CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — When players walk out of the locker room in Campbellsville University’s (CU) Hawkins Athletic Complex, the first thing they see is a bulletin board full of photos from the team’s most recent service projects, thank you notes from teachers and community members and a list of who will participate in the team’s upcoming service projects.
That commitment to community service is a key reason why the team has been named the Buffalo Funds Five Star NAIA Champion of Character Team for the 2010 football season. Buffalo Funds is the corporate sponsor for the NAIA’s Champions of Character program.
“It’s awesome for our team to receive this award,” head football coach Perry Thomas said. “When you look at our team goals, character development is our number one goal and has been a strong contributor to the continued growth of our program.”
Thomas and his staff from the Kentucky Baptist Convention-affiliated university received the award Jan. 9 at the American Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame dinner in Dallas. The award is based upon the values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
CU senior captain A.J. Brown, of Pelham, agreed that incorporating character into the team’s dynamic has brought change to the program. “It allows players to see people as they truly are, and it helps the team work together for the same goal,” he said. “Character has helped me by staying true to myself and to my teammates. I believe character has helped the team believe in one another, develop trust, accountability. Now we all have one another’s back.”
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