NAIA Forms Champions of Character Foundation

Royals General Manager Dayton Moore and Buffalo Funds President John Kornitzer Named to Board of Directors

Posted on 02.15.08

Contact: Staci Schottman, NAIA Director of Public Relations & Communications, 816-595-8116

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) proudly announces the creation of the Champions of Character Foundation, a non-profit organization with the sole mission to support the NAIA’s signature program known as Champions of Character. The Champions of Character program provides student-athletes, parents and coaches the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting.        

“The Champions of Character Foundation is an extension of what the NAIA has accomplished in its 70 year history and I believe it will grow to illustrate the best of what the NAIA stands for. The establishment of the Foundation will grow and strengthen this innovative approach to character education and allow access to opportunities students, parents and coaches need to succeed in school, activity and life,” said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. “The Champions of Character Foundation can be used as an instrument to promote character development and is making a difference in communities throughout the country.”

Champions of Character, since its inception in 2000, has been funded by NAIA membership, founding partner Buffalo Funds, local Kansas City corporate sponsors and foundations. The program has grown exponentially in the last seven years, reaching hundreds of thousands nationwide and the requests for Champions of Character training continues to rise. The Foundation will allow new funding to be used exclusively for community outreach and educational programs in area schools and provide for an endowment for the future.

With the launch of the Champions of Character Foundation, the NAIA will be at the forefront of philanthropic efforts and formalize the giving process. All work of the Foundation will reflect the values and beliefs of the NAIA’s flagship program Champions of Character. The Foundation will be headed by NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr who will partner with Buffalo Funds President and Portfolio Manager John Kornitzer and Royals General Manager Dayton Moore who will sit on the Champions of Character Foundation Board of Directors.

“The core values of Champions of Character are respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. If we can bring these values to kids in their formative years, we can expect our future leaders to make good decisions about what is right and wrong,” said Kornitzer. “It is absolutely necessary that we as Americans change the values being taught to our youth.”

As the young people in our society continue to be bombarded with poor role models in professional sports and increasing social pressures in and out of school, it is becoming increasingly important they have positive influences and are given the tools to be people of character. Currently the Champions of Character program is making a difference in the lives of kids in over 20 school districts in the Kansas City metropolitan area including Blue Valley, Kansas City Kansas, North Kansas City, Raytown and Olathe.

“This program is a very proactive approach to developing character,” said Moore. “It will make a difference in the lives of young people as they are making choices that will impact their lives.”  

In athletics training is everything. An athlete cannot expect to build strength without spending time in the weight room and there is a reason for the phrase “practice makes perfect.” Training for life is much like training in sports. Students must build skills in order to succeed and Champions of Character builds those skills. To learn more about the Champions of Character Foundation contact Mike Campbell at the NAIA at 816-595-8000.

-NAIA-

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) 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.