The Tulare County (CA) Office of Education (TCOE) has been an innovative and long-time advocate of CHARACTER COUNTS! and the Six Pillars of Character. In addition to implementing CHARACTER COUNTS! in their schools, they have expanded their efforts to include our athletics component, Pursuing Victory with Honor (PVWH).
Tulare County’s efforts have been positively impacting student-athletes, coaches, officials, and spectators throughout 48 California school districts and for more than 20 years.
Highlights in Tulare County
Recognition
- During football, volleyball, and basketball games, athletes from each team who best exemplify sportsmanlike conduct during the game are awarded a Pursuing Victory with Honor pin.
- The Sportsmanship Caught in Action program is for spectators who witness good sportsmanship during a game that might go unnoticed. Spectators scan the QR code, and the act is reported to the PVWH staff, and a Pursuing Victory with Honor certificate and pin are delivered and presented to the nominee at their school. The nominees are also recognized on the TCOE website.
- The CHARACTER COUNTS! Sportsmanship award is an award given to an athlete of each school’s sports team who best exemplifies the attributes of character, integrity, and sportsmanship.
- TCOE is planning its inaugural PVWH Honors Banquet. Two high school athletes in good academic standing and who exemplify good character, ethics, and sportsmanship will be recognized at a dinner and awarded a certificate, PVWH Champions patch, and plaque. A Sportsmanship Coach of the Year and Athletic Director of the Year will also be recognized.
- PVWH Champions letterman patches will be awarded to students who have been active participants in Pursuing Victory with Honor activities.
- PVWH helmet stickers are provided to teams that are actively involved with PVWH efforts.
- Four Tulare County Seniors are awarded the annual $500 Pursuing Victory with Honor scholarship.
Sportsmanship Action Team
- Twenty-six student-athletes are members of the Sportsmanship Action Team (SAT).
- Students provide the Tulare County Office of Education with their perspective on athletics and sportsmanship.
- Students actively model and advocate for good sportsmanship in school activities, work to create a positive culture between teams and spectators, and organize PVWH activities at their schools.
Huddles
- The Student Action Team created the Huddle conferences and developed the workshops for high school students in the fall and for middle school students in the spring to learn more about the importance of good sportsmanship and the Six Pillars of Character in high school athletics.
- Each participating school receives a PVWH flag.
Partnerships
- TCOE partners with local Kiwanis clubs to recognize high school student-athletes in good academic standing and who exemplify good character, ethics, and sportsmanship. One female and one male student-athlete from each high school are nominated by a coach for the fall, winter, and spring seasons. The student receives a PVWH yard sign, shirt, pin, PVWH Champions patch, and certificate.
- Players from the Visalia Rawhide baseball (MiLB) team visit schools to advocate for sportsmanship and character.
Learn more about Tulare County’s initiatives