As part of the Chandler Union School District, Arizona College Prep is required to use a character-building program, called Character Matters, on all athletic teams.

As the Arizona College Prep girls volleyball team walks out of the locker room to start practice, they carry the usual practice equipment; water bottles, tennis shoes, etc. But they also carry one unusual item for a high school volleyball practice. In one hand, each girl is clutching a white, 3-ring binder, as if they are walking into math class.

The contents of these binders are part of the Character Matters curriculum, a curriculum required by Chandler Unified School District for all athletic programs.

According to the Character Matters website, coachcharacter.com, the course is structured to “provide a game plan to develop character,” “help coach with greater purpose,” “establish a character culture,” and “transform the lives of players.” The curriculum includes specific qualities and characteristics for the teams and athletes to focus on, printed out on worksheets.

Heather Osborn, ACP’s athletic director, said the district voted to introduce this curriculum in athletic programs last year to make sure their students were being influenced by positive messages.

“The news just highlights bad things, just in general, in schools with the shootings and kids being picked on,” Osborn said. “Sports really teaches kids life lessons, and we were trying to make sure we highlight those life lessons.”

On the ACP girls volleyball team, the words are presented every week by one athlete while the rest of the team fills out the worksheet, in their binders, pertaining to that word. This word then becomes their theme for the week and is emphasized more during games and practices. Then, the following week, awards are given to the athletes who best embodied that characteristic.

The girls varsity volleyball coach, Heather Orr, has always made character building a central focus on her teams and during practice.

“Our program has filtered into so many parts of their [the girls’] lives,” Orr said. “Even when we’re not in season, they still find themselves falling back on those important philosophies that we’ve been enforcing during our season.”

Orr is dedicated to building not just strong athletes, but strong people, so this curriculum provided structure and aide to her already established initiative.

Myron Blueford, coach of the varsity football team, also presents the character words on a weekly basis. Although the Character Matters curriculum was introduced the same year the football program was established, Blueford says he’s always placed emphasis on life lessons to his athletes and in his practice.

“It’s [football] unlike any other sport,” Blueford said. “It incorporates so many life lessons within the game that our players were exposed to that and they were exposed to this curriculum at the same time. So the growth has just been tremendous.”

Both ACP coaches have noticed the impact character building has on their team and its unity, and the Character Matters curriculum is purely based off that framework.

“Our kids are more dedicated, they’re more conscious about decisions they make, and they’re more focused on the things that will make them successful both on and off the field,” Blueford added. “From day one to now, it’s night and day from just the mentality of the individuals on our team.”