By Staff
from staff reports
Thirty-five high school members of the Alabama High School Athletic Association are being recognized this week at All-Star Sports Week for the second straight year for receiving no fines or ejections the entire school year.
Among the repeaters is Leeds High School, the Class 3A state football and boys basketball champs in 2008-09. The Green Wave program was recently named by Sports Illustrated as overall athletic program in Alabama.
Boaz is among the total of 103 AHSAA member high schools to be recognized at the second annual Sportsmanship Banquet at noon Wednesday at the Von Braun Center. All 103 are being recognized for completing the 2008-09 school year with no fines and ejections, an increase of 10 percent over last year’s 92 schools.
All 103 will receive banners to display in their schools. The Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association (AHSADCA) hosts the banquet and Learning Through Sports is the sponsor. Learning Through Sports developed the STAR Sportsmanship program which is a mandatory eligibility requirement for a student-athlete to compete in AHSAA sports competition.
In the last 15 months, more than 140,000 students in grades 7 through 12 have successfully completed the program and another 4,600 high school and junior high coaches have completed the STAR coaches’ component. During the upcoming school year, game officials will be required to complete the STAR program.
The STAR program also developed a Take Two behavioral program for students who are ejected from contests for the first time. Last school year, 582 students took the Take Two program, which reduced the school fine from $300 to $100. None of these students were repeat offenders.
Boaz High School was also a repeater. Principal Lowell Smith said it has been the result of a student body and coaching staff that have bought into the idea that good sportsmanship is essential and contagious.
Among the 35 schools receiving banners two years in a row are Clay County and Lineville, the only two high schools in Clay County, and T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal, the two rivals located in Brewton and East Brewton.
Brantley, which won the 1A state baseball title, is also receiving a banner for second year as well as R.C. Hatch, the 2008 boys 2A state basketball champs and 2009 runner-up.
Of the 103 schools with no fines or ejections, District 6 had the most (19) and Class 1A totaled more than any other classification (34).
Frisco City, a Class 1A Monroe County school that was closed following the 2008-09 school year, is a recipient. Its students will merge into other Monroe County schools.
AHSAA schools without fines in the 2008-2009 athletic season are:
*-Indicates schools earning the distinction for the second straight year
District 1
Alma Bryant (6A); Bayside Academy (3A); Daphne (6A); Frisco City (1A), school was closed at end of school year; Gulf Shores (5A)*; Mary G. Montgomery (6A); McIntosh (1A); T.R. Miller (3A)*; Mobile Christian (2A)*; W.S. Neal (4A)*; B.C. Rain (4A)*; J.F. Shields (1A); Southern Choctaw (2A)*.
District 2
Brantley (1A)*; Daleville (3A); Elba (2A); Florala (1A); Highland Home (2A)*; Kinston (1A)*; G.W. Long (2A); Opp (4A); Pleasant Home (1A); Rehobeth (5A).
District 3
Billingsley (1A); Calhoun (3A)*; Chilton County (5A); Dallas County (4A); Francis Marion (2A)*, Greene County (3A); R.C. Hatch (2A)*; A.L. Johnson (1A)*; Linden (1A)*, Maplesville (1A); Sunshine (1A); Trinity Presbyterian (3A); Booker T. Washington Magnet, Montgomery      (4A).
District 4
Beulah (3A); Dadeville (3A)*; Edward Bell (1A)*; LaFayette (3A); Loachapoka (1A); Notasulga (1A).
District 5
Carbon Hill (3A); Indian Springs (3A); Jess Lanier (6A); Leeds (3A)*; Northside (3A)*, Oakman (2A); Parrish (1A); Pinson Valley (6A); Pleasant Grove (5A); Shelby County (5A); Wenonah (5A); Westminster School at Oak Mountain (1A).
District 6
Alabama School for the Blind (1A)*; Alabama School for the Deaf  (1A); Anniston (4A);
Ashville (4A)*; Clay County (2A)*; Cleburne County (4A); Coosa Christian (1A); Donoho (1A)*; Faith Christian (1A); Fayetteville (1A); Gaston (1A); Hokes Bluff (1A)*; Lineville (1A)*; Oxford (6A); Randolph County (2A); Sacred Heart Catholic (1A)*; Saks (4A); Wadley (1A)*; Westbrook Christian (2A); White Plains (3A).
District 7
Addison (2A); Colbert Heights (3A); Covenant Christian (1A)*; East Lawrence (4A)*; Gordo (3A); Hubbertville (1A); Mars Hill Bible (2A)*; Phil Campbell (2A); South Lamar (1A)*; Vina (1A)*; Waterloo (1A); Winfield (3A)*; Winston County (2A).
District 8
Asbury (1A); Athens Bible (1A)*; Athens (5A)*; Boaz (5A)*; Bob Jones (6A); Cleveland (2A); Crossville (3A); Geraldine (2A); R.A. Hubbard (1A)*; North Sand Mountain (2A);
Oneonta (4A); Pisgah (3A); Randolph (3A).