Ohio Continues with Next Phase of InsideOut Initiative to Combat “Win-at-All Costs” Sports Mentality
Ohio is continuing this week with the next phase of the InsideOut Initiative, which is focused on transforming the culture of the high school “win-at-all-costs” mentality. The initiative, which has the support of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA), National Football League Foundation and other local and national organizations, takes a critical look at interscholastic athletics by encouraging a system that focuses on the development of the educational, social and emotional well-being of each student-athlete.
Discussion on the initiative will continue at one-day forums sponsored by the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Monday (Feb. 13) and the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on Tuesday (Feb. 14), where school teams comprised of a small group of coaches and administrators will be trained to create a school-specific implementation action plan to help reclaim the educational purpose of sports. Approximately 130 coaches and administrators representing 40 different high schools in Ohio are expected to attend the forum in Cleveland, while another 115 coaches and administrators representing 35 different high schools in the state and a few in Indiana and Kentucky have signed up to be part of the conference in Cincinnati.
In October, Ohio became one of the first states to launch this initiative, thanks to comprehensive funding from the National Football League Foundation. In the Columbus suburb of Dublin, the OHSAA, OIAAA and NFL Foundation hosted approximately 90 leaders in the educational and sports communities to discuss the initiative and plan for its implementation.