ROCKLAND – SAD 5 is No. 1 when it comes to earning accreditation as a Sports Done Right locale.

SAD 5 comprises Rockland, Owls Head, and South Thomaston

The coveted designation was awarded Monday by the Sports Done Right board of directors, said Russ Van Arsdale of the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development.

The unanimous board action culminates a nearly 18-month approval process.

The vote to accredit SAD 5 means the district’s schools and communities have passed a milestone in their efforts to make sports more meaningful and fun for young people, Van Arsdale said.

SAD 5 is one of a dozen school communities around the state that are piloting efforts to develop sports offerings that are positive, healthful, and safe for everyone involved.

Participants work on the premise that learning and personal growth form the foundation for interscholastic and intramural sports. Organizers aim to include every student who meets eligibility requirements in athletic activities that complement and support what they learn in their academic programs.

SAD 5 Superintendent Al Pfeiffer said there is one key question local organizers will face as they continue their efforts: How do they provide the best support for all students at all levels?

Sports Done Right was co-founded in June 2003 by Robert A. Cobb, dean of the College of Education and Human Development at UM, and former Education Commissioner J. Duke Albanese.

Sports Done Right is based at the Maine Center for Sport and Coaching at UMaine. The program and the center are directed by Karen Brown.

Sports Done Right is based on a series of what are termed core principles, which stress participation in and learning through athletics and involvement by parents, student-athletes, coaches, and others.

For example, parents can instill balance in students’ lives and promote team over individual goals, Brown said Monday. Coaches play an important role as educators, she said, in making sports an extension of the classroom by teaching youths leadership and citizenship.

Coaches can encourage youths to “win gracefully and lose with dignity,” she said.

More information on the initiative is available by calling 581-2443 or visiting www.sportsdonerightmaine.org.