 young people in central Indiana. The Stay in BoundsTM character development initiative focuses on six core values, known as the RICHER principles - respect, integrity, caring, harmony, excellence and responsibility.

"Young students need good role models today who will help guide them in a positive direction," NCAA President Myles Brand said. "The Ambassadors Cross-Age Mentoring Program, tied closely to our NCAA Stay In BoundsTM initiative, will be a useful educational tool for the student-athletes who deliver the messages and the young students who will receive the messages."

High school officials in Indiana will receive information this spring on how their schools can join the Ambassadors Cross-Age Mentoring Program. Training sessions will be offered to high school student-athletes and school administrators who are selected to participate in the program statewide.

"Young people continue to learn from their peers and heroes and high school students are at the forefront of that influence cycle," NFHS Executive Director Bob Kanaby said. "The Ambassadors Cross-Age Mentoring Program will provide the proper training and preparation that will empower students to offer effective and positive messages to others at all levels."

Blake Ress, commissioner of the IHSAA, agreed. "Currently, IHSAA member schools are emphasizing sportsmanship and attempting to educate their athletes on the importance of being a role model," Ress said. "The Ambassadors Cross-Age Mentoring program appears to be a natural, complimentary concept. It has the potential to not only enhance the efforts of school administrators at the high school level, but to also sow the seeds of responsibility with students that have not yet reached high school."


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