District Governor's Message

I am pleased to announce that Rotary District 6220 is working with Green Bay Packer Greg Jennings to promote the Positive Athlete program in high schools
throughout our entire District. This is a program that recognizes positive attitudes of high school students in 23 different athletic sports in our schools. This is
a no-cost program that will provide recognition for the student participants and emphasize the importance of attitude.

This program is for all high schools in our Wisconsin and Upper Michigan communities. I am asking every Rotary Club in our District to approach all the high schools in their area to nominate candidates for this recognition. Nominees will be recognized for their positive attitudes, not their athletic abilities or success.
Because we want to begin during this school year, the deadline for applications is May 17th and can be submitted by email to the Positive Athlete program. This is a great opportunity to provide visibility for your club and encourage the youth in your area.

Here is a brief summary of the program:

• Packers Pro Bowl wide receiver Greg Jennings is the spokesperson for the movement to inspire young athletes that learning to play sports the “positive way” will help build life skills they will be able to use long after their playing days are over. For more about the movement, please check out the website for Positive Athlete here.
• In addition to the clubs in District 6220, Rotary Clubs in 6270 and 6250 will also officially join Greg in his efforts to find the 23 “Most Positive High School Athletes” in their particular sport in both Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. The 23 high school sports categories are:
  • Baseball
  • Golf (Boys)
  • Soccer (Girls)
  • Track & Field (Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Golf (Girls)
  • Softball
  • Track & Field (Girls)
    Basketball (Girls)
  • Gymnastics
  • Swimming (Boys)
  • Volleyball (Boys)
  • Cheerleading
  • Hockey (Boys)
  • Swimming (Girls)
  • Volleyball (Girls)
    Cross Country
  • Hockey (Girls)
  • Tennis (Boys)
  • Wrestling
  • Football
  • Soccer (Boys)
  • Tennis (Girls)

These 23 athletes will have the opportunity to meet Greg this June at a ceremony in either Milwaukee or Green Bay.

• Rotary Clubs of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan will be the Presenting Sponsors of the Awards program.
• Each of our clubs will help stimulate nominations for the awards by contacting their
  local high school principal’s office or school superintendent’s office to explain the program and provide the school with the Nomination Form (see next page). Here are some points to make in that conversation:
• We’re not looking for the “best” athletes in your school, only the athletes that you and your coaches, teachers and booster club parents feel are the most positive and represent well the “7 Definitions of a Positive Athlete” (the 7 definitions are on the Nomination Form).
• Every kid who is nominated will be receiving a certificate from Positive Athlete signifying and verifying that they have qualified as a Positive Athlete. This will be an outstanding award to put on their college applications or summer job applications. They will join a fraternity of athletes who will receive future benefits coming from Positive Athlete.
• Winners of the state-wide award and their nominators will each have the opportunity to meet Greg Jennings and have their photos taken with him at a ceremony in June.
• Clubs will ask the school principals to forward this official Nomination Form to their
  coaches, athletic directors, principals, teachers and booster clubs who can submit as many nominations from their school as they would like directly to Positive Athlete via email to: nominations-Jennings@celebratepositive.com. The deadline for nominations will be Thursday, May 17, 2012.
• Also, a part of the ceremony and presentation with Greg Jennings will be a member of the Rotary Club that introduced the program to the school that produced the winning athlete.
• As an added incentive to help stimulate nominations from their local schools, the top 4 Rotary Clubs that help generate the most nominations from high schools will receive a signed football from Greg Jennings to utilize for fundraising efforts for their clubs.
• We realize that this program is happening late this Spring, but the idea is to seed the program now so that we can take a full-year run on the 2012-2013 school year program which should grow substantially.

Getting Your Club Started ...

1. Print out copies of the Nomination Form on the next page.
2. Ask a club member to get these to your area high schools just as soon as possible!

-Joe Jones