| National Christian College Athletic Association | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | NCCAA |
| Formation | 1968 |
| Legal status | Association |
| Headquarters | Greenville, South Carolina |
| Executive Director | Dan Wood |
| Main organ | Governing Body |
| Budget | Unknown |
| Website | www.thenccaa.org |
The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of approximately 100 Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada which see collegiate sports primarily as an opportunity for Christian fellowship and ministry. The national headquarters is located in Greenville, South Carolina. The president is Dr. Vickie L. Grooms-Denny.
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The NCCAA was formed in 1968 in Canton, Ohio at a meeting at Malone College. It was formed in order to provide a place for post season athletic competition for Christian Colleges around the nation.
During this time the headquarters were in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The headquarters was moved by the board of trustees. The board of trustees moved the head quarters two times in order to accommodate the growth of the association as it grew in members. The NCCAA moved to its second headquarters in Marion, Indiana in 1989. After 11 years it moved to its final location in Greenville, South Carolina. The NCCAA was started there by Norman Wilhelmi. Mr. Wilhelmi was the first president of the NCCAA from 1966–1973, and he was the Director of Athletics and Head Basketball Coach at The Kings College located at the time in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Coach Wilhelmi is a graduate of Taylor University in Upland, IN. Mr. E.C Haskell was the first executive director of the NCCAA from 1970-1980. These two helped start the foundation of what NCCAA has become today (NCCAA.org).
Its purpose is to give Christian schools and universities, especially smaller ones, a chance to compete in an atmosphere of shared values, where the primary emphasis is on fair play and clean competition. Member institutions are also free to affiliate with the Association of Christian College Athletics and the much larger National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and National Collegiate Athletic Association as well, and many have done so.
The NCCAA also helps the approximately 14,000 current student athletes to develop a relationship with Christ through athletics. Also using the student athletics to help the communities around them by volunteering, their time in outreach programs. And use the student athletics to help spread the word to surrounding communities around them about Christ, and what he has done and can do for them. The association wants the student athletics to gain attributes that will help them in life after sports, when they enter the work world. Obtaining life attributes such as dedication and leadership. Also build stronger faith in God. These attributes are some of the many that represent what the NCCAA is about. It also wanted to create a positive Christian atmosphere where Christians athletes could play their sport and not be distracted by the unmoral things that happen in college athletics today. Most athletes come to college to play a sport and hopefully take it to the next level. But what the NCCAA wants the sport to do help is help the athlete become a better person through Christ (NCCAA.org).
In order for a school to be accepted in the NCCAA, it has to be a Christian based school with a Christian atmosphere. The school also has to offer Christian Degrees for its students. As for the Teams, once accepted into the NCCAA every student athletic and coach must sign a NCCAA Code of Conduct which states what is expected of them. It is to be submitted by the 30th of September each academic year. The NCCAA code of conduct is separate from the Coach and Student athletic. The coach Code of conduct states as a coach you will follow all the rules of the NCCAA and you will also carry your program in a Godly manner. But the most important one rule out of all of them is the one that states, As the coach they will do their best to bring out the full potential in their student athlete and to push that student athlete to achieve their education goal, also build a Christian character within the student athlete, so that she or he has strong faith. The Student athletic code of conduct states as a student athletic you will follow the rules and respect your coaches and the people around but that you also will help your teammates become stronger Christians. And last that you will take responsibility for what happens in the classroom and on the sports field (NCCAA.org).
Men's sports are baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, indoor track and field, soccer, tennis, football, wrestling, and volleyball. Women's sports are basketball, cross country, track and field, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. Men's basketball was the first sport introduced and played in the NCCAA. It was introduced in 1968. The first men's basketball tournament was played in Detroit, Michigan in 1968.
The NCCAA has 23 tournaments that are held and while the teams are participating, they are required to do community service somewhere in that community.
The All-American award which is given to the best athletics in each region. The Ray bullock Award is given to the most outstanding women cross country runner. The Kathy Freese award is given to the most outstanding Women’s player. The hall fame award is given to those who have showed superior leadership on and off the court for years. Hank Burbridge award is given to the most outstanding baseball player. The Pete Maravich award is given to the most outstanding basketball player in The Division 1 and division 2 regions. The Scholar Team award is given to the team in any sport who has the highest (GPA) average in the nation. NCCAA presidential award is giving to the Athletic department of the school that has the most team sports that finish high in the national tournaments it based on points.
Each year, the college with the most total points, based on performance in the NCCAA national championships, is awarded the President's Cup.
The NCCAA currently consists of two divisions, Division I, which is predominantly four-year Christian liberal arts universities and colleges, and Division II, which is primarily Bible colleges and smaller four-year Christian colleges. The divisions are further subdivided into eight geographic regions.
The Victory Bowl is the championship football game between schools that sponsor football and are members of the NCCAA and did not qualify for either the NCAA or NAIA playoffs.
NCCAA football members 2009-10