University of Northwestern Mission Statement:
The University of Northwestern exists to provide Christ-centered higher education equipping students to grow intellectually and spiritually, to serve effectively in their professions, and to give God-honoring leadership in the home, church, community, and world.
Purpose of Athletics:
Athletics at Northwestern exists to enhance the mission of the university and honor Christ through a lifetime of competitive Christ-like attitudes, sportsmanship, speech, and actions. Daily devotions, prayer, as well as community outreach and missions trips also make up the uniqueness of athletics at our institution.
Mission Statement:
Athletics at Northwestern exists to utilize sports as the conduit for spiritual, educational, social and athletic growth of our student-athletes, encouraging them to maximize all their gifts. Luke 2:52
OUR CORE VALUES
Place Christ First
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
Invest in Relationships
Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14)
Pursue Our Best
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. (Colossians 3:23)
Through athletics, our goals are to:
Foster a sense of family and a spirit of oneness, outlined in Romans 12:5 (so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. - NIV)
Action Steps:
Encourage/plan fellowship outside of the athletic arena
Involvement in outreach activities off campus
Organize accountability groups: academic, spiritual & physical
Organize prayer partners/groups
Encourage involvement with other campus events/groups
With athletics as the vehicle, spread the gospel of Christ's love for the world found in Mark 16:15 (He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." - NIV)
Action Steps:
Team and individual missions trips and service projects
Involvement in ministries as an individual and/or team
Promote Christ-like sportsmanship on and off the playing fields
Pray for and with opposing teams and coaches
Make available Christian materials to opposing teams and fans
Strengthen and grow our student athlete's and department staff's personal relationship with Jesus found in I Timothy 4:7 (...train yourself to be godly.)
Action Steps:
Daily devotionals with teams
Weekly bible studies led by coaches, students, and staff
Provide resources and opportunities for spiritual growth
Mentorship between players, coaches and staff
Athletic chapels
Mentorship opportunities through the Eagle Success Program
Holistic support through invested relationships
Develop a Christ-like work ethic in all areas of the being as noted in Colossians 3:23
(Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...)
Action Steps:
Physical and mental training of the body and mind for athletic competition
Academic accountability through the Eagle Success Program
Development of personal/social relationships outside of athletics
Promote integrity in all areas of life
Assessment:
Knowing Christ is the ultimate judge of progress in these goals, we attempt to measure success using various methods. Yearly player, coach, and staff evaluations, one-on-one interviews with our student-athletes and staff, and "customer service" surveys are the major assessment tools. Feedback from outside sources assists us in evaluating the effectiveness and appropriateness of our methods.
Summary:
While every member of the athletic staff prepares their team to win, we will never compromise the mission of athletics at Northwestern. Plans, preparations, practices,and methods are designed to field competitive teams. However, winning is not the ultimate bench mark for our program. While we compete for earthly "prizes," we focus on the prize given to us by Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:14 - I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.)
NCAA Division III Philosophy
