Schools earn state honors

By By staff, Hartselle Enquirer
Thirty-five high school members of the Alabama High School Athletic Association are being recognized this week at All-Star Sports Week for the second straight year for receiving no fines or ejections the entire school year.
Among the repeaters is Leeds High School, the Class 3A state football and boys basketball champs in 2008-09. The Green Wave program was recently named by Sports Illustrated as overall best athletic program in Alabama.
Boaz is among the total of 103 AHSAA member high schools to be recognized at the second annual Sportsmanship Banquet Wednesday at the Von Braun Center.
All 103 of the schools are being recognized for completing the 2008-09 school year with no fines and ejections, an increase of 10 percent over last year’s 92 schools.
All 103 member schools will receive banners to display in their schools.
The Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association (AHSADCA) hosts the banquet and Learning Through Sports is the sponsor.
Learning Through Sports developed the STAR Sportsmanship program which is a mandatory eligibility requirement for a student-athlete to compete in AHSAA sports competition.
In the last 15 months, more than 140,000 students in grades 7 through 12 have successfully completed the program and another 4,600 high school and junior high coaches have completed the STAR coaches’ component.
During the upcoming school year, game officials will be required to complete the STAR program.
The STAR program also developed a Take Two behavioral program for students who are ejected from contests for the first time.
Last school year, 582 students took the Take Two program, which reduced the school fine from $300 to $100.