Athletic Director in Turtle Mountains discusses respect for all at sporting events

BELCOURT, N.D. (KMOT) - Your News Leader wanted to learn how leadership at other schools across the region are responding to the recent incident at a basketball game in Jamestown.

For Dr. Shane Martin, the Athletic Director for Turtle Mountain Community Schools, his message was one of respect all around.

Martin said rarely in his 17 years in that school district has he had to remind his students to treat their fellow teams with respect.

He didn’t want to comment on specific schools, but said there’s a lesson for every school to learn.

“I think there’s always room for every school, including ours, to be more aware of the different nationalities and ethnicities that we have in our great state of North Dakota. And to welcome all those people make them always feel at home. And I think Turtle Mountain tradition is to always make everybody feel at home. And we do a good job of that,” said Martin.

Martin said he hasn’t had the chance to talk with their student-athletes about the situation yet, but planned to address it before they host Bismarck Century Friday night.

Turtle Mountain plays at Jamestown Saturday evening.

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