The CHAMPS/Lifeskills program was created to support the educational outreach and student development initiatives of the NCAA member institutions. With goals that include enhancing the quality of the student-athlete experience within the university setting, the CHAMPS/Lifeskill program has as its foundation five areas of commitment:

• Commitment to Academic Excellence
• Commitment to Athletic Excellence
• Commitment to Personal Development
• Commitment to Career Development
• Commitment to Service

In 1999, the University of Tennessee's CHAMPS/Lifeskills program received the prestigious Program of Excellence Award, a lifetime award which recognizes Division IA athletics programs that have established student-athlete welfare programs as the cornerstone of their operating principles. The award was established as a standard of excellence for Division IA universities and provides a way to honor the universities that have made a true commitment to a broad program of student-athlete support services.

The Thornton Athletics Student Life Center is the focal point for four of the five CHAMPS/Lifeskills components. The mission of the Center and its staff concentrates on the academic and personal success of all of the university's student-athletes, providing academic support, educational and outreach programs and a proper environment for learning.

The director of the CHAMPS/Lifeskills program at UT provides personal development programs in coordination with the University and the athletic departments. Examples of such programs include seminars on alcohol abuse, date and acquaintance rape, and eating disorders. In addition, each fall semester, an orientation class is offered for all freshman and transfer students. The class is structured around introducing the incoming student-athletes to the mission and purpose of the CHAMPS/Lifeskills program as well as to campus and community services, resources and facilities.

Community service efforts are a point of pride for the student-athletes at the University of Tennessee. Each year, hundreds of people in Knoxville and the surrounding area are touched by the efforts of the Volunteers. Elementary school children, hospital patients, and nursing home residents are among those who benefit from the community service projects adopted by the CHAMPS/Lifeskills program.

An important aspect of the CHAMPS/Lifeskills program is the nurturing of the student-athletes' career and professional goals. The program conducts seminars that focus on interviewing skills and resume writing and coordinates summer job placement services. In addition, student-athletes can benefit from the Vols Career Network, a program that assists in matching career goals with available employment opportunities.