Dalton athletics recognized for successes off the field College among NAIA’s ‘Champions of Character’

Published 10:38 pm Sunday, March 1, 2015

At Dalton State College, student-athletes are giving just as much effort off the field or court as they do on it. For their commitment in the classroom, and in the community, the college’s athletics department has been recognized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

In only its first year of eligibility, Dalton State was named a “Five Star” institution in the NAIA’s Champions of Character program.

The college is one of about 160 member institutions to receive the designation — there are nearly 300 NAIA institutions — which honors schools whose student-athletes, as a whole, sustain a high level of academic success and are heavily involved in their local community.

Participating institutions are measured on a demonstrated commitment to “Champions of Character” by “earning points based on exceptional student-athlete grade point averages, having minimal to no ejections during competition throughout the course of the academic year and fostering a commitment to serving the school’s community,” according to Kristin Gillette, director of the Champions of Character program.

“(Recognized schools) strive to encourage student-athletes, coaches and administrators to demonstrate character both on and off the field,” she said. “It is our privilege to honor (Dalton State) for their hard work and commitment.”

Dalton State Athletics Director Derek Waugh said all credit belongs to folks in the trenches.

“Like most things that happen in our athletics department, the credit for this award goes to our excellent group of coaches and student-athletes,” Waugh said. “I am really proud that we’ve not only been able to win games, but our students and coaches have made a difference in the community, because that is what we set out to do. And, each semester, our student-athletes as a whole have achieved a higher than 3.0 GPA (grade point average).”

Dalton State produced nine student-athletes with a 4.0 grade point average during the fall 2014 semester. Student-athletes, administrators and coaches at the college have committed hundreds of hours to community service during the last several years, participating in projects that support Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, Teen Maze and mentoring programs, among others.  

As of last year, there were about 110 student-athletes across Dalton State’s nine sports — men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf and competitive cheer — according to Waugh.

“The three things that I’m most proud of with our athletics department are we’ve by and large had great young people represent our teams and school; we’ve been very successful on the field and courts; and, as a department, we, with our different coaches, put a real emphasis on getting out in the community and being visible and giving back to the people who do so much for us,” Waugh said. “The best way to have good students is to recruit good students, and our coaches have done that. They put a premium on making sure students attend classes and graduate. And, I can personally vouch that every single athlete we have has done something related to community service.”

Ben Ricketts, director of Dalton State’s golf program, said he firmly believes in having his students be active members of the community.

“We help where we’re needed,” he said. “It’s not only good for the community, but eye-opening and fulfilling for us.”

Ricketts said golf teams, as well as other teams at the school, set goals to achieve as high a GPA as possible.

“Students get to a point where they know that me asking them on a weekly basis about their grades isn’t me being nosey about their grades, but about getting things in place to make sure their marks are where they want them to be. It is something we definitely put an emphasis on,” he said. “(This designation) is huge for us and for the department. It is really a team effort, between the department and the coaches who all share the same vision. It is nice for us to get there.”

Dylan Smith, a senior on Dalton State’s men’s basketball team, said grades and community service have always been a focus of his coaches and teammates.

“Coach (Tony) Ingle definitely puts a lot of importance on being a student-athlete, rather than an athletic student. We are here to get an education first and foremost. Our coaches and AD really stress that,” Smith said. “And as far as getting out into the community: We play for our community. They are a big part of what we do. Anytime we can get out and help, we do. I love it, whether we are helping kids or building a house through Habitat for Humanity. My teammates and I love doing stuff like that.”

Senior Alyne Bianchi said the same applies for the women’s volleyball team.

(Grades and community service) are for sure stressed. (Coach Bruna Langner) is always encouraging us to go do community projects or volunteer here at the college,” Bianchi said. “She is always looking for ways for us to help. We really like it, and it is a lot of fun. The community helps us and supports us, so it is good to give back.”