We believe there’s something more important than just winning or losing a tournament. We believe that the team, school, and fans who support their athletes with dignity and class are the true champions. That’s why we’ve proudly sponsored the WIAA/Rural Mutual Insurance Sportsmanship Award for over 55 years.
We would like to congratulate the Highland Cardinals on being this year’s recipient of the Girls Basketball Sportsmanship Award.
When talking with Head Coach, Josh Tarrell, we asked him what this Award meant to him as a coach, the team, and the community along with how they teach their athletes about sportsmanship.
This award is an honor to win and means so much as a coach and to the community. It means so much to me as a coach to say that a team that you coached is recognized for their sportsmanship. It makes me very proud to be their coach. I am truly so proud of all the girls who played for me this year and every year for that matter. They are all great kids and work hard. We’re happy to give back to the community and share this special award. They are such a big part of our success. The support from the community is and has been wonderful.
For teaching our players about sportsmanship – We started an activity that involves players talking and sharing something about one of their teammates. Each member of the team shared how another teammate was valuable to the team, what makes her a great teammate, and what makes them a great person outside of basketball.
Coach Tarrell has been coaching for 15 years. He also went on to comment that – “The best part of coaching is the time with the team in practice for two hours every day. It is a chance for me to just be a coach and a time where I get to share laughs, tears, and great memories with so many teams over the years.
Congratulations again on a great season and winning the WIAA/Rural Mutual Sportsmanship Award. This is a great achievement for the Highland community.
