Life CHAMPS is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded in Little Rock, Arkansas, dedicated to providing high quality, professionally-run youth sports leagues and camps to kids ages 5-12. Ultimately, the cause of Life CHAMPS is to embrace the popularity and environment offered in team sports in order to create teaching and mentoring opportunities that will develop our youth to become champions in life – by making the right choices, pursuing and valuing education and developing positive character traits
Our name says it all. We want to teach our youth how to be champions in LIFE, not just on the field of play. We use the word CHAMPS as an acrostic to set forth some of the character traits we want to instill in our participants:

C haracter H eart of a Champion A titude M entoring P urpose S erving Others

Team sports offer one of the best teaching environments in the world. Coaches have a unique opportunity to influence the kids that are in their “huddle.’ Our desire is to use this fertile ground to teach our youth positive lessons that will last a lifetime.

CHARACTER

HEART OF CHAMPION

ATTITUDE

MENTORS

PURPOSE

SERVING OTHERS

As we gather kids and their parents for our programs, some of our goals are to:

get kids off of the streets and plugged into a positive, character-building environment
get kids off of the couch by offering team-building, physical activities
equip and encourage coaches to be positive mentors to the kids on their teams
provide a life map that helps kids make the right choices in life
teach kids to compete in life without making it all about just winning
teach kids the importance of a quality education and of becoming life-long learners
teach kids the importance of having good character and modeling what that looks like
teach kids that life is not just about themselves but also about serving others
create a positive, safe environment where kids and their families can gather to have good, clean, family fun
teach kids how to work toward goals in life and help them develop the confidence to do so
encourage parents in the positive leadership of their kids

There is always a need to provide a positive environment for kids where they can have fun, learn valuable life lessons, develop important life skills and engage in physical activity. Little Rock, in particular, is in great need for more of these opportunities. ptions are limited when it comes to quality team sports programs, particularly ones that are focused on building champions off of the field as well as winning championships. A major goal of Life CHAMPS is to target kids at a young age when they are still very teachable and can be molded into positive role models, encouraging them to become a contributing member of society. Too many kids are growing up in Little Rock without any positive guidance and end up living on the streets and spending time creating problems for themselves and others.

Our main purpose is to use the popular attraction of sports to get as many kids as we can in our “huddles” so we can develop the *whole little person” athletically, educationally, socially, emotionally and spiritually, helping them develop life skills that will carry them far beyond the field of play. It is to raise up kids who will not only avoid and stay out of trouble but who will be positive role models for others to follow, who will become leaders in our community, who have been given a road map for making the right choices in life. It is to help kids understand that they were put on this earth for a larger purpose than just carrying a football across the goal line or making themselves feel good. It is to be able to open up our newspapers and see that there is less crime on the street because more and more kids are understanding the value of a good education, the importance of good character and the rewards of making the right choices. Our purpose is to build ‘champions for life.’

Before being allowed to coach a Life CHAMPS team or lead in our camps, all of our coaches must agree to and sign our philosophy on coaching and winning,’ which follows our purpose, set forth below.

Led by two great role-models, former Arkansas Razorback, All Southwest Conference, and 1980s All Decade Linebacker Rickey Williams, and former UCA standout Ben Faires, Life CHAMPS has grown to be the largest youth sports organization in Central Arkansas and embraces every oppo1tunity possible to be a positive influence in the lives of kids all over the state. Some Highlights:

Launched in 2005 with summer football camps and fall tackle and flag football leagues at War Memorial with 300+ kids
Summer camps and fall leagues have grown to over 1,000 kids in 20 I 0
Host annual “Spring Ballin'” 7vs7 flag football tournament each spring involving around 500 kids
Partnered with Community Connections to launch the RUFL flag football league for kids with disabilities in 2009.
Introduced written ·’character curriculum’· in 20 IO that gives coaches a tool to focus on each of the Life CHAMPS core character values with their players
Host banquets/events featuring inspiring positive role models as speakers to our Life CHAMPS teams and community
Engage in dozens of speaking opportunities each year to school groups, church groups, other sports teams, etc., encouraging kids all over Arkansas to make positive life cboices and to be champions off the field
Community partner with other youth sports organizations to create a positive and healthy environment for youth sports in central Arkansas (Youth Sports Expo)
Leading the effort to bring Lacrosse, the fastest growing team sport in the United States. to the kids of central Arkansas