SAAC in ACCtion: Sportsmanship at Clemson

Oliver Purnell demonstrates good sportsmanship.

Jan. 28, 2009

In an effort to highlight good sportsmanship around the conference, every two weeks, theACC.com will highlight a specific example of sportsmanship from a different school. This week, the spotlight is on Clemson and its "Solid Orange: It's About Pride" initiative.

 
The "Solid Orange: It's About Pride" initiative promotes an atmosphere of good character and sportsmanship for Clemson athletes, coaches, staff, students, and fans to enjoy.

Athletes all around the Atlantic Coast Conference train their bodies every day in order to prepare for those big moments that come in every competition. At Clemson University, it is no different. Tiger athletes run, lift, hustle, sweat, and push themselves to physical limits during each workout in order to ensure that when those moments arrive, they will be ready.

Clemson basketball fans
However, in the midst of that physical rigor, Clemson athletes are also immersed in an environment that prepares them to approach the big moments not just with physical excellence, but with class as well. The "Solid Orange: It's About Pride" initiative promotes an atmosphere of good character and sportsmanship for Clemson athletes, coaches, staff, students, and fans to enjoy.

The creed of the Solid Orange initiative reads, "Our actions honor our University, traditions, teams, performance, people, and each other." This guiding principal is posted all over Clemson in order to create a positive culture that reinforces Solid Orange values. One of the driving forces behind the Solid Orange movement is the encouragement of a united Tiger family, known collectively as "One Clemson." This family is one that supports each other both inside and outside of competition.

Clemson men's basketball head coach Oliver Purnell
A certain member of the Clemson University staff, Head Men's Basketball Coach Oliver Purnell, is an embodiment of the values of support and inter-team sportsmanship that the "One Clemson" family strives to produce. Before many home games, Coach Purnell will send out an email to the entire Clemson student body reminding us that our support is crucial to the success of the basketball program, encouraging us to come out to games in full force wearing orange, and thanking us for all that we do as fans. As a student-athlete myself, I always love getting these emails because it reminds me of how powerful a group working together for a common goal can be.

However, his inspiring emails are not what define Coach Purnell as a good representation of Solid Orange, One Clemson sportsmanship. Any coach could write an email asking fans to come out and support his or her own sport. Coach Purnell not only "talks the talk" about support and sportsmanship, but he "walks the walk" as well.

Supporters at a Clemson swim meet
While on deck at a swim meet last fall, I happened to look up in the stands and notice a familiar face. At first I thought that I must be mistaken... there is no way that the head basketball coach of a nationally-ranked team would be at a swim meet. But there he was, living out the Solid Orange creed by honoring another team in the Clemson family with his support.

Opportunities to display great sportsmanship often do come in those big moments of competition. But Coach Purnell showed me that day that opportunities to display great sportsmanship can present themselves in the simplest of ways as well. The ability to honor outside teams and programs with sportsmanship is so important, but those actions can only begin with the ability to honor your own University, traditions, teams, performance, people, and each other.

Solid Orange: It's About Pride.