Middle school athletic directors are encouraged to register their students for Huddle Jr., a student-athlete sportsmanship development conference scheduled for March 24 at TCOE’s Mooney Administration Building. Athletic directors should attend as chaperones with up to five student-athletes.

The conference will feature a keynote presentation by Jennah "The Gem" Creason, a professional boxer, MMA fighter, and a 2022 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee. Creason, a graduate of Redwood High School in Visalia, was previously a member of TCOE’s Sportsmanship Action Team youth council, which helps to organize the middle school and high school Huddle events

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Nominator Erin Elliott says, “Juan can relate so well to others and truly cares about everyone. He understands feelings and makes an effort to pay attention to the feelings of all the other students in the class. He came in one morning and asked if I would like to buy a key chain that he made. I asked him, "How much?" and he said, "$7", which is the exact amount of a school lunch. I asked him if he needed money for lunch, and he said, "No, but I know another student would like it." I am new to this classroom this year. In the morning on the second week of school, he came in early to tell me that he thinks I am doing really well and "handling the behaviors great."  We have one student who has some difficult behaviors at times, and Juan will always sit next to him to make sure he is okay. These are just some examples, but his character shines through every day.”