West Laurens named region winner of Georgia EMC-sponsored sportsmanship award

If you attend local sporting events with any regularity, you’re likely used to hearing the Georgia High School Association’s sportsmanship statement read by public address announcers before the start of competition. 

In fact, avid attendees can probably recite it by heart from hearing the script week after week, season after season. 

But in addition to proclaiming those ideals at games, the GHSA also takes steps to recognize member schools who best represent them each year. 

West Laurens High School is one of 64 statewide being honored for their noticeable emphasis on sportsmanship with the Georgia EMC Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award. 

The distinction, extended to one school per region each academic year, highlights athletic programs – together with their communities – whose student-athletes, coaches, administrators and spectators best display the respect, fairness, honesty and responsibility that the state association holds among its core values. 

The award was presented to school and district administrators Monday at the start of a special event kicking off the Raiders’ homecoming festivities at the SHU. 

WLHS principal Lyn Long extended as much credit to fans and the community who fill the stands and make athletes’ playing experience so fulfilling, as those affiliated with the school itself who played a part. 

“One of my goals was to make sure that the community was invited in, and make sure that they knew that we wanted their support,” Long said. “This truly lets you know, like, we did it. The kids, they recognize it, they eat it up. And so when it feeds our kids, it feeds us. I’m so thankful.” 

West Laurens has received the award a number of times in the past, most recently during the 2023-24 academic year. Neighboring East Laurens has been recognized as well, at least twice in recent memory. 

Winners are selected by consensus of each region’s athletic directors, with the help of a scoring system that evaluates not only the conduct of administrators, coaches, athletes, cheerleaders and fans, but also the ways that schools stress the importance of good sportsmanship to all of the above. 

Unsportsmanlike conduct violations by coaches or athletes carry heavy weight, and schools with three or more ejections in a given school year are disqualified from consideration. But it goes much further than simply rewarding schools with a track record of avoiding unacceptable behavior. 

The award criteria also take into account simple, but notable details like the involvement of administrators at regular events and region tournaments/meetings, hospitality by host schools, visitors’ respect for opposing facilities and the general positivity and “class” displayed by anyone representing a given institution at events. 

“It not only deals with the schools and sports and their athletes, but it also deals with the parents and the interactions and the community really, as a whole, teachers, administrators,” said Oconee EMC Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Bryant, who was on hand to take part in Monday’s recognition. “The fact that West Laurens has won this this year speaks very highly of West Laurens, its teachers, administrators, school, student-athletes, just all that we already know them to be, so the state can also see that.” 

Football Fridays in Georgia anchor Jon Nelson also joined in the presentation, which was filmed by a GPB Sports crew to be included in a feature that will air in a rotation with those highlighting other recipient schools during its high school football programming later this fall. 

The occasion was part of a special homecoming pep rally leading up to the school’s annual powder puff football game. 

Long, inspired by her own desire as a parent to be there to be able to make special memories with her kids, tried something new last year by reimagining the event – one that would normally take place during or just after school hours – and moving it to the evening in order to invite families and other supporters to take part. 

“Some parents were having to get off work, and some people couldn’t,” Long said. “We moved it to nighttime, so now, they can. this is as many people almost as you would see on a Friday night, so that speaks volumes to the support that these kids and our school has.” 

Activities leading up to the actual game, pitting the juniors against seniors and a crew of coach-officials suspected to be in the pocket of the upperclassmen, included presentations of four class dances, introductions of the homecoming court and performances by the Raider Brigade and cheerleaders. 

That mission of getting the community involved in the experience of students and athletes, beyond just game day, has turned this – and events like a similar football pep rally held during last year’s state playoffs – into new traditions. 

“I tell these kids all the time, enjoy high school, because it doesn’t last long, and then you’re paying bills for the rest of your life,” Long said. “I want them to enjoy these milestone moments.” 

Those bonds between the school, its sports teams and the larger community go a long way toward creating the positive environment and atmosphere the award seeks to celebrate, and hold up as an example.

“As a mom, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that,” said Bryant, whose oldest son is a West Laurens graduate and youngest is a current junior. “To see how both my boys come home talking about the staff and the administrators and how much they love and care for them, it just means the world.”