STUDENTS AWARDED �FANTASY CRUISE� FOR SPORTSMANSHIP

BOSTON, Mass. - Peter Roby, director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society, the 48 winners of New Balance Kids� Sportsmanship Awards contest, and their parents were invited on aboard �The Fantasy� cruise March 2-5, which took them to the Bahamas for the final awards ceremony. The trip culminated a year-long program focused on teaching sportsmanship to young athletes.

Both Sport in Society and New Balance are dedicated to educating society through athletics-oriented programs. Roby addressed the award winners and their parents on the importance of sportsmanship. In his address, Roby put the main ownership on coaches to teach and exemplify sportsmanship to athletes.

�A successful coach is someone whose goal is not only to help players become better athletes, but also to teach him or her life skills that will make them better citizens,� said Roby. He also told participants that self-respect fosters respect for each other and the sport.

New Balance began implementing the sportsmanship program in 2005. It was based on a specially constructed curriculum taught by physical education teachers to participants in over 150 school districts across the United States. Participants who completed the curriculum were introduced to child psychologist Dr. Darrell Burnett�s �Checklist for the 10 Habits of Good Sportsmanship.�

The Awards contest was based on Burnett�s �Checklist.� New Balance asked participants in the Sportsmanship Program to review the "Checklist" and think about their own sportsmanship habits. Participants then had a chance to enter the awards contest by submitting an essay which talked about what they think would make a good 11th habit. New Balance received more than 4,000 essays for the contest. Dr. Burnett also spoke on the cruise about the need for sportsmanship among the children.

About the Center for the Study of Sport in Society
The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University is one of the world�s leading social justice organizations that use sport to create social change both nationally and internationally. The flagship organization located in the heart of Boston, Mass. was founded in 1984 by Dr. Richard Lapchick and touts branches in Baltimore, Md. and Phoenix, Ariz. Through research, education, and advocacy the center promotes physical activity, health, violence prevention, and diversity among young people and college and professional athletes. Sport in Society�s innovative programs are all staffed by former college or professional athletes and have been awarded America�s most successful violence prevention program by Lou Harris, the Peter F. Ducker Award as the most innovative non-profit program in the social sector, and have been cited as the National Crime Prevention Council�s 50 Best Strategies to Prevent Violent Domestic Crimes. For more information please visit http://www.sportinsociety.org