RESOLUTION NO. 020295

Welcoming the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics back to the metropolitan area.

WHEREAS, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has relocated back to the metropolitan area after being in Tulsa, Oklahoma since 1993; and

WHEREAS, the NAIA has provided strong leadership for all aspects of intercollegiate sports and has maintained the highest standards while administering first rate athletics programs; and

WHEREAS, with its major emphasis on education and character development, the NAIA further strengthened academic eligibility requirements in the mid-1980's that all student-athletes must maintain a 2.0 grade point average while accumulating credit hours for a declared academic degree; and

WHEREAS, the NAIA is providing balanced athletics programs for more than 47,000 student-athletes with this program educating and creating awareness of the positive character-building traits afforded by sports and return integrity to competition at the collegiate and youth levels; and

WHEREAS, the NAIA creates an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five tenets: respect, integrity responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

That the Mayor and Council hereby welcome to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics back to the metropolitan area; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the Council in testimony thereof and that copies hereof be presented to Steve Baker, NAIA Chief Executive, with the best wishes of the Mayor and Council for the success in the NAIA and its continued growth.

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