INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / December 10, 1991

 

 

College workshop teaches fair play

The Ben Johnson hangover lingers,
and with incidents of spearing, slash-
ing — and biting — being reviewed
in the National Hockey League al-
most weekly, Chris Johnson says it’s
high time kids had a different kind
of role model. Somebody like
Canadian sailor Larry Lemieux.

At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul,
Lemieux was poised to win a silver
medal until he stopped racing to
save a competitor who was
drowning.

“A medal was lost but a life was
saved,” says Johnson, of the
Douglas College Sports Institute.
“The International Olympic Commit-
tee voted to award Lemieux an
honourary silver medal, saying he
represented what was good, honest
and true about sport.”

Teaching the good, honest and
true to little leaguers and minor-age
players is the issue Johnson ex-
amines in a workshop called The
Fair Play Code - Implications for
Sport on Dec. 16 at Douglas Col-
lege. The workshop is designed for
parents, coaches, officials and ad-
ministrators. The Fair Play Code, a
blueprint for good sportsmanship,
was originated by a federal commis-
sion in 1979 but has seen renewed
interest since the Dubin Inquiry into
the Ben Johnson affair.

One lesson both kids and adults
must learn is not to always copy the
pros.

“In sport, different tactics and
styles are appropriate for certain

 

 

levels and ages,” Johnson says.
“Children don’t cheat or play dirty
at five or six unless they are taught
to do so.”

It is also important for parents to
join children when they watch
money-on-the-line televised sports.

“We have to differentiate be-
tween highly professional athletic
entertainment and community
sports,” says Johnson. “ when your
child watches sport on TV you
should watch it with them so you
can talk about the implications. You
can tell them ‘don’t forget, those
players are being paid a million dol-
lars a year to do that, but | don’t
want you doing that during a
game.”

During the workshop Johnson
will discuss ways to make
youngsters’ games more positive.
One idea is to add goals scored by
both teams in a game, so that the
final result is “six”, not 4-2. Also dis-
cussed will be ethics and tactics
such as forcing a basketball player
to foul out or abusing officials, ploys
which become lessons for young
players.

“| don’t think we are going to
change many 18-year-old players.
We have to begin with five-year-
olds and their parents, and
hopefully in 13 years we will have a
group of players who think
differently.”

The Fair Play Code is offered on
Dec. 16 at Douglas College. For
further information, call 527-5041.

|This is the last issue of INSIDE until January 1992.
The staff of the Public Information Office would like
to wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season.

 

Monfred continued from page 2

 

them so well, that Baxter is prepar-
ing to train him for more involved
duties dealing with cheque distribu-
tion.

“We have found that when
Dariush is given a responsibility, it
should be laid out in detail, in a step-
by-step manner. But once that is
done, he grasps it quickly,” says
Hamfelt. “Dariush gets his job done,
so we are adding to the things he
can do.”

Monfred has also gained
proficiency and confidence in his
social skills. He has challenged his
co-workers at company tourna-
ments — “golf is a nice game, but |
like bowling better” — and attended
other gatherings with his parents
and sister. In the office, Dariush en-
joys baffling co-workers by chatting
in Spanish with bilingual buddies.
He is also known as the guy most
likely to be smiling.

“He’s fun to work with,” says co-
worker Kathleen Duchek. “He likes
to laugh and joke but when busy he
works without stopping or playing
around.”

Asked how he enjoys working at
Baxter, Monfred replies:

“| like it here. The people are
very friendly and nice to me.”

And what was his favourite thing
about working?

“You get paid for it,” he smiles.
“That's why everyone is working.”

For more information about the
Consumer and Job Preparation
Program call 527-5171. @