Emporia State commits to positive game environment efforts

Dr. Michael Lane, president of Emporia State University, has joined fellow Division II presidents and chancellors by signing a pledge to strive to provide a positive game environment at all athletic events hosted by ESU. Division II leadership plans to have pledge signatures from presidents and chancellors from all 302 member schools by the end of the year.

The pledge is part of a Division II-wide effort to offer student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans the best game environment possible. The pledge affirms that athletic events should reflect the values of higher education and the mission of each institution. It also affirms that presidents and chancellors are concerned about any uncivil behavior that may occur at athletic contests and will work together to make respectful events the standard of Division II.

“I am excited to be joining my colleagues in a united effort toward such an important cause,” said Lane. “Positive game environment is something to be taken seriously and this initiative will help our campus continue to provide an encouraging and exciting competitive atmosphere for the entire community. We have already implemented several components to our home events to achieve these goals.”

Beginning this fall, ESU has incorporated a recorded message from various Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members detailing the importance of a positive game environment. Corky's Crew is an organization designed to get youth involved in Hornet Athletics and help foster a family friendly environment at Hornet games. The E-Zone is a group of Emporia State students, led by the ESU Ambassadors, dedicated to promoting a positive game environment.

"With over 100,000 fans attending our home athletic events each year, we have some of the best support in the nation," said Lane. "Our goal is that those attending athletic events at any of our fine venues will be able to have an enjoyable experience, regardless of the outcome."

The ESU women's basketball and softball teams were each second in the nation in attendance last season to lead six Hornet teams that ranked in the top 35 nationally in average attendance.

The goal of Division II’s national game environment initiative is designed to engage the institution’s community to promote a positive game atmosphere. Game environment is more than just sportsmanship; it addresses anything from student-athlete, coach and fan behavior, to pep bands, to healthy concessions and clean venues. The initiative calls for the need for sportsmanship from players and coaches on courts and fields of play and also strives to ensure a family-friendly and lively game atmosphere.

“Our member institutions have embraced community engagement on their individual campuses, and a focus on game environment is a natural next step,” said Mike Racy, vice president of Division II. “We must provide a civil, comfortable, entertaining experience that is in line with the overall higher education experience to ensure that those fans who were welcomed on campuses through community engagement will want to return.”

The Division II membership has also created a game environment website, www.diicommunity.org/gameenvironment, which offers a number of resources, video versions of “teachable moments,” and a shared-ideas component for best practices among campuses for creating more civil, comfortable and entertaining experiences.

Last Updated October 6, 2008>