Tom Farrey To Emcee May 1 Award Dinner Honoring Jim Thompson and Positive Coaching Alliance
SANTA, CLARA, Calif., April 17, 2013— Emmy Award-winning sports journalist, Tom Farrey, will be the master of ceremonies at a May 1 event honoring the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and its founder and CEO, Jim Thompson. The occasion is Santa Clara University's Institute of Sports Law and Ethics (ISLE) presentation of its inaugural ETHOS award for contributions to the ethics of sports.
PCA is a national non-profit organization based in Mountain View, Calif., with the mission to transform the culture of youth and high school sports to develop "Better Athletes, Better People."
At the event, which is sold out but open to interested media, Thompson will discuss the need for institutions such as school or youth sports organizations, to establish and uphold ethical standards, rather than relying on individual coaches or athletes to do so. “Too many institutions don’t spell out what they expect of their coaches athletes, and in that vacuum we wind up with problems such as the abusive behavior seen in the video of former Rutgers University basketball coach Mike Rice,” said Thompson.
Farrey is an ESPN reporter and director of the Aspen Institute's Sports & Society Program, which convenes leaders and speakers on topics such as Title IX, youth football safety and amateurism. He is the author of Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children.
"I am delighted to emcee the event honoring Jim Thompson, because he is the person who originally got me thinking about using my energies to explore the culture and structure of youth sports,” said Farrey, who credits Thompson with setting him on the path to write Game On.
About the Institute of Sports Law and Ethics
The Institute of Sports Law and Ethics was founded by the Santa Clara University School of Law, SCU Athletic Department, and the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Its 25-member board includes distinguished athletes and sports executives. The institute's signature event is an annual Symposium on Sports Law and Ethics in September, covering subjects such as concussions, steroids, amateurism, and the commercial use of athletes' images. In 2012 ISLE added a community outreach component, established the ETHOS Award, and created a task force to study amateurism. For more information see law.scu.edu/sportslaw.
Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Relations | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121