SMS Bully Response Teams attends Sportsmanship 4 Life Pep Rally

By Weatherholt, Rick on February 15, 2013

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On February 5th the thirty-nine Seward Middle School Bully Response Team members and Student Council members attended the Sportsmanship 4 Life Pep Rally at Waverly High School.  This event was sponsored by the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation and the University of Nebraska.  
The focus of the pep rally was on sportsmanship, dealing with bullying, and character.  
Over 1,500 total Nebraska middle school students attended this event. Dr. Tom Osborne addressed the audience along with other past and present Husker athletes, coaches, and cheerleaders.  
“You don’t have to be nasty,” Osborne said. “You don’t have to be antagonistic to win.”
Others speakers included Huskers wide receiver Kenny Bell, Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Jordan Burroughs and running back Ameer Abdullah. The pep rally ended with a raucous basketball spinning and dribbling show presented by the Crevier family of South Dakota.
Bell spoke about the need to remain positive through adversity.
“Positivity -- it really breeds happiness in my opinion,” he said. “There’s no need to be disrespectful.”
Freshman volleyball player Sheridan Zarda said it was important for student athletes to represent their schools and families with integrity.
“It’s such an honor to say I play for Nebraska,” she said. “But with that honor comes privilege, and with privilege comes responsibility.”
In a nod to their audience, several student athletes talked about the need to remain positive and respectful when posting messages on social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Burroughs said students need to remember that people are watching.
Other athletes talked about the need to set goals and work hard.
“Goals are a big part of becoming successful,” said Husker men's basketball guard Trevor Menke.
Osborne talked about the need to remain grounded -- even when one has achieved some fame through success on the field.
“Fame is vapor. Popularity is an accident,” he said. “The only thing that endures is character.”