The NAIA's Champions of Character program teams-up with Metro Sports Youth

The NAIA’s Champions of Character program is partnering with Metro Sports Youth (MSY) to promote character development and life skills that help Kansas City area young athletes grow into responsible and successful players, but more importantly people. Throughout Metro Sport Youth events student-athletes, coaches and referees will have the opportunity to be recognized with awards that exemplify positive character development.

Metro Sports Youth was created as a division of Metro Sports which is owned by Time Warner Cable. MSY was created to focus on the dynamic and expanding world of youth sports, by accentuating positive life skills and programming around those events.

In early January NAIA Director of Champions of Character Initiatives Rob Miller was a special guest at the Metro Sports Youth Basketball Challenge at William Jewell College located in Liberty, Mo. Throughout the three-day basketball extravaganza the NAIA’s Champions of Character program was on center court. The character initiative is designed to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know the right thing, do the right thing and value the right thing in and out of the sports setting.

Miller was a featured guest during the tournament’s opening ceremony and spoke to over 600 youth participants (3rd through 7th grade) about the five core character values: respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.

“The NAIA is proud to partner with the Metro Sports Youth Basketball Challenge and bring character education and awareness to not only the Kansas City community but also to a new and engaged audience. I hope to grow this partnership so that the NAIA and the Champions of Character program can continue to be a catalyst for character education and change in this city,” said Miller. “The NAIA and the Champions of Character initiative does not leave character to chance, instead actively uses the program to intentionally teach values and build great teams. If we really want to change the culture of sports, than this age group is the one that can see it through. These coaches and volunteers are vital to how each individual will see their youth sport experience.”

During the closing ceremonies Miller awarded one player on each team a Champions of Character award. Award recipients were selected based on the way the player demonstrated the five core character values throughout the Metro Sports Youth Basketball Challenge.

The Champions of Character program will be part of the action at the in the following Metro Sports Youth Basketball Challenges:

- February 9-11, 2007, Boys and Girls Club, 3831E. 43rd Street, Kansas City, Mo.

- March 2-4, 2007, William Jewell College, Liberty, Mo.

- April 20-22, 2007, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.

To sign up or for more details contact Natalie Moultrie at Natalie.Moultrie@twcable.com or visit www.kcmetrosports.com and click on Metro Sports Youth.

To request more information on the NAIA’s Champions of Character program click here.