Stony Brook varsity athletes and athletic administrators, with a special guest appearance by Wolfie himself, sponsored “Wolfie’s Sportsmanship Academy,” a free two-day event for community youngsters ages 5 to 13 at the Indoor Sports Complex.
Hosted by the Department of Athletics, the event featured videos, crafts, and presentations by several Seawolf athletes. “Our student-athletes recognize the powerful impact they can have as role models,” said Senior Associate Director of Athletics Donna Woodruff. “This was a great opportunity to counteract some of the demonstrations of bad behavior we see at sporting events every day, from youth leagues to the pros.”
Part-time baseball umpire and full-time Assistant Athletic Director Rob Emmerich gave the young athletes some insight about what it’s like to officiate a sporting event. “Umpires and referees try their best to get calls 100 percent right, 100 percent of the time,” Emmerich told his audience. “But they’re human, and humans sometimes make mistakes. But right or wrong, they should always be treated with respect.”
After the session, all the young participants were given certificates, got autographs from Seawolves star athletes, and had the opportunity to stay and cheer for our soccer team against Albany.
Wolfie’s Sportsmanship Academy is part of the America East S.T.A.R.S. Sportsmanship Initiative. S.T.A.R.S. (Student-Athletes Advancing Respect through Sports) was developed based on the underlying belief that good sportsmanship habits must be instilled in athletes at a young age.
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