The Texas Way: Building a Legacy of Lasting Change

It’s time to build more than a great initiative.

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The Opportunity for Positive Change

It’s no secret that sportsmanship is at an all-time low.

Between 2017-2018 and 2022-2023, ejections among student-athletes have doubled from 1,568 to 3,199. Over that same time period, coach ejections have increased an infuriating 50%. And that’s to say nothing of fan ejections, fan behavior, and the unhinged comments found on social media.

These aren’t just statistics. These are the evidence of a growing threat to athletics as we know it. Every athletic director and coach I talk to in Texas and beyond feels the same urgency: we need to act now. Why? Because sportsmanship is foundational to education-based athletics.

Sportsmanship isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must have.

Bad sportsmanship will be used by those who want to decrease school or athletic funding, remove athletic periods, or lower the standard for who can and can’t coach in Texas. Bad sportsmanship is one of the main reasons current officials hang up their whistle and get out of the game. Most importantly though, sportsmanship sets the tone for how our students will face adversity, treat others, and succeed not just on the field, but in life.

Sportsmanship is about so much more than a game. That’s why we launched The Texas Way.

Introducing The Texas Way

The Texas Way (PlayTheTexasWay.com) is a joint sportsmanship initiative, founded by the Texas High School Coaches Association, the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association, and 2Words Character Development. It’s more than just an initiative—it’s a movement toward better sportsmanship, one that will ripple out into every aspect of our schools and communities.

Our goals are clear and powerful:

1. Reduce ejections at UIL sporting events.

2. Elevate the quality of sportsmanship throughout the state.

3. Strengthen communities, as well as the relationships among coaches, athletes, officials, and fans.

Thanks to the generous support of Mammoth Sports Construction (MammothBuilt.com), we’re providing a video-based curriculum that’s free to schools, focusing on the “Three Pillars of The Texas Way”:

• Respect for Others: The Texas Way teaches respect that goes beyond the scoreboard. It’s about who we are, not what others do.

• Control of Self: This pillar is about maintaining composure and grace, especially when the stakes are high. The Texas Way encourages handling challenges with class.

• Spirit of Competition: We’re here to win, but not at the cost of integrity. The Texas Way promotes giving your best effort while holding true to your values.

Keeping the Momentum Going

We’ve already seen incredible success! Since its launch this summer, over 4,000 coaches from one-third of Texas districts have registered. It’s a great start, but we know that creating lasting change requires sustained effort. Here’s how we can keep that momentum going:

1. Make Sportsmanship a Daily Habit

The Texas Way isn’t a one-time initiative; it’s a way of life. To see real change, we need to integrate its principles into our daily interactions, practices, and games.

• Daily Reminders: Whether it’s a quick pre-practice talk or debrief, make The Texas Way a regular part of your team’s routine.

• Coach Accountability: Hold your coaches to a higher sportsmanship standard than you set for your athletes. Remember: students will never be better sports than you are.

• Student Leaders: Identify student-athletes who embody The Texas Way and empower them to lead. Peer influence is powerful—let’s use it for good!

2. Celebrate Every Victory

Change happens one step at a time, and every positive moment is worth celebrating. What gets rewarded gets repeated!

• Highlight Positive Behavior: Use social media, newsletters, and in-game announcements to shine a light on athletes, coaches, and fans who exemplify sportsmanship.

• Track Progress: Whether it’s fewer ejections or more self-control during tough games, let’s celebrate the measurable wins.

• Official Recognition: Utilize the UIL’s “Good Sportsmanship Reporting Form” to recognize athletes who go above and beyond. Small acts of kindness can create a ripple effect of positivity.

3. Grow the Movement

We’ve started strong, but there’s so much more we can do. Let’s bring more people into The Texas Way.

• Involve the Community: Sportsmanship isn’t just for athletes. Parents, fans, and local businesses all play a role in shaping the culture. Let’s get them on board!

• Collaborate Across Districts: Share your successes with other districts and encourage them to join in. Together, we can make a bigger impact.

• Use Your Resources: Take full advantage of the free resources from 2Words Character Development and Mammoth Sports Construction. These tools are designed to help you spread the message effectively.

4. Stay Committed to the Long Haul

Change takes time. We’re building something that will last for generations, so let’s stay the course.

• Long-Term Vision: Every act of respect, every display of self-control, and every moment of integrity is building the future of Texas high school sports.

• Adapt and Adjust: As we learn and grow, let’s be open to new ideas and ways to improve. Flexibility is key to success.

• Lead by Example: As athletic directors and coaches, we set the tone. When we lead with integrity, we inspire our athletes to do the same.

The Texas Way: More Than a Program—A Movement

Together, we can make The Texas Way more than just a sportsmanship program. We can make it a movement that transforms the face of Texas athletics, leaving a legacy that goes beyond the game.

Let’s keep pushing forward, celebrating every victory, and building lasting change.

Remember, it’s not just about winning games—it’s about winning hearts. Let’s continue to make Texas high school sports a model of respect, integrity, and true competition.

This article was written by Stephen Mackey, founder of 2Words Character Development (www.2Words.tv), the 4L’s: Listen, Learn, Love, and Lead Curriculum, and The Texas Way. For more information, or to get started with The Texas Way, visit www.PlayTheTexasWay.com , or contact Coach Mackey directly at Mackey@2words.tv.

What do our collaborators have to say about the Texas Way?

Ray Zepeda - U.I.L. Director of athletics

Why is the Texas Way important to the future of athletics in Texas?

The thing that makes interscholastic athletics in Texas special is that we still emphasize the importance of education and community in our programs. As such, it is important that the atmospheres at our contests reflect the very best of our communities. This type of atmosphere and emphasis on right conduct by all concerned truly allows students to learn how to compete to win but to do so without comprising one’s standards or personal positive example. The focus on controlling one’s own self in the heat of competition while respecting our opponent is a great lesson that can be applied to many other aspects of a student’s life as they move forward beyond our games and competitions, and will allow us to build stronger communities built on mutual respect in the future.

Do you have any early statistics to suggest Texas Way is making a difference in our Texas high school athletic programs?

It is still very early. However, our early data suggests that the vast majority of ejections due to misconduct are coming from schools and programs not signed up for or actively engaged with the Texas Way Program. Similarly, the majority of early good sportsmanship reporting forms that we have received on positive practices and conduct are coming from Texas Way enrolled schools. These early returns emphasize the importance of actively engaging and coaching the Texas Way curriculum to positively impact performance in this important area.

What does buying into the Texas Way mean to the UIL?

I really believe that buying into the program means having a specific plan and strategy in each program for teaching the important principles of controlling oneself, respecting our opponents, and competing to win with integrity within the appropriate spirit of competition. Great coaches are great teachers. If we fully expect this program to make a positive difference, we will need to coach it and teach it like we do anything else that we are expecting our student-athletes to learn and execute under pressure and adversity. Further, we need to actively find ways within the culture and of our communities to positively teach and impact the many spectators that attend our athletic events in support of their communities’ kids. If we can truly buy into the program and have specific strategies in place to do this, I truly believe that the program will be a great success.

Joe Martin - THSCA Executive Director

Tell me why it’s important that the Texas Way is a collaborative effort between all our associations?

Our sportsmanship in Texas at U.I.L. events has declined over the past several years as the ejections for student athletes, coaches and fans have increased. We have identified this sportsmanship initiative as the #1 THSCA initiative for 2024-25, but we know we cannot make the impact needed across the state without the help of all the other associations. We have partnered with the THSADA, UIL, and 2Words Character development to create the Texas Way platform. We have encouraged and expect ALL of the other sports associations in Texas to endorse and participate in this initiative. If we ALL not only endorse, but actually work to assist and encourage our coaches to be engaged every week, The Texas Way will become a common narrative and a huge success. We are very fortunate to have Mammoth Sports as the Texas Way sponsor, allowing Stephen Mackey to produce and provide to our schools for free, PSA’s, videos, and weekly teaching opportunities covering the 3 pillars of the Texas Way.

Tell me how you expect coaches to be able to use the Texas Way as a resource with their student-athletes?

We are encouraging our coaches to utilize the Texas Way education opportunities provided by Stephen Mackey in three different areas. He is providing videos, digital playbooks, and weekly lessons that address best practices for fans, coaches and athletes. We expect our coaches to share the the educational opportunities at parent/booster club meetings, with their staff, and with their athletes on a weekly basis. We expect our coaches to “coach” the Texas Way each week in preparation of their contests. We have to coach it for it to work – We hope and expect it becomes part of each coaches' program culture and that it is taught year round, and that it just becomes natural/common behavior of their program.

Why is the Texas Way so important in today’s athletic environment, and how would you have benefitted from this program when you were coaching?

When I started coaching in 1978 and throughout my career, we relied on corporal punishment when we had an athlete behave in a negative manner.

The corporal punishment was a paddling, at times, but mainly running (and running a lot) along with punishing the team by running them for allowing it to happen.

Today, we look at this from a different lens; not to say some type of punishment is warranted, as we encourage our coaches to develop a “proactive coaching perspective”. We need to provide opportunities to train and grow our student athletes when they have been ejected from a game and not just punish them and/or the team. We encourage our coaches to develop a required training for athletes that are ejected that includes: best practices in communicating with officials, communication with opponents, and teammates, how to manage an altercation with an opponent during the game, how to step away from a volatile situation, and how to win and how to lose. Having a proactive plan for athletes, coaches and fans is a step in the right direction to make a huge impact and get us back to representing our state in a positive manner. We want our state to be proud of our Texas High School Athletics and “The Texas Way” to become a common positive narrative.

Rusty Dowling - THSADA Executive Director

Tell me why it’s important that the Texas Way is a collaborative effort between all our associations?

Since there is a wide-net to cast throughout the State of Texas, the Associations have the ability to collaborate immediately and effectively with all stakeholder groups, such as student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, parent/fan groups, and school administrators. The more collaborative the process and effort, the more effective the implementation can be. We’ve already seen a variety of methods in moving this program through the different levels; as the outcomes were defined at the beginning of this process and remains the same with all groups.

Tell me how you expect athletic directors to be able to use the Texas Way as a resource with their coaching staff?

Having the ability to utilize the Three Pillars of The Texas Way allows athletic directors to establish a clear process and direction in how to achieve the outcome that they envision with their various levels of coaching staffs. The Texas Way also gives the athletic director the opportunity to drive the message of sportsmanship to all coaches in a consistent and structured way. The process of utilizing all the elements of The Texas Way will remain consistent from campus-to-campus.

What encouragement would you give to athletic directors to make the Texas Way a PROGRAMWIDE protocol for all sports?

The Texas Way presents a unique curriculum that can be balanced throughout an entire district and used as a resource for all coaches and student-athletes consistently. A campus and a coach or coaches can learn and engage methodology from each other so that the message, and hopefully the outcomes, can be the same. A shared message is the best way to attain the results necessary for the success of the program and will also allow all staff to navigate the program effectively.

Read the entire October 2024 Issue of Texas Coach here: https://issuu.com/thscacoaches/docs/oct24upload?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ