NEW ORLEANS---When it comes to sportsmanship, coaches and student-athletes should serve as role models for fans, who represent the greatest sportsmanship concern, according to an NCAA Sportsmanship Survey.

The survey results were released during the NCAA Sportsmanship Summit, held in conjunction with the NACDA Convention in New Orleans.  Representatives from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and junior and community colleges attended the summit.

Participants in the survey included 1,053 Division I institutions (65 percent); 177 Division II institutions (11 percent) and 369 Division III institutions (23 percent).  “The committee will re-release the survey to DII and DIII schools, in hopes of gaining better representation from those schools,”  Ron Stratten, vice president for education services, said.

Fans represented the group that raises the greatest sportsmanship concern, said 40 percent of respondents.  Fans were followed by all groups, 25 percent; student-athletes as participants, 15.6 percent; student-athletes as fans, 11.5 percent; coaches, 6.4 percent and no answer, 1.6 percent.

“Sportsmanship is a never-ending class and you register for it every time a new season begins,” said Vince Dooley, NACDA past president and former head football coach and athletic director at the University of Georgia, who moderated the event. “We never want to dilute pride and school spirit, but there is virtue in self-control. I like to use the golden rule – it’s really the golden rule of sportsmanship as well – Do upon others as you would have them do upon you.”

Calvin Hill, former NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys, told the group in his keynote address, “You have to care about sportsmanship.  You all are the trustees of the values and integrity of your schools … There is a cry for decency; There is a cry for civility … We have the opportunity to take back the game.”

Positive behaviors respondents look for in student-athletes include sportsmanship, 32.6 percent; respect, 22.6 percent; and values (for example honest, humble, accountable, positive, classy), 14.8 percent. Positive behaviors respondents look for in coaches include sportsmanship, 26.8 percent; good quality coaching, 22.8 percent and respect (for own players and opponents), 16.7 percent. Positive behaviors respondents look for from fans include sportsmanship, 23.8 percent; cheer positively, 17.5 percent; and respect, 17.3 percent.

“When we talk to people about what they’re seeing, many of them see a lot of mean-spirited cheering against the other team,” Stratten said. “We want fans to cheer for their own team, but not cheer against the opposing team.”

When asked “What can be done to make the visiting team’s visit more positive?” 33.7 percent of respondents said being welcoming and a good host was most important; 17.1 percent said fan behavior and control; 12.8 percent said sportsmanship; and 11.7 percent said having clean, adequate facilities.

Stratten said a tool kit is currently being developed for schools to use as a measurement of how their campus is doing when hosting events. The tool kit is planned to be sent to schools by mid August.

When asked if student-athletes and coaches should be held to a higher standard, 77.4 percent answered yes. And 44.8 percent said fans should not be allowed to rush the field or floor. Nearly 46 percent said their campus uses security and staffing to discourage fans from rushing the field or floor; 19.8 percent said they do nothing and it’s not a problem; and 16.6 percent said they rely on announcements and education to keep fans from rushing the field or floor.

When it comes to who should set the expectations for good sportsmanship, the answers were not as clear. “Maybe that’s the problem, we don’t know who’s in charge,” Stratten said. About 27 percent said it is the athletics director’s responsibility; 19.5 percent didn’t have an answer; 14.9 percent said responsibility lies with someone other than the athletics director, coaching staff or president; 13.3 percent said coaching staff and 11.8 percent said the university president.

With that information, Stratten said, the committee would develop best practices on pre-game, during-game and post-game sportsmanship and would share it with the membership through its soon-to-be-updated website. It should be noted that a post-game celebration meeting was held in April of this year and meeting recommendations will be shared with the executive committee at its next meeting in August. It is hoped that the recommendations will be supported by the presidents and forwarded to each division I, II, III institution.