Neptune High School Athletes Win Sportsmanship Award
By Andrew Cangiano
For the fourth time in as many years, Neptune High School has won a sportsmanship award for its athletic programs.
The Scarlet Fliers first won an award for sportsmanship in conjunction with winning the state championship tournament for boys basketball in 2001-2002.
NJSIAA Executive Director Boyd Sands presented the champion boys team with an award for sportsmanship, said Neptune athletic director Vince Ardery.
The school has also won the sportsmanship award for the Shore Conference three times: in 2001-2002, 2002-2003, and most recently, in 2004-2005.
In recognition for winning the award again last spring, Neptune gave out over 300 tee-shirts to all of its varsity student-athletes this week.
The logo on the back of the tee-shirts given to all Neptune High School athletes for winning another sportsmanship award.
Ardery said the school also has a number of strict policies which deter athletes from having a bad attitude on the playing field.
He said if an athlete is ejected from a game for poor sportsmanship they must serve a two game suspension.
The student must also have a meeting with their parents and the school principal discussing why they acted out and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.
However, for Neptunes athletic teams sportsmanship is not just about saying good game to an opponent at the end of each competition.
Athletes have volunteered for many community activities, including clinics at Neptune Middle School and the Woodrow Wilson School in Neptune City.
The boys basketball team visited the childrens ward at Jersey Shore University Medical Center during the holiday season last year to give out Christmas gifts.
This year, Neptune is doing new types of volunteer work with its student athletes.
The schools cheerleading team will go in uniform to read to children at the Early Childhood Center in Neptune.
Ardery said he is also trying to have athletic teams from the high school volunteer at the Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Neptune.
Were real proud of our coaches and of our students and the kind of things theyre involved in, Ardery said.
Besides volunteering, Scarlet Flier athletes have also attended a number of leadership workshops.
The girls basketball team attended a summer leadership conference at which former WNBA commissioner Val Ackerman was one of the speakers.
The high school also sends 20-25 children a summer to a character building program at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin.
Athletes from Neptune High School pose in their tee-shirts honoring the school winning the Shore Conference Award for Sportsmanship for the third time.
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