The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has released the annual list of recipients for its flagship program, the Five Star Champions of Character designation, and, for the first time, Berea College has achieved this distinction.
To receive this distinguished designation, each participating school is judged on their commitment to character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and character promotion. According to the NAIA website, the “Champions of Character process is designed to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide practical tools for student-athletes, coaches and parents to use in modeling exemplary character traits.” (NAIA) The program was first introduced in 2009.
In an email to President Shinn and various supporters of Mountaineer athletics, Dean of Enrollment and Academic Services Joe Bagnoli shared the “tremendous pleasure” he feels in Berea receiving “this distinction reserved for the highest performing NAIA schools.”
Berea Athletic Director Mark Cartmill echoes this same sentiment, saying in an interview with Blue Crew News, “This designation has been a goal of our Athletic Department and a real focus for much of the past 2 years. I applaud our coaching staff and student-athletes who understand the importance of being good character representatives and commit themselves to displaying such strong character traits.” In the 2010-11 academic year, Berea athletic teams participated in 29 service projects and worked with more than 500 individuals.