Zane State Hosts MVL Sportsmanship Program

November 19, 2019

Site Staff,

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Area student athletes from 14 different school
districts gathered at Zane State College today to discuss the
importance of sportsmanship and leadership. Over 80 students attended
the Athletic Leadership/Sportsmanship Program, where they mingled
with students they had never met who attend different school
districts.

Melita Davis,
Coshocton High School Ambassador, says the program has been
beneficial.

“I think its a
really great program; I think it’s a really good opportunity for
students from all different schools—we haven’t met—to come
together and talk about our experiences in leadership and
sportsmanship. I think that’s something we all have in common too.
Even though we haven’t known each other before this, we can all
bond over that.”

Scott Welker, MVL
Commissioner, says schools from the Muskingum Valley League—as well
as Zanesville and Rosecrans—were represented at the event, which
has been taking place for a number of years.

“We had a
vision—probably about 8 or 9 years ago—from a guy named Terry
Olinger, who is all near and dear to our hearts. He started this; he
was the athletic director at Philo High School and found the need
that we needed in our community where we could enhance the
sportsmanship and leadership throughout all of our students.”

Troy Hindel, with
Zemba Brothers, says the company served as a sponsor for the program
and have worked with the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office to
introduce Challenge Coins to member schools.

“The coins are a
way for the students to exemplify their leadership skills. If they
see something on the basketball court or on the football field or on
the band field or wherever it is in their school districts; someone
goes above and beyond a leadership trait of some kind. So they can
share their coins with their students and they can continue to pass
them around as the school year goes on.”

Students led
discussions regarding sportsmanship and leadership and took part in
activities designed to encourage friendship among member schools.