Buffalo Funds Awards Champions of Character Program Center Grants to Georgetown College (Ky.) and Houghton College (N.Y.)

Centers advance character driven intercollegiate athletics

For Immediate Release

Date: September 17, 2008
Contact: Matt Kimsey, NAIA Marketing Intern, 816-595-8000

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced today that Buffalo Funds in conjunction with its national sponsorship of Champions of Character has awarded Georgetown College (Ky.) and Houghton College (N.Y.) grants to assist with Champions of Character Program Center initiatives.

“Georgetown College and Houghton College are to be congratulated for their pledge to providing character driven intercollegiate athletic opportunities,” said Rob Haworth, NAIA Vice President of Champions of Character. “These two institutions have given their time, treasure and talent to influence the lives of student-athletes both on and off their respective campuses. It is my hope, as I am sure it is theirs, that the Buffalo Funds grant dollars will strengthen their commitment to Champions of Character."

Champions of Character instills an understanding of character values in sport and provides student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting. The program is dedicated to the principal that character is a choice and that being a champion is not just about winning, but making good decisions consistently in daily life.

Georgetown and Houghton Program Centers use the power of sport to teach lessons for life. The mission is to restore character values and raise a generation of students who understand and demonstrate in everyday decisions respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.

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Georgetown College values what the Champions of Character program represents and is known as an institution that holds standards and values which are different from other colleges and universities. This past July the campus played host to the NAIA’s annual Champions of Character two-day training seminar and has on staff ten certified Champions of Character instructors. Georgetown’s priority is to address character within the campus community and has spent several years developing coaches, student-athletes and fans based on the program’s training model. Comfortable in meeting its set standards, the athletic department is branching out to reach larger audiences in the Georgetown and Louisville community.

“[The] primary focus has been on training our own athletes and coaches. We are beginning to include Georgetown College’s students more and more as we move forward, and have been building relationships with statewide organizations,” says Georgetown’s Champions of Character Coordinator and Tennis Coach Kevin Calhoun. “Externally, our primary focus has been at the high school level with athletes, parents, and coaches.”

The Georgetown Tigers have set standards that address the character needs of the student-athlete, coach and fan. Each year athletes attend the “Redefining the Term Athlete” presentation, highlight one core value each month and recognize students who demonstrate in and out of competition the five core values. Student-athletes who serve on the leadership council also play a role on the Champions of Character student-athlete board. The group meets monthly to organize departmental service projects.

Since establishing the Champions of Character program at Georgetown, Calhoun has noticed many positive changes.

“The coaches in the department have a greater sense of purpose and togetherness. There is an attitude of unity that is new since becoming a Program Center. The student-athletes are much more aware of their place in the college community and their responsibilities to service. They are much less self-centered and appreciative of their athletic opportunities,” said Calhoun. “Even the fans have become more in tune with the goals and lessons of Champions of Character.”

Georgetown plans to use the Buffalo Funds grant to enhance existing programs like the initiative aimed at local high schools and youth league directors. With the support of Buffalo Funds, Georgetown will provide resource materials to team captains and host character and leadership seminars and retreats.

To learn more about Georgetown College athletics click here.

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Houghton College is a learning community that emphasizes preparation of students to become future leaders and uses the power of sport to teach lessons for life. While the NAIA guidelines require one trained instructor at each Program Center, Houghton does not see the bare minimum as acceptable. Every head coach and key administrator attends in-depth instructor training each year. This invaluable character training reflects upon the way that the Champions of Character Program Center operates.

Current opportunities for outreach involve the “Blowing the Whistle on Character Education” presentation. Houghton has been able to reach hundreds of officials, coaches and administrators regarding the importance of the core character traits for officials, coaches, fans, athletes, and the significance of the way they interact through this initiative.

Currently the focus of the Program Center is centered on coach and official clinics, the Allegany County Champions of Character Award, student-athlete presentations and numerous partnerships with area sport camps.

“There has been an increased buy-in to the value of character education and how it supplements our institution’s educational mission,” said Houghton College Athletics Director Harold “Skip” Lord. “Champions of Character provides another tool for our department to use as we strive to make a difference in our local community.”

With the ongoing support of Buffalo Funds, Houghton plans to expand the “Blowing the Whistle on Character Education” program.  The grant will further develop the presentation into a more complete and integrated initiative to include research and advanced presentations that target audiences connected to the official role. Participants will have readily available character education tools including DVDs and character clinics. Students, coaches, fans and officials will have opportunities to receive awards that encourage desired outcomes and Houghton athletic representatives will be in a position to better measure and accurately evaluate the success of the program. Houghton plans to target both high school and college level athletes in Allegany County and the surrounding areas. That includes seven counties, 68 high schools in two different states and the American Mideast Conference in the NAIA.

“It is important to keep the positive movement surrounding the Champions of Character program growing and intensifying at Houghton College and the surrounding areas. There is no doubt that Houghton College’s visibility has increased due to the outreach programming we have used,” said Lord. “We are receiving calls form schools asking us to provide training for their coaches, athletes, and parents.”

To learn more about Houghton College athletics click here.  

About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The Association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country.

Today, the NAIA strengthens its commitment to student-athletes and strives to enrich their college experience by supporting academic achievement and character development. NAIA Champions of Character is the association’s innovative flagship program designed to instill character values in student-athletes, coaches and youth in the communities it serves. To learn more visit www.NAIA.org. 

Buffalo Funds
Buffalo Funds is the Official Sponsor of the Champions of Character program. Buffalo Funds assists in the Champions of Character program growth and is the title sponsor of the NAIA Men’s Division I Basketball National Championship. To learn more about Buffalo Funds visit www.buffalofunds.com.