A Division I athletics department recognized their existing sportsmanship policy had become disconnected from daily practice and lacked buy-in across stakeholder groups. The department sought systematic evaluation and redesign to create a policy that would genuinely influence behavior and align with institutional values while ensuring practical implementation at all levels.
Situation Overview
The athletics department operated under a sportsmanship policy developed years earlier through top-down administrative processes. While technically comprehensive, the policy suffered from minimal awareness among key constituents and inconsistent application across sports. Student-athletes viewed it as another compliance document, coaches saw it as administratively burdensome, and officials found it difficult to enforce consistently. The department recognized that effective sportsmanship standards required more than policy revision—they needed cultural transformation through authentic stakeholder engagement and grassroots ownership.
The Challenge
The existing policy’s failures stemmed from fundamental disconnects between policy language and lived experience. Created without meaningful stakeholder input, it reflected administrative priorities rather than competitive realities. The challenge extended beyond simple revision to require complete reconceptualization of how sportsmanship policies are developed, communicated, and embedded in athletic culture.
Key Complexity Factors:
- Multiple stakeholder groups with divergent perspectives and priorities
- Historical policy fatigue from previous unsuccessful initiatives
- Conference and NCAA compliance requirements
- Need for sport-specific adaptations within unified framework
Without effective sportsmanship standards, the department risked escalating behavioral incidents, damaged institutional reputation, potential conference sanctions, and erosion of the educational mission of collegiate athletics. The policy needed to balance competitive intensity with character development while remaining practically enforceable.
The SCI Approach
SCI implemented a comprehensive stakeholder-driven assessment and redesign process over several months, prioritizing grassroots engagement to ensure authentic buy-in and practical applicability. The approach transformed policy development from administrative exercise to collaborative community building.
Implementation Methodology
Phase 1: Comprehensive Stakeholder Mapping
Identified and engaged all affected constituencies including student-athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, support staff, alumni representatives, and fan groups. Conducted structured interviews and focus groups to understand diverse perspectives on sportsmanship challenges and opportunities.
Phase 2: Collaborative Policy Design
Facilitated cross-stakeholder working groups to develop policy components reflecting shared values and practical constraints. Applied conflict resolution frameworks to navigate competing interests while maintaining focus on student-athlete development and competitive integrity.
Phase 3: Implementation Architecture
Designed communication strategies, training protocols, and accountability systems tailored to each stakeholder group. Established feedback mechanisms for continuous refinement and created sport-specific implementation guides while maintaining policy coherence.
Outcomes & Impact
The stakeholder-driven approach produced a transformative shift in sportsmanship culture and policy effectiveness:
Universal awareness achieved across stakeholder groups with voluntary adoption exceeding compliance requirements
Measurable reduction in sportsmanship violations and increased positive recognition for exemplary conduct
Sportsmanship evolved from compliance obligation to shared community value with peer accountability
The grassroots development process created policy champions within each stakeholder group, ensuring sustainable implementation. The department now serves as a conference model for effective sportsmanship policy development, with other institutions adopting similar stakeholder-driven approaches.
Strategic Insight
This case reveals that policy effectiveness depends less on comprehensive language than on authentic stakeholder ownership. By inverting traditional top-down policy development, organizations can transform compliance documents into living cultural artifacts. The investment in comprehensive stakeholder engagement yields exponential returns through voluntary adoption, peer enforcement, and cultural sustainability that no amount of administrative mandate can achieve.
Related SCI Capabilities
This case exemplifies SCI’s integrated approach to sports conflict resolution. Learn more about our systematic methodologies:
Research and Evaluation
Evidence-based policy assessment and stakeholder engagement methodologies
Team Facilitation
Expert facilitation of diverse stakeholder groups toward shared objectives
Strategic Planning
Aligning policy development with institutional values and strategic priorities
The Sports Playbook
Building championship culture through character and clarity
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