About

Who is CHAMP

CHAMP, a nonprofit 501c3 organization based in Fort Collins, CO and is a community-wide effort focused on promoting positive character as an integral component of our student-athletes’ success, both on the athletic field and in life. It is CHAMP’s intent to positively impact all 14,000+ student-athletes and over 2,000+ youth coaches in the greater Fort Collins area every year.

Why does CHAMP and our mission matter? It matters because we are working to make a positive impact on those in our community who participate in youth sports.

History:

CHAMP was created because a group of insightful community leaders saw the need to bring the element of character to the forefront in Fort Collins. They saw that this would be a way to make a positive change in our community on a grassroots level, and over time transform our culture using athletics as the platform to deliver this message.We are grateful to our founders and are proud to say that we have now been delivering on this mission for over a decade. We have come a long way from our creation and we are excited about what the next decade will hold for us, and all those we hope to impact.

“CHAMP views coaches as the key to this program’s success! If the coach does not embrace character as an important dimension to the athletic experience of his/her players, then the team will also not fully embrace good character as integral to their success, both on the athletic field and in life. Therefore, much of the CHAMP program is designed to encourage, enable, and recognize the coach’s enormous impact on student athletes. We also recognize that all coaches have their own unique style of communicating and coaching their teams; therefore CHAMP has endeavored to provide tools for coaches which are flexible and meaningful to their style of coaching. ".. Please join me in developing these young athletes to their full character potential for success in every area of their lives..."

Sonny Lubick, former CSU head football coach

FAQ’s:

How do I nominate a student athlete for a character award?

Click the recognition tab at the top of our website, and then click the "Nominate Here" button at the top right corner!

Do you give out scholarships?

We do! Each year we award graduating high school seniors who have exhibited high character in sports the Heart of a Champion Scholarship. For more information, click "Nominations" then "Heart of a Champion Scholarship Nomination Form".

Where do you draw your curriculum from when you work with different organizations?

We use curriculums from Proactive Coaching, Positive Coaching Alliance, and a collection of 50 years of experience with our Board of Directors.

If I live outside of Northern Colorado and am interested in working with your organization / nominating a student athlete, am I able to do so?

Currently, we only work within in Northern Colorado, but if you have a student athlete you would like to nominate from out of the area, we are happy to send you a certificate.

How can my school or organization get involved?

We have a variety of ways to engage. Please contact us at champ.fortcollins@gmail.com for further information.

Founding Partners

Healthier Communities Coalition of Larimer County
Colorado State University
City of Fort Collins Recreation
Poudre School District

MVP Sponsor

Triple Crown

VIP Sponsors

Flood & Peterson
RBC

Promotional Supporters

Phillips Financial
Bank of CO
Shirazi Benefits
Naranjo Civil Constructors
Jeff Bethiaume
Livingston Real Estate
Canvas Credit Union
Neenan Archistruction

In Kind Sponsors

DC Oakes
Rebound
Hilton

Board of Directors

Dave Dixon

President

Korin LaPlante

Executive Director

Stephanie Klaviter

Past President

Erik Hegstad

Treasurer

Tom Lopez

Jason Burkett

Past President

Jason Odstrcil

Past President

Jamie May

Matthew Phillips