SIX PILLARS OF CHARACTER

December 2000

The Character Counts Coalition believes character is comprised of six core ethical values. Those core ethical values are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. All of us can teach, enforce, advocate and model these six core ethical values by doing the following:

Trustworthiness

• Always pursue victory with honor

• Demonstrate and demand integrity at all times

• Observe and enforce the letter and spirit of the rules

• Don't engage in, or tolerate, dishonesty, cheating or dishonorable conduct

• Don't compromise character for the sake of winning

Respect

• Treat participants, officials, and the traditions of the sport with respect

• Don't engage in, or tolerate, verbal abuse of opponents or officials

• Win with grace and lose with dignity

• Treat members of visiting teams as guests, not adversaries

Responsibility

• Be a positive role model at all times

• Be as committed to performing your best in the classroom as in athletics

Fairness

• Treat everyone fairly

• Be open-minded

• Never take unfair advantage of others

Caring

• Place the educational, emotional, physical and moral well-being of everyone above winning

Citizenship/Sportsmanship

• Promote sportsmanship by honoring the rules and goals of the sport

• Establish codes of conduct for coaches, contestants and spectators

• Discourage the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs

• Safeguard the integrity of sports by complying with all laws and rules related to sports gambling

Remember, in athletics, as in life, CHARACTER COUNTS!  Excerpts taken from CHARACTER COUNTS!, a project of the Josephson Institute for Ethics.