Research Center plans educational programs
By ELLEN FITZGERALD
News Writer
Notre Dame has founded a new Center for Sport, Character and Culture.
Although the center is still in the process of creating the foundation for its programs, it has already designed many programs that it will be implementing in the future.
"Through the center's research, teaching and outreach, we're seeking to foster a broad reassessment of the role of sport in society and culture through examining both its potential and limitations as a vehicle for expressing values such as fairness, compassion and community," said Brenda Light Bredemeier, coordinator for the center with David Light Shields.
The center will hold discussion sessions among faculty members, students, administrators, staff and coaches about how sports can relate to other aspects of life at Notre Dame. It will also serve as a facility research in character development in sports and teaching life skills for student athletes.
It also will be a resource center for Notre Dame's sports library.
The center will also host a series of conferences in conjunction with Stanford University on the Translation of Culture of Youth Sports. The conference will alternate between the two schools, the first being held in March on Stanford University's campus.
A coaching institute is currently in planning.
"We are planning on developing a coaching institute to prepare coaches for their role as moral educators and for their role as developers of optimal performance skill," Shields said.
Shields and Bredemeier, husband and wife, were asked to head this program at Notre Dame four years ago by Clark Power, chair and professor in the Program of Liberal Studies, because they are among the nation's leading experts in the field of athletics and character development. They co-authored a book, "Character Development and Physical Activity."
This book helped to simulate the idea for this center.
"Notre Dame seemed like a logical place for the center because there is both a big sports culture here and yet also a commitment to try to have a sports program with integrity built into it," said Shields.
The center's theme is the celebration of the quest for excellence in physical, psychological and moral skill. Its goal is to use sports as a way to maximize social development.
Shields received his training in education from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. He taught at various universities around the nation and collaborated with Bredemeier on numerous books and articles.
Bredemeier came to the Notre Dame after 20 years at University of California at Berkeley where she served as the dean in the College of Letters and Science. She presented her research in the sports and moral development field in many lectures across the nation and internationally.
All News Stories for Tuesday, October 12, 1999
