"Future leaders swarm URI for Scholar-Athlete Games"

Mike Szostak
The Providence Journal
June 26, 1999

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SOUTH KINGSTOWN - They are arriving today from every state and eight different countries.

They are coming to play baseball, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball and to swim and run track.

They are also coming to paint, sing, dance, play musical instruments, act and write.

They are 1,500 high-school students or 1999 graduates participating in the inaugural United States Scholar-Athlete Games at the University of Rhode Island, 300 of whom are from Rhode Island. For the next five days they will practice and perform, attend lectures and participate in panel sessions. They will discuss ethics and sportsmanship, community service and global responsibility in the 21st century.

"We feel we're bringing together kids with tremendous leadership potential," said Dan Doyle, executive director of the Institute for International Sport, which is conducting the event.

Each participant was nominated by his or her school. They submitted an application that included a brief essay, plus recommendations, and was reviewed a selection committee. All of the athletes had to be varsity players. Performing artists must have attained distinguished achievement.

Typical of the students are these Rhode Islanders:

* Kevin Barthelemy of Hope, a Scituate High School senior, honor student, three-year veteran of the R.I. Olympic Development Soccer Team and the Scituate High squad, and Corinne Barthelemy, Kevin's sister, a Scituate sophomore, honor student and dancer.

* Elspeth Beauchamp of Jamestown, a Moses Brown senior, soccer and track athlete and volunteer Spanish tutor. Her brother is participating in the Rhode Island Scholar-Athlete Games, and her father is a volunteer.

* Twin tennis and soccer players Casey and William Coppola, both Middletown High School seniors.

"I am very excited. I consider it such an honor to be part of the Games," said Jessica Lonergan, a senior at North Kingstown and a member of its state championship field hockey team.

"I love playing field hockey, and to be with people who love it as much as I do is such an honor," she added.

Lonergan is looking forward to meeting kids from other parts of the country and introducing them to Rhode Island. She expects the field hockey tournament to be competitive but won't be concerned if the intensity falls short of her team's drive to the state title last fall.

"It doesn't make a difference. I'm not there to compete," she said.

Lonergan is taking a break from her summer job at Newport Creamery in North Kingstown to participate in the Games.

Katie McElroy of Cumberland, a senior and basketball co-captain, is also excited.

"I think it will be a great opportunity to meet new people and play basketball with some competitive people," she said.

McElroy has participated in leadership and sportsmanship seminars at school but is "interested to see what the lectures and seminars are like. ... I've heard it more than once, but if they have a different way of presenting it or add a new twist, I'm still going to be interested."

Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for tomorrow night, but the first official event is tonight. Presidential candidate Bill Bradley, who will be inducted into the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame tomorrow, will join three-time Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer Peter Snell in addressing the students in Keaney Gym.

Practices, games and activities will begin tomorrow. The Opening Ceremonies at Meade Stadium (7 p.m. $15 adults, $5 children) will feature Roomful of Blues, The Drifters and fireworks.

Monday, Pete Carril, former Princeton basketball coach; Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation, and Snell will talk about what it means to be a scholar-athlete. Dan Beebe, commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference; Suzanne Coffey, director of athletics at Bates; Armen Keteyian, CBS Sports commentator, and Sandy Padwe, former dean of the Columbia School of Journalism, will follow with a discussion of ethics and sportsmanship.

Global responsibility is the theme for Tuesday and community service for Wednesday.

Guest coaches and officials will address athletes in their sport during the Games. Competition finals and artistic exhibitions and performances will be held Thursday.

Closing Ceremonies, featuring the band the The Push Cars, are set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Meade Stadium.

The United States Scholar-Athlete Games are another step in the Institute for International Sport's drive to promote sportsmanship around the nation and the world.

"The kids who are here will become a great feeder system for the World Scholar-Athlete Games in 2001," Doyle said. "We'd like to see a Scholar-Athlete Games in every state, but we need a committee structure. All these kids were nominated by their schools, so in the process we got to know principals and coaches."

Doyle mentioned that the Ireland Scholar-Athlete Games and the inaugural Middle East Scholar-Athlete Games featuring students from 25 countries are set for next year. He hopes to take the concept to Australia for 2001.

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