The Missouri State High School Activities Association will once again sponsor Missouri’s only statewide Sportsmanship Summit when it welcomes more than 500 students, coaches, administrators, officials, parents and guests to the Holiday Inn Select in Columbia on Thursday, August 2.
The sixth-annual event will feature presentations, panel discussions and workshops for the attendees, more than half of whom are high school students. Keynote speakers Harvey Alston and Cameron Mills will address all delegates at the opening and closing general sessions, respectively.
Alston is a former high school teacher and coach, who later played a key role in the successful marketing operations of the Wendy’s Corporation with founder and former CEO Dave Thomas. He is now one of the nation’s most-requested speakers, and his memorable presentation entitled “Be the Best” will kick off the conference at 8:45 a.m.
Mills is a former basketball standout at the University of Kentucky where he helped the Wildcats to two NCAA titles in the 1990’s. He now travels the country talking with young people and sharing his stories of success and how to become a true champion. His presentation “Leadership Strategies and Stories” will close the event at the second general session at 12:45 p.m.
“This event has grown into one of the five largest high school sportsmanship events in the country, and it continues to attract state and national attention,” said Rick Kindhart who coordinates the Sportsmanship Summit for the MSHSAA. “We will have presenters and speakers from five different states at this year’s event, and attendees are always surprised at how much information we provide in a day’s time.”
The MSHSAA Sportsmanship Summit, which began in 2002, is a way for schools to obtain practical and current information on sportsmanship and leadership issues and strategies. The one-day conference is open to all parents, officials, students, coaches, school administrators and boosters at a cost of $25 per person. The registration fee includes two meal functions, all materials and two registration gifts.
Kindhart noted that the team approach to sportsmanship is critical so that everyone in the school community is on the same page.
“It is important that from the top down, everyone in education understands the importance that sportsmanship in athletics has in supporting the educational mission of schools,” Kindhart said. “If athletic programs don’t support the curriculum and the character education goals of a school, then the justification of sponsoring interscholastic programs gets clouded.
“Finding resources, ideas and strategies that work at the local level is often challenging, so I think that’s where the Sportsmanship Summit is making a difference. This event provides a platform for people of all backgrounds to listen to national experts, exchange ideas, network with their peers and discuss common issues. Every school is a little different, but everyone in attendance should be able to take some ideas with them that they can implement locally.”
In additional to numerous award-winning high school coaches and administrators, other presenters and panelists at the event include: Missouri State University head women’s basketball coach Nyla Milleson; NAIA Director of “Champions of Character” Initiatives Rob Miller; former NCAA All-Americans Kristin Folkl and Jackie Stiles; and national hazing expert Dr. Susan Lipkins. Kevin Lewis, weekend sports anchor at Columbia’s KMIZ-TV will serve as the master of ceremonies for the event.
The Summit is made possible, in part, through grants and donations by: Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Missouri, Missouri Cotton Exchange, Missouri State University, Kelly Press Incorporated, Dissinger Insurance Services, Cooperating School Districts – Character Plus, and the NFHS Foundation.
Anyone wishing to attend may still do so, as late registrations for both the general public and school representatives will be accepted at the door, beginning Thursday at 8 a.m. The event and all meal functions are free to members of the media.
