Brenau’s Taylor Savage, center, talks with kids at the Boys and Girls Club of America about the importance of sportsmanship after her group played a racing game during a field day event on Monday, March 25. The Brenau Atheletes spent some time with the kids as part of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative that promotes integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership among the associations coaches and players.

The NAIA Champions of Character program promotes five core values- integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership- to help both coaches and players support character building, in and out of competition.

The department took athletes from each team and spent two hours with approximately 200 elementary school aged boys and girls. Each team created one or two physical activities that promoted the core values, and built an activity for each value.  The activities were both educational and fun, with each event centering on one of the five core values.

The physical events varied from various team building activities to different competitive events.  Ken Huffman, Athletic Director at the Boys and Girls club said, “I was so happy to see Brenau University Athletics come out and play games with the kids. Their games were really cool and creative and the kids really enjoyed it.”

For the Brenau athletes the opportunity to interact with young children was rewarding. Tiffany Schandera, a senior softball player, noted, “The Boys and Girls Club was an awesome experience! It felt very good to help the kids understand good qualities and goals in life and to have fun at the same time.”

 However, the greater value for many Brenau athletes was the chance to not only participate, but also to be involved in planning the event.  “This was a simple idea, initiated and developed by our extraordinary young women that turned into a fun, meaningful and rewarding experience for all, ” said Coach Andre Ferreira, the Brenau Champions of Character representative. ” Thanks to the Boys and Girls Club of Hall County and its administrators and counselors for receiving our group with open arms and making us feel at home from beginning to end. We look forward to getting involved again and developing a long-lasting relationship with that organization.”