Vanguard University Men's Tennis Program Receives Buffalo Funds Five Star Award

Coaches and student-athletes recognized for exhibiting exceptional character values

Posted 5.31.07

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 present Buffalo Funds Five Star Awards for each of the NAIA’s 23 championship sports. Vanguard University (Calif.) men’s tennis team was recently awarded the Buffalo Funds Five Star Award for its dedication and implementation of the Champions of Character program’s five core values: respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. The Lions are led by head coach Mattias Johansson and compete in the Golden State Athletic Conference.

“Without character, a team cannot perform over the course of one season. Integrity, respect and responsibility are such critical elements in daily life situations when working with a team. These core values are even more imperative when working with a diversified group of young men as we have this year,” said Johansson. “If you implement servant leadership and sportsmanship and all team members are on board, you really have a strong team of character.”

Vanguard University is known throughout the NAIA community for its dedication to character driven intercollegiate athletics. This year the men’s tennis rose to the standards set forth by the Champions of Character program and had success on many different fronts. The team encouraged one another built each other up and stayed together as a unit. Earlier in the year the number one men’s player suffered a season ending injury. The Lions used the situation to develop a team that recovered and responded to adversity.

“The men’s tennis team strongly believes that the NAIA’s Champions of Character program is something very positive and exciting. It adds another dimension to our sport and makes the NAIA a very special organization. Our team has realized that we want to win, but we do not want to win at any price. We want to win with integrity and show respect to our opponents,” said senior Dieter Weislmaier. “We also share our fortunate situation with less fortunate kids in our community. The team is arranging a “tennis day” for underprivileged kids in our neighborhood. Our hope is that the day will be a very memorable for these young kids and some of them will realize their own talent and the possibility to play college tennis in the future.”

The Vanguard University Lions are part of a community dedicated to intentionally teaching character in and out of sport. To learn more visit www.vanguard.edu.

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.