Character Education
Ongoing training and professional development for coaches, athletics administration staff and student-athletes.

• Ensure ALL coaches complete Character-Driven Coaching, review coaches’ profiles annually.
• Incorporate Champions of Character into current activities.

Hospitality & Game Management
Oversight of athletics events include Conduct in Competition Guide

• Conduct contests according to the Conduct in Competition Guide.

Share the Character Message
Organize a servant leadership activity characterized by student leadership and athletic community engagement.

• Develop Champions of Character outreach activities in your community; partner with a local school or organization to deliver the core value message.
• Conduct at least one student-led, servant leadership activity per academic year.

Promote & Recognize Character

• Submit award nominations.

Oversight & Assessment

• Understand the Champions of Character Core Report requirements and input Core Report data in NAIA Connect.
• Use the Core Report to identify areas that need improvement; review ejections and suspension report to address areas of concern.

Sample Champions of Character Handbook

• KCAC Champions of Character Handbook

Promote & Recognize Character 
With awards and recognition of conference officials, athletics directors, coaches, and student-athletes.

• Coordinate Champions of Character National Awards for your Conference.
• Recognize officials, Athletic Directors, coaches, and student-athletes for demonstrating character with individual and Champions of Character All Conference Team awards.
• Create a Champions of Character page for your conference website.

Oversight & Assessment 
Of progress in implementing conference plans

• Use the results from the Champions of Character Core Report in NAIA Connect to assess your conference plan.
• Conduct game experience survey for officials, athletic directors, and coaches.

• Guide
• Official & Policy Handbook
• Code of Ethics
• FAQ Ejections and Suspensions

Officials

It is important that everyone understands the role they play in developing champions of character including officials. As officials of the NAIA, your role is vital as you have the opportunity to shape the lives of young people by ensuring that ethics, sportsmanship and fair play remain important factors during competition.

We will ask you once again to continue to enforce the expectations of the NAIA by the following:

• Enforce a “zero tolerance” rule on profanity in NAIA competition. NAIA officials will be expected to apply penalties (e.g., personal fouls, yellow cards) to any participant (player or coach) in NAIA competition.
• Game officials must submit an ejection report through the NAIA national office when an ejection of a coach or student-athlete occurs during a contest.