Dakota Wesleyan Football Program Receives Buffalo Funds Five Star Award

Coaches and student-athletes recognized for exhibiting exceptional character values

Posted 12.20.06

For a complete list of 2006-07 award recipients click here.

OLATHE, Kan. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and Champions of Character founding partner Buffalo Funds will present Buffalo Funds Five Star Awards for each of the NAIA’s 23 championship sports. The Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) football program was recently awarded the Buffalo Funds Five Star Award for their dedication and implementation of the Champions of Character program’s five core values: respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. The Tigers, who compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, are led by head coach Brad Pole.

The Dakota Wesleyan football program has a team program called “Band of Brothers”. Incoming freshman are required to read the book Season of Life by Jeffery Marx and meet with the head coach seven times throughout the year for a discussion. As a sophomore the class, under the direction of the assistant coaches, commits to seven service projects throughout the year that includes yard cleaning and other labor jobs that serve the community. The junior class participates in seven lectures on leadership. In the fourth year of the program the senior class is required to read the book Wild at Heart by John Eldridge and meet with the head coach four times throughout first semester for a discussion. The coaching staff and player’s commitment to the program not only teaches the value of integrity but requires them to apply the lessons beyond the limits of the football field.

“A team’s mental focus is the most vital organ of the body and the only way you can feed, nurture and revitalize that organ is through capturing the true heart of every one of your players. You cannot capture a man’s heart without discussing character. We have a mental notebook that we hand out each season that begins with Ten Commandments of Success. This notebook provides us with some written materials for teaching character and leadership,” said Pole. “Our Band of Brothers program provides us with a more practical, hands-on set of tools that we can teach with. The words trust and confidence are the two most important words we coach with on the field. By incorporating the above mentioned programs, the words of trust and confidence have more meaning and value. We are succeeding and growing as a team because of them.”  

Pole and the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers are part of the community that is dedicated to intentionally teaching character in and out of sport. To learn more visit www.dwu.edu.

NAIA

A leader in the development of student-athletes, the NAIA is committed to changing the culture of sport through Champions of Character. Founded in 1937, the NAIA continues to be a pioneer in implementing exceptional standards for academics, diversity, and character. Today, the NAIA sponsors 23 collegiate championships in 13 sports for its nearly 300 member institutions throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more about the NAIA visit www.naia.org.

Buffalo Funds

Buffalo Funds is the Official Sponsor of the Champions of Character program. Buffalo Funds assists in the Champions of Character program growth and is the title sponsor of the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship. To learn more about Buffalo Funds visit www.buffalofunds.com.