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The CHAMP ‘Heart of a Champion’ Senior Scholarship award is presented annually to one senior male and one senior female student athlete of outstanding character. Their legacy of character is identified through the edification of their teammates, coaches, classmates, teachers and community, as well as themselves. They are special athletes in that their behavior and actions separate them from the pack, serving as role models for young and old alike. Each recipient will receive a $500.00 one time scholarship, payable toward tuition and books, to the school of their choice. In addition to recognizing each recipient at their own school’s senior awards assemblies, they will be honored at the Annual CHAMP Celebration and Community Fundraising Breakfast each year. Eligibility Requirements:
Are you the coach, parent, or friend of an outstanding high school senior athlete? Nominate your special student-athlete today for the Heart of a Champion Senior Scholarship! To nominate a student athlete: #1) Complete the Heart of a Champion Senior Scholarship Nomination Form, explaining why the award is deserved. #2) Provide names and contact information of 3 to 5 references that are familiar with the candidate. References can include coaches, teachers, sports administrators, teammates, other students and/or athletes, and anyone else who is familiar with the nominees’ credentials. Applications must be submitted no later than noon on April 5, 2010 to CHAMP. Please send all applications to: CHAMP 970-416-6316 phone Download Heart of a Champion Senior Scholarship Nomination Form here. (PDF) A Special thanks to the Friends and Family of Scott Nelson for sponsoring the 2009 Senior Scholarships! Scott Nelson was an athlete of extreme character. As a four-sport high school athlete, Scott declined an in-state football scholarship to pursue his Bachelors degree from Purdue University. Scott walked onto the football team after his first semester and went on to be a four-year starter. While at Purdue, he received the Red Mackey Award for Excellence. This award honors a player voted most deserving by both the coaching staff and fellow team members. Recipients demonstrate positive attitude, outstanding competitive spirit, loyalty, honesty, generosity, tenacity, self-discipline, dedication, hard work for the best interest of the team and a willingness to help others. Why is character important in athletics? Good question. At CHAMP, we have a vision of a community in which athletes are allowed to perform to the best of their abilities; parents are supportive of their teams, regardless of the score; coaches have the tools and understanding to teach athletic and leadership skills; and the team community does not feel the need to express negative emotions. Character can lead us to this vision. Wouldn’t it be great to play a game without hearing negative comments from your teammates, parents and coaches? When you are faced with a challenging situation like striking out at bat or missing the pass, wouldn’t it be great to not feel bad about yourself. Coaching with character can help you with these situations on the field and in your daily life at home and school. CHAMP wants to help your coach learn how to coach with character to eliminate the negative and allow you to grow as an athlete and a person. Player Testimonials: “Our team’s emphasis on positive character has impacted far beyond just our players. It has extended out and impacted the whole school community. Players have worked to improve their character in all aspects of their life. I personally have been encourage to show good character, and I’ve been healthily reminded that I need to show good character.” “The best example of good sportsmanship that I saw from a teammate this year was Jaden, who has fybromayalga. One game we were down to only 8 men and Jaden was struggling. He still went onto the field so we wouldn’t forfeit. He is not the best play on the team and he knows it. But he knows that teamwork means helping the team any way you can…no matter what.” “If I coach, I will encourage my players to model the character quality of good sportsmanship. The way I see it, it’s not all about winning or losing, but it’s whether or not you make it fun for yourself and others.” “I play basketball for Lincoln because a lot of my friends play and this will be my second year playing basketball. I also wanted to play basketball for Lincoln because I can keep my grades up and I stay out of trouble that way. What I have learned from playing sports is that you are here to play and have fun. Also you don’t have to be good to play a sport, you just have to try hard and you have to want to want it. That’s what I learned from trying to play this sport. This sport has helped me develop my character because before I started playing basketball I wouldn’t do my homework. I didn’t like meeting new people and I was a couch potato. I trust Mr. Perez because I came to try-outs late and he still let me play and I need to show him the same. The positive experiences that I have learned from sports are that you can meet new people. Also, that you can trust your teammates. The third thing is that playing sports isn’t always about winning or losing.”
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