On the list were honesty, commitment, dedication, discipline, loyalty, pride, respect, sportsmanship, trust and teamwork.

Wakefield coach J.D. Dinwiddie is sold on the idea that athletics can teach such traits, but he wants his program to focus on character education.

"I don't want to assume the guys are going to learn those things by just being on the team," Dinwiddie said.

"I want to teach the values just like I teach football skills."

For years, coaches were told to be role models. But for the past 10 years or so, the National Federation and the N.C. High School Athletic Association have stressed that coaches need to teach citizenship as well as exhibit it.

"We've learned that sportsmanship has to be taught," said Que Tucker, the associate executive director for the NCHSAA.

"If a coach tells his team they are going to exhibit great sportsmanship, the players have no idea what that means."

Teaching citizenship is a part of the national coaching education program developed by the federation.

The program isn't mandatory for high school coaches in North Carolina, but the state is one of 39 that have at least endorsed the program.

Garner coach Nelson Smith and assistant Thurman Leach saw a growing need to teach character to their players.

"We talked about what could we, as coaches, do to improve the school," Smith said. "We decided that if we could influence the players, their influence could change the entire school."

Bunn coach David Howle was ahead of the curve on character ed because it has been a part of his program for years.

"I want to build a family-type atmosphere," Howle said. "To do that we have to care about each other and learn to really love one another."

A structured plan

Wakefield's Dinwiddie was looking for a character program last summer when he learned about the "Change Lives Program."

The program consists of 81 lessons and has workbooks for each player and coach. To complete the book takes four years, but each week's lesson stands alone.

Recently, the coaches emphasized responding instead of reacting.

"A response is a thought-out course of action," Dinwiddie said during a session. "A reaction is the first thing that comes to mind.

"You drop a pass, the reaction is to get mad, stomp around and make excuses. The response is to work harder and make the catch. You learn from your mistakes.

"And you need to apply this not just to football, but to your life. You can't go through life reacting to every situation. You need to learn to respond."

The team meets every day from 3 p.m. until 3:25 p.m. to discuss making the proper choices, showing respect, setting goals and other values.

There are homework assignments, too. And each week the players carry their workbooks home to discuss them with their parents.

"The players take it seriously," Wakefield assistant Hunter Jenks said. "The response has been great."

During one recent session, players were told to get in small groups and discuss their answers.

More than 100 football players immediately opened their books and seemed to talk seriously about the lesson.

"It helps out," defensive back Ryan Pacheco said. "It is really about yourself and who you are and who you want to be."

The course materials cost about $1,500, and Dexter Cooley, the Wakefield athletic director, was an easy sell.

"We need something like this," Cooley said. "We have a great school, but it can be better.

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