NAIA and Vanguard University (Calif.) to be honored at the AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards Dinner

Event celebrates outstanding sportsmanship, citizenship and ethical conduct

Posted on 06.20.07

OLATHE, Kan. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and Vanguard University (Calif.) will be honored at the AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards Dinner to celebrate athletes and personalities from around the nation who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship, citizenship, ethical conduct and community service. Recent Vanguard graduate and student-athlete Kelly Schmidt along with Vanguard University Head Women’s Basketball Coach Russ Davis are among the list of honorees. The ninth annual awards dinner, presented by the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) and the St. Louis Sports Commission, will take place on Thursday, June 21, at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Mo. beginning at 7 p.m. (CT).

The awards program, considered one of the most prestigious awards events in the country, features national superstars and local favorites, as well as individuals who may not necessarily be household names, but bring with them the most heartwarming stories. Award recipients represent the CTSA member organizations, including the NAIA, NCAA, National Junior College Athletic Association, the National Federation of State High School Associations and others. In addition, representatives from St. Louis’ professional franchises will be honored.

The complete lineup of honorees include: Tony Gwynn (2007 Baseball Hall-of-Fame); Sharon Robinson (daughter of the late Jackie Robinson); Army Women’s Basketball Team (United States Military Academy, NACDA); Marc Bulger (St. Louis Rams); Trevor Bunch (Marquette High School, NFHS); Russ Davis (Vanguard University, NAIA); Carlos Delgado (New York Mets, MLB); Travis Jones (Clinton Massie High School, NFHS); Rainer Martens (Human Kinetics, American Sports Education Program, NASPE); Jamal Mayers (St. Louis Blues, NHL); Chad Riegel (Ritenour High School, “Good Sport” Award); Mike Rose (Slippery Rock University, NCAA); Sarah Dawn Schettle (University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, NCAA); Kelly Schmidt (Vanguard University, NAIA); and Angela Verbeelen (Florida Community College at Jacksonville, NJCAA).

The AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards Dinner is the signature event of the Sports Commission’s Sportsmanship Initiative. By recognizing outstanding individuals who set a high standard with their approach on and off the field, the organization hopes to set the tone for all parents, coaches and fans to be “good sports” and to pass those values on to children in the community. It is the Sports Commission’s goal to make St. Louis a model community for good sportsmanship and home to America’s “best sports.”

NAIA Director of Champions of Character Initiatives Rob Miller and Vanguard University Athletics Director Bob Wilson will join Davis and Schmidt in St. Louis for the event. For more information on the 2007 AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards call 314-922-0686 or visit www.nationalsportsmanshipawards.com.  

About the NAIA award recipients:

Kelly Schmidt, Vanguard University, Women’s Basketball
The NAIA named Kelly Schmidt the recipient of the 2007 Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award. The award is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the NAIA and honors a student-athlete who excels in athletics and academics and is committed to the Champions of Character program’s five core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. For more on Schmidt click here.

Russ Davis, Vanguard University, Head Women’s Basketball Coach

The NAIA named Russ Davis the recipient of the 2007 Coach of Character Award. The award is given to an NAIA coach that is committed to character driven intercollegiate athletics. Davis recently completed his tenth year as head coach at Vanguard, has guided the Lady Lions to five consecutive Golden State Athletic Conference championship titles and nine NAIA Division I women’s basketball national championship appearances. Davis, who has over 25 years of experience in the coaching profession, has a philosophical approach to teaching the game of basketball and embraces the NAIA Champions of Character core values. For more on Davis click here.

-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.