(Peru, Neb.) – The Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) announced on Tuesday that the Peru State athletic program had been voted as the HAAC Sportsmanship Award winner for the 2012-13 academic year.
 
HAAC conference commissioner Larry Lady announced the recognition at the HAAC Board of Governors meeting held on Tuesday in Olathe, Kan.   Lady shared the HAAC's Statement of Commitment to Sportsmanship which notes “Member institutions of the Heart of America Athletic Conference value and enjoy the athletic competition that brings us together as a conference. Good sportsmanship is at the soul of fair athletic competition. Good sportsmanship is expected of players, coaches and fans both on and off the playing court or field. It is incumbent upon each of our Member Institutions to insure that good sportsmanship is an integral part of our athletic programs. Good sportsmanship is not a goal but an expectation.”                                
 
Lady also shared how the HAAC determines the annual winner.    The HAAC guidelines state, “To encourage and reward good sportsmanship, the HAAC has established The HAAC Good Sportsmanship Trophy to be awarded annually to that institution that demonstrates good sportsmanship at the highest level in its athletic programs. The award winner will be determined by a vote of the Athletic Directors and the Commissioner at the spring meeting of the HAAC Board of Governors.”
 
Peru State athletic director Steve Schneider was pleased with the honor.  Schneider said, “As a department, we have set goals and standards for our programs.  In addition, each athletic program and their coaching staff work with their respective programs to make sure the student-athletes understand how we, as an institution, expect them to maintain themselves before, during, and after competition.”
 
Schneider also noted the student-athletes have a big role in this as well.  He added, “This year the NAIA added a component to its Champions of Character program entitled “Live 5” which helps teach student-athletes how to apply the five core values of the initiative to everyday life both on and off the field.  During our Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) meetings, the Live 5 program was explained by our Champions of Character liaison.  The leaders from each team were charged with sharing the information with their teammates and were asked to record their team's plan on how to Live 5.  One of the core values was sportsmanship and each team was asked to identify how they would model and reinforce sportsmanship in their respective programs.”
 
Lance Steffen, a senior-to-be football representative on SAAC from Murdock, noted he and his fellow football SAAC representative Zach Lempka, another senior-to-be from Sterling, discussed the Live 5 following the SAAC meetings.  Steffen said, “Zach and I felt the best way to handle this with our team was to share the information by posting the posters in the field house.  Plus, our coaching staff makes sure to note their expectations of the team when we are on the field of competition.”
 
Golf coach Brett Hahn and SAAC representative Courtney Musgrave (Omaha) met with the Bobcat golfers.   The golfers noted on the Live 5 poster under sportsmanship that they would “follow the HAAC and NAIA rules and treat all of the teams, fans, and officials with respect.”
 
Throughout the course of the year Schneider has heard from fans, officials, and visiting teams that Peru State was very accommodating and fan friendly.  Schneider contributes this to the department's game management staff and the work they do to work with all of those involved.    Announcements about sportsmanship are read prior to each game and an additional message is part of the game announcements which are shared throughout each respective game.
 
In conclusion, Schneider stated, “It is always an honor to be selected for this type of an award, especially when it is a vote of your peers.  Obviously, they have witnessed how Peru State athletics represents us on the road and at home.”