"Pursuing Victory With Honor"
The love of sports is deeply embedded in our national consciousness. The values of millions of
participants and spectators are directly and dramatically influenced by the values conveyed by
organized sports. Thus, sports are a major social force that shapes the quality and character of
the American Culture.
This was the conviction of nearly 50 influential leaders in sports, who convened at a summit
conference held in Scottsdale, Arizona on May 25, 1999. The Arizona Sports Summit Accord was
issued to encourage greater emphasis on the ethical and character-building aspects of athletic
competition regardless of age or competition level. The Josephson Institute and the United States
Olympic Committee, Coaching Division, sponsored the summit - "Pursuing Victory With Honor."
The CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute, is a partnership of nearly
400 national and regional organizations and local school districts. It was established in 1993 to
raise awareness of the need to teach and model core values that are acceptable to liberals and
conservatives as well as to secular and faith-based communities. Its initial spokespersons were
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and actor/producer Tom Selleck. These core values, known as the Six
Pillars of Character are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
With many success stories in schools and youth-service organizations across the country, CHARACTER
COUNTS! has grown rapidly and has been adopted as a values-education framework for entire communities,
cities and counties. National Coalition members include the National Association of State School
Boards, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the American Federation of
Teachers, the National Education Association, YMCA, 4-H, Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers and Big
Sisters of America, American Youth Soccer League and Little League.
In the belief that the impact of sports can and should enhance the character and uplift the ethics of
the nation, Character Counts! seeks to establish a framework of principles and a common language of
values that can be adopted and practiced widely.
SportsCombine.com shares these same principles and pledges support to this effort. We are in the
process of developing ways that we can showcase those student-athletes who have exemplified the
principles of good sportsmanship and the 6 pillars of character. Watch for our "SportsCombine
Character All Stars" to be introduced in coming months.
Just as every coach teaches tactics, skills and conditioning on the field of play, so should we
teach the importance of strong character helping to turn the tide of negative behavior.
What is Character Counts! and how can
you become part of the team?
CHARACTER COUNTS! is a nationwide nonprofit initiative to support nonpartisan, nonsectarian character
education. In 1992 the nonprofit and nonpartisan Josephson Institute of Ethics released a report based
on a survey of almost 9,000 people, most of who were in high school and college. The findings were
disconcerting: cheating, lying, stealing, and drunken driving were commonplace.
Later that year, the Institute convened in Aspen, Colorado, a conference of educators, ethicists and
nonprofit leaders. Their task: to share ideas about character development and to investigate ways of
working together. Chief among these ways was developing consensus on the ethical values that could be
taught at home, in the classroom and at the office without offending political, racial, religious,
gender, or socioeconomic sensibilities. This is what they came up with in the Aspen Declaration of
Education: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, justice & fairness, caring and civic virtue &
citizenship. In a simplified form these came to be known as the Six Pillars of Character.
To advance the goals of the Aspen Summit Conference on Character Education, the Institute organized
the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition in 1993. Members of the coalition, a national, diverse partnership
of schools, communities, education and human-service organizations, are committed to using the Six
Pillars of Character in their individual and joint programs. The hope is that by using a consistent
language with kids, the lessons of good character will be reinforced and better understood.
What exactly do these six pillars mean?
TRUSTWORTHINESS:
Be honest * Don't deceive, cheat or steal * Be reliable - do what you say you'll do *
Have the courage to do the right thing * Build a good reputation * Be loyal - stand by your family,
friends and country
RESPECT:
Treat others with respect; follow the Golden rule * Be tolerant of differences * Use good manners, not
bad language * Be considerate of the feelings of others * Don't threaten, hit or hurt anyone * Deal
peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements.
RESPONSIBILITY:
Do what you are supposed to do * Persevere: keep on trying! * Always do your best * Use self-control *
Be self-disciplined * Think before you act - consider the consequences * Be accountable for your
choices.
FAIRNESS:
Play by the rules * Take turns and share * Be open-minded; listen to others * Don't take advantage of others
* Don't blame others carelessly
CARING:
Be kind* Be compassionate and show you care * Express gratitude * Forgive others * Help people in need
CITIZENSHIP:
Do your share to make your school and community better * Cooperate * Stay informed * vote * Be a good
neighbor * Obey laws and rules * Respect authority * Protect the environment
The coalition strives to build consensus that there are values that clearly define us at our best, however
diverse our views and backgrounds. If character education is to be effective, diverse groups must work
together, society-wide. A standard vocabulary is important because language is the "currency of
communication" according to Josephson. And as with any instruction, effective character education and
support benefits from consistency and repetition, from the family room to the school room to the locker room.
The entire SportsCombine.com team shares these same principles and pledges our support to this effort by
fortifying the lives of America's young people with these ethical values, which transcend divisions of race,
creed, politics, gender and wealth as described in the Six Pillars of Character. Watch for our
SportsCombine.com Character Site, featuring articles, recognition of individuals demonstrating the Six
Pillars, and featuring the SportsCombine.com Character All-Stars.
