NAIA Champions of Character

Florida National University is proud to support the NAIA Champions of Character program that goes well beyond the playing field to the daily decisions of our youth. These character values help young people – and those associated with their development – make good choices in all aspects of their life and reflect the true spirit of competition. The five core values: respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship, and servant leadership are put into play, accounted for, and tracked at all NAIA schools.

Respect

Those associated with sports show respect by treating themselves, other persons, institutions, and their sport according to the highest standards of conduct. It implies civilized and gracious behavior to players, coaches, fans, and parents.

Responsibility

Athletes show responsibility by making academic progress toward graduation their top priority. They solve problems rather than make excuses, and are reliable team players. Students should be accountable for their actions and decisions, and coaches and administrators should maintain high standards of competence and conduct.

Integrity

For student competitors and their coaches, integrity means keeping commitments and conducting honest behavior. Coaches must subscribe to and practice the Coaches Code and Code of Ethics, and student-athletes must know and understand the Champions of Character Student-Athlete Pledge.

Servant Leadership

This core value refers to putting the group first and becoming responsible for personal and group roles while performing at your best. Students demonstrating servant leadership have the primary purpose of serving others while striving to become a personal and team leader. The servant-leader provides a critical service to society and the great gift of a good example.

Sportsmanship

The conduct of educational sports according to the highest standards is our expectation for sportsmanship. Administrators, coaches, students, fans, and parents are expected to act correctly even when others do not, and demonstrate fairness and equity in all contests and relationships. The five core values: respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship, and servant leadership are put into play, accounted for, and tracked at all NAIA schools.

More information on the five core values can be found on the NAIA Champions of Character webpage.

As an NAIA institution, Florida National University has developed a Champions of Character campus program that includes:

• Ongoing character education for all student-athletes using the Champions of Character Live 5 orientation program.

• Professional development for coaches, athletics administrative staff including completion of the Character-Driven Coaching course.

• Emphasis on hospitality and game management of athletics events and conduct in competition.

• Servant leadership activities that promote student leadership and athletic community engagement.

• Ongoing oversight and assessment of progress in the program’s implementation by both Florida National University and the NAIA.

Florida National University continues its commitment to the Champions of Character’s five core values through our community events, service projects, various trainings and activities, and outreach experiences:

On May 10th, 2024, The FNU Social and Behavioral Science Division and the Athletic Administration hosted an event “Mental Health Awareness: Taking Care of My Mental Health as a Student-Athlete”. Over 40 people attended in person, with more viewing virtually, including FNU faculty, staff, student-athletes, and members of the local community.

FNU Athletic Director and student-athletes from the tennis, track & field, and cross country teams, along with a couple hundred local volunteers, helped build a playground at Babcock Park in Hialeah on March 29th, 2024. This playground will serve the general public and the greater Hialeah community.

FNU Athletic Director running the coaches meeting for the Miami-Dade County Track & Field Championship, better known as the Youth Fair, which was organized and hosted for the Miami-Dade County high schools at Tropical Park on March 22nd, 2024. This competition saw 44 schools and 82 teams register 1,445 athletes into 2,072 events; making it the second largest Youth Fair Track & Field championship in county history.

FNU Athletic Director / Interim Cross Country Head Coach and the cross country team coordinated and hosted the 4th Annual FNU Cross Country Invitational at Larry & Penny Thompson Park on September 10th, 2023. Over 30 South Florida high schools and 500 student-athletes were registered for and competed in the event!

FNU Athletic Director / Interim Cross Country Head Coach and the cross country team coordinated and hosted the first cross country meet of the 2023-24 season, the FNU Conquistador Kickoff taking place at at Larry & Penny Thompson Park on August 25th, 2023. The event saw over over 20 local high schools and 300 student-athletes registered for the event!

FNU President Mr. Frank Andreu addressing the FNU Baseball team discussing the importance of being a student-athlete, while reinforcing the NAIA Champions of Character core values on March 20th, 2023.

FNU Athletic Director running the coaches meeting for the Miami-Dade County Track & Field Championship, better known as the Youth Fair, which was organized and hosted for the Miami-Dade County high schools at Tropical Park on March 17th, 2023. This competition saw 51 schools (93 teams) with 1,509 students registered in 2,259 events; making it the second largest meet of the year in Miami, and the biggest championship in county history.

FNU student-athletes from the softball team volunteered their time to help at a Miami Marlins Youth Academy Field Day at Hadley Park on November 8th, 2022. This event provided learning and developmental opportunities for kids between the ages of 6 – 14, where participants perform drills and exercises that covered the fundamentals of playing baseball and softball.

FNU student-athletes from the baseball and softball teams volunteered their time to help at a Miami Marlins Youth Academy Field Day at Sparks Park on October 12th, 2022. This event provided learning and developmental opportunities for kids between the ages of 6 – 14, where participants perform drills and exercises that covered the fundamentals of playing baseball and softball.

FNU Athletics staff and the cross country team coordinated and hosted the Larry Wooten Cross Country Invitational at Larry & Penny Thompson Park on October 4th, 2022. There were 70 local middle schools and high schools, and over 1,300 student-athletes were registered for the event which is named after one of the pillars of the South Florida running community, Larry Wooten, who has been involved with cross country and coaching for over 50 years!

FNU Athletics staff and the cross country team coordinated and hosted the FNU Cross Country Invitational at Larry & Penny Thompson Park on August 26th, 2022. Over 30 high schools and 500 student-athletes were registered for and competed in the event!

FNU Athletic Director led a college interest Zoom meeting on May 24th, 2022 for coaches, parents, and student-athletes who are looking to participate in athletics at the next level. The meeting focused on what colleges are looking for in student-athletes, academic and athletic requirements institutions may have, and what to look for in making the best decision in choosing a school to attend and compete for.

FNU Men’s Soccer Assistant Coach participated in the American Tryout organization soccer camp in Olaria, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 21st-22nd, 2022. The organization was founded by a FNU women’s soccer student-athlete in an effort to help students in her country gain an opportunity to learn what is expected and required of student-athletes in colleges and universities in America.

FNU Men’s Soccer Head Coach participated in the Albion Nation College ID camp taking place at the Kendall Soccer Park on April 7th, 2022. The event featured over 100 high school boys and girls, and focused on player development both on the field and off the field, including such values as teamwork and sportsmanship.

FNU Athletic Director running the coaches meeting for the Miami-Dade County Track & Field Championship, better known as the Youth Fair, which was organized and hosted for the Miami-Dade County high schools at Tropical Park on April 2nd, 2022. This competition saw 46 schools (86 teams) with 1,273 students registered in 1,948 events; the biggest in county history.

FNU Men’s Soccer Assistant Coach participated in the Fut weekend boys soccer camp taking place in São Paulo, Brazil on March March 29th, 2022. The event featured 60 youth student-athletes with aspirations of continuing their soccer careers into college and beyond.

FNU volleyball team did a park clean-up at Forzano Park for the local community in the nearby city of Miramar on March 23rd, 2022. This is a continuous effort put in place with park clean-up efforts by the volleyball program.

FNU Athletic Director organized and helped host the North Florida / South Florida Challenge at Miami Northwestern High school on March 11th, 2022. The event featured some of the premier high school teams and over 300 student-athletes from various Miami high schools, as well as Bartram Trail High School and Flagler Palm Coast High School from northeast Florida.

FNU Women’s Soccer Head Coach attended the Disney Girls Soccer Showcase taking place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando on January 16th, 2022. The event was coordinated for youth and high school aged girls to showcase their abilities and learn from hundreds of college coaches.

FNU Women’s Soccer Head Coach attended The Orange Classic International Girls Soccer Tournament taking place in Plantation, Broward county, on December 29th, 2021. The event was coordinated for youth and high school aged girls to showcase their abilities and learn from dozens of college coaches.

FNU Athletics staff coordinated and hosted the Larry Wooten Cross Country Invitational at Larry & Penny Thompson Park on September 30th, 2021. Over 60 local middle schools and high schools, and over 1,200 student-athletes were registered for the event which is named after one of the pillars of the South Florida running community, Larry Wooten, who has been involved with cross country and coaching for over 50 years!

FNU Athletics staff coordinated and hosted the FNU Cross Country Invitational at Larry & Penny Thompson Park. Over 40 local high schools and over 500 student-athletes were registered for the event which was supposed to take place on September 2nd, however had to be postponed due to inclement weather. FNU stayed committed to providing the event and successfully hosted on September 14th, 2021.

FNU Men’s Soccer Head Coach took part in an Exact Soccer Camp on May 23rd, 2021. He addressed over 50 campers speaking on the NAIA Champions of Character initiative and the importance of education, that they are students first and athletes second. He also went over the recruiting process in college soccer, from eligibility, to recruiting, to effectively contacting college coaches.

FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drive #9 on May 7th, 2021: FNU President Dr. Maria C. Regueiro, athletic director, coaches, student-athletes from various sports, and partnering organizations volunteered to provide much needed support and food to our local South Florida community by donating and distributing more than 1,200 food and drink boxes.

For additional information and more pictures of our previous and/or upcoming FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drives, please follow our FNU Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FloridaNationalUniversity/

FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drive #8 on April 23rd, 2021: FNU President Dr. Maria C. Regueiro, athletic director, coaches, student-athletes from various sports, and partnering organizations volunteered to provide much needed support and food to our local South Florida community by donating and distributing more than 1,200 food and drink boxes.

FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drive #7 on April 16th, 2021: FNU athletic director, athletics personnel, student-athletes from various sports, and partnering organizations volunteered to provide much needed support and food to our local South Florida community by donating and distributing more than 1,200 food and drink boxes.

For additional information and more pictures of our previous, and upcoming, FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drives, please follow our FNU Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FloridaNationalUniversity/

FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drive #6 on April 9th, 2021: FNU athletic director, athletics personnel, student-athletes from various sports, and partnering organizations volunteered to provide much needed support and food to our local South Florida community by donating and distributing more than 1,200 food and drink boxes.

As part of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, on March 25th, 2021, the FNU head women’s volleyball coach and head athletic trainer speak to the women’s volleyball team about important drug and alcohol related facts, substance abuse, and statistics to help shatter the myths about drugs and alcohol.

For more information about National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, please visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse webpage: https://teens.drugabuse.gov/national-drug-alcohol-facts-week

FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drive #5 on March 19th, 2021: FNU athletic director, athletics personnel, student-athletes from various sports, and partnering organizations volunteered to provide much needed support and food to our local South Florida community by donating and distributing more than 1,500 food and drink boxes.

FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drive #4 on March 12th, 2021: FNU President Dr. Maria C. Regueiro, athletic director, coaches, student-athletes from various sports, and partnering organizations volunteered to provide much needed support and food to our local South Florida community by donating and distributing more than 1,500 food and drink boxes.

FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drive #3 on March 5th, 2021: FNU President Dr. Maria C. Regueiro, athletic director, coaches, student-athletes from various sports, and partnering organizations volunteered to provide much needed support and food to our local South Florida community by donating and distributing more than 1,500 food and drink boxes.

FNU Athletic Director and Cross Country Head Coach provided a community outreach to Mater Lakes Academy cross country / track & field team on March 4th, 2021. They discussed about sport specific development, training programs, and personal character traits / Live 5 core values that college athletic programs look for in potential student-athletes.

FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drive #2 on February 26th, 2021: FNU athletic director, coaches, student-athletes from various sports, and partnering organizations volunteered to provide much needed support and food to our local South Florida community by donating and distributing more than 1,500 food and drink boxes.

FNU COVID-19 Relief Food Drive on February 12th, 2021: FNU President Dr. Maria C. Regueiro, athletic director, coaches, student-athletes from various sports, and partnering organizations volunteered to provide much needed support and food to our local South Florida community by donating and distributing more than 1,500 food and drink boxes.

USCAA Press Release about FNU’s COVID-19 Relief Food Drives: https://www.theuscaa.com/Press_Releases/2020-2021/Florida_National_University_Holds_COVID-19_Relief_Food_Drive

Members of the FNU women’s soccer team (pictured), head coach and athletic director (not pictured), volunteered and helped coordinate the Autism Soccer 5k Walk event at Amelia Earhart Park on September 19th, 2020. The purpose of the event is to provide awareness, support, and positive experiences for children with autism through the sport of soccer.

For more information about Autism Soccer and their various events, please visit their webpage: https://autismsoccer.org/

FNU’s women’s volleyball head coach, graduate assistant, and student-athletes, after building a playground at local Bucky Dent Park in Hialeah on October 25th, 2019. This playground will serve the general public and the greater Hialeah community.

FNU’s cross country head coach and student-athletes, along with Florida State Representative Anthony Rodriguez, helping host the Junior Orange Bowl Cross Country Invitational for local middle schools and high schools at Larry & Penny Thompson Park on October 4th, 2019.