What Coaches & Administrators are saying about Champions of Character

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"Wyandotte High School participated in Champions of Character this year and I believe it made a big difference with our parents." - Walt Thompson, Principal at Wyandotte High School (Kansas City, KS)

“There is no question that issues of character have become increasingly important in the world of athletics. One only has to read the sports page on a regular basis to see the lapses in pride and character that have tarnished the image of athletics and the various schools participating in athletics. The Champions of Character program addresses the issue of character and making sound choices on the part of fans, parents, coaches and athletes. The Champions of Character program is timely and critical in developing our nation’s young people, I recommend it highly.” – Dr. Tom Osborne

Dr. Tom Osborne is one of the most highly visible sports figures in the nation. Growing up Osborne followed in his grandfather and father’s footsteps and played college football at Hastings College in Nebraska. He led the Broncos to two NAIA national championship appearances, was a standout student and had passion for the game beyond the win/loss record. In 1966 at the age of 28 Osborne took over the head coaching responsibilities and stayed at the helm of the University of Nebraska football program for 25 years. Osborne is known throughout the country for his commitment to teach beyond the fundamentals and his ability to teach players how to live the rest of their lives.

"Our recent football game between De Soto High School and Anderson County High School was played out with so much positive sportsmanship on and off the field that the referee sent a letter of congratulations to both districts and the KSHSAA Director. I believe this is attributable to our focus on Champions of Character. Thanks for all you do to help this program be successful in our schools."

Sharon Zoellner, Superintendent of the De Soto School District

"There is no greater accomplishment than helping a child grow to possess the attributes that Champions of Character focuses its efforts on: respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. These attributes are equally important when used on the court or field, in the classroom, at home or in the community."

Dr. Tom Trigg, Superintendent of Blue Valley Schools

"Sports, school and extra curricular activities, community involvement, home life and church are all tremendous vehicles for providing positive youth development experiences that impact every area of life, be it physical, social or spiritual, especially from a discipline and character standpoint. This program uses the powerful medium of sports but also has the capacity to use these other venues to teach critical lessons to youth which will serve them and others throughout their lives."

Dave Smith, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City

"Rob Miller did an excellent job speaking at our facility to about 75 parents and baseball players last Sunday night.  He hit all of us right between the eyes challenging players to have better attitudes to enjoy the game and the parents on how to remove the stress from their child’s life when it comes to competition before, during, and after games.  Parents can apply so much pressure without even knowing it and do so much damage…it amazed me what he made us all realize with his message.  I cannot emphasize how important this message is for every parent and coach to hear and apply to their approach to their sport.  It’s about the athlete."

Kevin Seitzer, former Major League Baseball Player and Owner of Mac-n-Seitz

www.mac-n-seitz.com

"After studying the NAIA Champions of Character program, the Department of Physical Education felt it was the perfect fit for the competitive sports program. This partnership provides outstanding opportunities for both cadets and faculty members to gain knowledge and practical experience in teaching character through sport."

Dr. Ralph Pim, United States Military Academy Department of Physical Education Associate Professor and Chief of Competitive Sports

“I think all teachers should hear the message the NAIA is bringing to us. It’s about getting the most out of KIDS not just athletes.”

Jackie Haller, Kearney High School Math Teacher and Head Girls Soccer Coach

“A valuable message that all staff need to hear. Many activities staff members thanked me after the presentation saying that this was the best in service they had ever had.”

Bill Skillman, Kearney R-1 School District Activities Director

“Because of the importance of character development in young people as an integral part of overall achievement, the NAIA Champions of Character initiative provides our schools a systematic approach to character development through one of the greatest means of teaching character, our athletic programs.”

Dr. Thomas P. Cummings, Superintendent for North Kansas City School District

“I believe today’s student athletes are tomorrow’s leaders. Teaching character through athletics is about building great teams. Not only teams that will perform at a high level, but teams that will take what they have learned through participation in sports and use it to succeed in life. Just participating in sports will not necessarily help develop character in an athlete. Character has to be taught. I believe the Champions of Character model will help our coaches and parents model the five core values and in turn help our student-athletes develop high character.”

John Spotts, Activities Director for North Kansas City High School

“When people first heard about it, they thought it was just something else to do. We’ve had a great response. We are excited about using this program in our elementary schools. If you talk to people in the NAIA, you realize how sincere they are about this program. They are not just giving lip service.”

Jim Ater, Director of Athletics for the Olathe School District