Edited: March 1, 2005
OHIO WESLEYAN'S INGLES NAMED 2005 SPORTS ETHICS FELLOW
KINGSTON, Rhode Island -- Roger Ingles, interim Athletics Director and head baseball coach at Ohio Wesleyan University, has been named a 2005 Sports Ethics Fellow by the Institute for International Sport. The Institute's list of Sports Ethics Fellows for 2005 is being called “A Celebration of Division III,” and recognizes 12 individuals who consistently demonstrate an interest in promoting the ideals of ethics and fair play in sport and society.
As a representative of Ohio Wesleyan over the past 21 years, Ingles has demonstrated his commitment to the highest values of ethical behavior and fair play. As Ohio Wesleyan's head baseball coach for 21 years, assistant athletic director for 10 years and its current interim director of athletics, Ingles is known for making fair and equitable decisions within the North Coast Athletic Conference even if it is not in the best interest of his team or university.
He also has established himself as one of the top collegiate baseball coaches, boasting a 597-261-7 record (.694) over the last 19 seasons. During that span, 15 of his teams have appeared in the NCAA Division III Championships and his teams have captured eight NCAC titles. As head coach, his teams consistently demonstrate the values of fair play and sporting behavior.
"Roger has personified the fine attributes of a Sports Ethics Fellow throughout his career as a coach and administrator," said Chuck Mitrano, commissioner of the Empire 8 Athletic Conference and chair of the 2005 Sports Ethics Fellows selection committee. "At times, coaches may sacrifice their integrity to gain a competitive advantage, but Roger has risen to the top of his craft with honor."
"I am extremely honored by this award, and it's great to follow in the footsteps of some people in the NCAC such as Lynn Schweizer of Denison University, Jill Butcher of Earlham College and Suzanne Helfant of Kenyon College," Ingles said. "This honors the principle that coach Dick Meyer and I started out with 21 years ago -- to do things with class and
integrity -- and it's nice to be recognized for that."
"Roger Ingles has set a high standard for sportsmanship and ethical behavior in his outstanding 21 years of service to Ohio Wesleyan University and the North Coast Athletic Conference," said Dennis Collins, executive director of the NCAC. "Whether leading students by example as a nationally-recognized baseball coach, or helping to solve administrative problems at Ohio Wesleyan and within our conference, Roger has always been a person we can count on to provide the ethical and sporting leadership we need. I join with the many colleagues of Roger who nominated him for this fine and deserving honor, which recognizes his commitment to fair and ethical values and the courage he has displayed in advancing those values."
“Having spoken at more than 50 Division III institutions across the country, I am deeply impressed with the clear commitment to sportsmanship at the Division III level,” said Dan Doyle, executive director of the Institute for International Sport. “Our 2005 Sports Ethics Fellows reflect this admirable commitment.”
This year’s Celebration of Division III Sports Ethics Fellows includes coaches, commissioners, professors and college administrators from institutions nationwide. Ingles is honored along with Bill Beaney, Head Men’s Hockey and Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach at Middlebury College (VT); Rico Cabral, Associate Director of Athletics and Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Mount Ida College (MA); Tim Gleason, Commissioner of the Ohio Athletic Conference; Dr. Todd S. Hutton, President of Utica College (NY) and the Empire 8 Athletic Conference; Dr. Gary Karner, Commissioner of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference; Donna Ledwin, Commissioner of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference; Dr. Leon Lunder, Director of Athletics at Carleton College (MN); Dr. Glada C. Munt, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Athletics at Southwestern University (TX); Jim Nelson, Director of Athletics at Suffolk University (MA); Dr. Sandra Slabik, Sports Management Professor at Neumann College (PA) and Chair of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Faculty Athletic Representatives; and Marge Willadsen, Head Softball Coach, Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women’s Administrator at Buena Vista University (IA).
The 12 Sports Ethics Fellows were selected from nominations submitted by their colleagues for their work as sports educators. They join past Sports Ethics Fellows such as four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon, world renowned cyclist Lance Armstrong, soccer stars Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly, basketball All Star David Robinson and Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair. As chair of the program, Mitrano directed the Selection Committee as they winnowed dozens of nominations down to the final 12 Fellows.
“As the largest division in the NCAA, Division III features an extraordinary amount of proactive and ethical leaders. These honorees exemplify the best characteristics of sporting and ethical behavior and have been strong advocates in an effort to improve the sporting culture,” said Mitrano. “They are fine representatives of this year’s Sports Ethics Fellows program, ‘A Celebration of Division III.’”
Sports Ethics Fellows are asked to help promote the ideals of National Sportsmanship Day by writing editorials for newspapers, magazines and the Internet, by doing public service announcements on sportsmanship, by making appearances at schools or community groups and by assisting the Institute in formulating future programs for the Day.
Sports Ethics Fellows are selected in conjunction with the National Sportsmanship Day program celebrated annually on the first Tuesday of March. As part of the fifteenth annual event more than 13,000 elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as colleges and universities from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries, will celebrate the importance of ethics, honesty, peaceful conflict resolution and fair play in athletics and society. The Day will foster active discussions involving over five million students, coaches, administrators and parents on the issue of sportsmanship.
Russell Hogg, chairman of the Board of the Trustees of the Institute for International Sport said, “This has become the biggest sportsmanship initiative in the world, and its success confirms what the power of an idea can achieve.”
National Sportsmanship Day was conceived to raise awareness about issues related to sportsmanship and ethics in athletics and daily life, as well as to stimulate meaningful dialogue among school administrators, coaches, teachers and students. A new feature for 2005, “Team Sportsmanship,” will involve a number of high school and college “sportsmanship teams” visiting elementary and middle schools on National Sportsmanship Day to discuss sportsmanship principles. One of the highlights of National Sportsmanship Day is the USA Today Sportsmanship Essay Contest. Winning essays will be printed in USA Today. To learn more about each of the 2005 Sports Ethics Fellows, visit the National Sportsmanship Day website and click on the Sports Ethics Fellows icon in the navigation bar.
The Institute for International Sport was founded by Dan Doyle in 1986. Located in Kingston, Rhode Island, on the campus of the University of Rhode Island, the Institute administers more than 10 international programs that reach over 160 countries on six continents. Currently, National Sportsmanship Day, the Center for Sports Parenting, the World Leadership Summit and the Scholar-Athlete Games are the main projects the Institute has developed to help spread the message of using athletics and art as tools to promote goodwill among future world leaders. To learn more about all of the Institute’s programs, visit its website.
