Clarke College (Iowa) student-athletes take on Champions of Character

Posted on 12.06.07
Submitted by Sarah Bradford, Sports Information Student Assistant, Clarke College

DUBUQUE, Iowa - With the switch to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) this year, Clarke College student-athletes will be doing more to help out the community because of the NAIA’s Champions of Character program.

CHAMPS is Clarke’s Champion of Character student-athlete organization, similar to the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). However, CHAMPS is a program that promotes five values while competing in sport: respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.

“The biggest difference between SAAC and CHAMPS revolves around the NAIA’s initiative to focus on community service,” Chris Miron, CHAMPS moderator and Clarke head men’s and women’s volleyball coach said. “The NAIA’s core values emphasize the importance of getting out in the community and making a positive impact on those around us. I think that the core values fit in nicely with many of the things we already focus on at Clarke.”

CHAMPS President Erin DiGangi said that all Clarke teams are required to do community service in order to fulfill the NAIA’s requirements.

“This way, student-athletes will realize that being an athlete at a Clarke is more than just playing a sport,” she said. “It will also teach younger kids in the community to play sports following the NAIA’s five core values. We have a responsibility to teach others how to compete the right way.”  

Along with the community service, DiGangi said CHAMPS is an organization that brings the athletic community together.

“The program lets athletes bring up concerns they are having, and is also a place where team representatives can share the happenings of their individual sport,” she said.

The transition from SAAC to CHAMPS was simple because of the way it is organized. DiGangi, along with the team representatives, are in charge of the athletic concerns; Liz Garthright, head softball coach, is in charge of community service; and Chad Harris, head baseball coach, is in charge of academics. 

“We are allowed to put our own Clarke touch to CHAMPS,” she said. “All student-athlete Champions of Character organizations are different on every campus. We made it how we wanted to and it fits in well with the Clarke community.”

Clarke’s first year with CHAMPS has been successful to date and it looks to stay that way.

“If things continue the way they are, the future looks promising for Clarke athletics,” DiGangi said. “Clarke will be more visible in the Dubuque community which is always a plus.”

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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.