Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami University CHAMPS Program Recognized as Program of Excellence
10/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 16, 2006
Miami University's CHAMPS/Lifeskills Program was recognized this past week by the Division I-A Athletic Director's Association as one of three universities nationally to earn the prestigious Program of Excellence Award. Miami, along with Virginia Tech University and Washington State University, were honored for maintaining highly-effective and pervasive CHAMPS programs that benefited their student-athletes not only in athletics and academics but also in terms of serving the community and through personal and career development.
"This is a tremendous honor not only for the people directly involved with the CHAMPS Program but for the entire
athletic department and Miami University as a whole," Director of Athletics Brad Bates stated. "What this award confirms is that this University, through the collective efforts of people across the campus, has created an environment conducive not only to success in the classroom and in athletic competition but also to the present and future success of our
student-athletes as people and future leaders. The CHAMPS/Lifeskills program is great for college athletics, and we're proud to be one of the nation's flagship universities in carrying out its mission."
The NCAA CHAMPS/Lifeskills program, which started at Miami in 1996, was created to enhance the total experience of
student-athletes while providing a foundation for success in life after athletics. Central to the program's objective is a
commitment to excellence in the areas of academics, athletics, service and personal and career development. Miami's own program has undergone remarkable growth over the past 10 years, including the announcement of Lil Fesperman as Miami's first full-time CHAMPS/Lifeskills coordinator last year.
One of Miami's most important achievements has been the programming that facilitates the teaching of success
strategies for freshmen student-athletes. Sophomore football player Kevin Samy credits that instruction for instilling him with the skills necessary to be successful in managing the many realms of his life.
"The most important thing I've learned is to prioritize my activities whether they are academics, athletics or social," Samy said. "The program allows first-year student-athletes to get a jumpstart on being successful on and off the field. It's a tremendous resource for helping student-athletes make the transition to college."
Other achievements of the program include the introduction of numerous workshops and speakers that teach about life beyond athletics, the creation of a student-athlete resume CD-rom that is sent to potential employers and the creation of the RedHawk Student Council, in which student-athletes are selected by their peers to serve an important leadership role within the athletic department. The program also promotes an active role in the community.
"Last year, our student-athletes logged more than 1,700 hours of community service and our resume CD-rom crossed the desks of more than 330 employers," Fesperman said. "The program really hits on the total development of our student-athletes. We're teaching them to use all of the many resources available to them at Miami while helping them develop as people and prepare for the future."
Miami University President Dr. David Hodge, a former student-athlete himself, applauded the success of the program and reiterated the university's pride in its illustrious athletic traditions.
"We're very proud of Miami's athletic tradition and especially its participation in the CHAMPS/Lifeskills program--a
program designed to make sure all of our students develop as a complete individuals athletically and academically," Hodge said. "Of the 30 top public universities in the country, only 16 compete at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics--NCAA Division I-A. We're very proud that Miami is part of that great tradition. We're also proud that Miami's student-athletes perform exceptionally well in the classroom."
The Program of Excellence Award is presented annually to Division I-A athletic departments at the annual meeting of the Division I-A Athletic Directors' Association. Started in 1997, the award has been presented to more than 40 NCAA Division I-A institutions. Miami is the first Mid-American Conference program to earn the honor since 2002 and the third all-time.
Fesperman spearheaded the extensive application process for the award, which is based on three priorities: 1.) Serving as an assessment tool for universities that are seeking to improve programs and services for student-athletes. 2.) Establishing a standard of excellence that will serve as a model for Division I-A CHAMPS programs. 3.) Honoring universities that have made a commitment to a broad program of student-athlete support services.
According to Executive Director of the Division I-A Athletic Directors' Association, Dutch Baughman, Miami's CHAMPS/Lifeskills program is an ideal example of such commitment.
"The essence of the Program of Excellence award is to recognize institutions that have made a strong commitment to providing exemplary life skills education and training to their student-athletes," Baughman said. "Miami has always been nationally respected as a strong academic institution with a rich athletic tradition, and I'm especially pleased to see it honored for having the vision to recognize the current and future benefits of establishing a sound CHAMPS program."
