Blonde hair, brown eyes, five feet eight inches tall. These characteristics could describe several women at University of the Cumberlands. But mission trips, honor society memberships, 500 community service hours and star volleyball player can only describe junior, Amanda Hensley.
Many may consider an athlete to be someone that possesses “great athletic ability.” The National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics considers a true athlete to be someone who is “character-driven, lives from the inside-out, has a champion mind set and is mentally tough.” For Hensley, these qualities are day-to-day life and have earned her the title of “NAIA Champion of Character.”
The five core values that make up the NAIA"Champions of Character" are: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. According to the NAIA, “the Champions of Character process is designed to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide practical tools for student athletes, coaches and parents to use in modeling exemplary character traits.”
Throughout Hensley’s daily activities, she constantly balances volleyball, classes, work-study and numerous clubs. “Responsibility and organization is a requirement for me in order to be successful; and success is a top priority in my life,” Hensley said.
Hensley’s mentally tough attitude has helped her to stay strong during enduring practices and most importantly in the classroom. Well into her sophomore year, Hensley carried a cumulative GPA of 3.9 while majoring in Accounting. The Accounting program at UC is a five year program because it requires many more hours than other majors. Due to Hensley’s determination in the classroom, she plans to complete the requirements for graduation in five years and then plans to move on to graduate school.
Not only was the COC award an accomplishment for Hensley, but she was also named to the 2008-2009 Mid- South Academic All-Conference team. Hensley lives actively from the inside-out by being a strong member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Baptist Campus Ministries, IGNITE and many other organizations on campus.
“Amanda is a very well rounded individual offering her time and her heart to many different areas of our university. She embraces the five core values in her daily life on and off the court,” Kara Clemenz, UC Head Volleyball Coach, said.
Not only is Hensley a participant in on-campus activities, but also in the community. She leads small prayer groups, assists in volleyball camps and referees for local middle and high schools.
“The five core character values are a great way to establish my standards and principles so that success can be an active part of not only my life, but the lives around me,” Hensley said.
According to Clemenz, Hensley was a part of a very young volleyball team her freshman year at UC. The transition was difficult for Hensley and her teammates considering they did not have much time to learn the college game, making it one of the most difficult seasons in the school’s history. During this time, Hensley turned on her “champion mind set” and worked incredibly hard for her and her teammates.
The summer after her freshman year, Hensley chose to participate in a tri-athalon where she swam 500 meters, biked nine miles and ran for three miles, ultimately finishing fourth in her age group. She chose to enlighten her teammates with the importance of hard work and took every opportunity to challenge herself.
When it comes to sportsmanship, Hensley has proven to her teammates and opponents to be respectful, honest and responsible. She has undertaken many challenges and succeeded.
“Athletics, in itself, has taught me to have great sportsmanship, which in turn, goes along with having respect for your opponents. Don’t get me wrong, I want to win and am very competitive, but I don’t let my competitiveness get in the way of my sportsman like conduct,” Hensley said.
Hensley’s future is full of ambition and success. “As an Accountant, I will have to continue to work very hard at being successful, but success will still be a top priority and will be achieved. I hope to influence many others by showing outstanding character values as I work on my way to owning my own accounting firm and beginning a family,” Hensley said.
According to the NAIA, “these character values help young people make good choices in all aspects of their life and reflect the true spirit of competition.” Integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership are clearly visible in Hensley’s life. “I believe it [five core values] has taught me great values and morals that will consistently stay strong as I begin my life after college,” Hensley said.
By serving the greater good, Hensley was awarded the Champion of Character award in the 2008-2009 season for volleyball in the Mid-South Conference. “I believe Amanda was the perfect recipient of the Champions of Character Award in Volleyball and she more than deserved it,” Clemenz said.
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