Chapman Athletics

It’s a Matter of Balance

A good athlete never underestimates the importance of balance. It’s the foundation of every play, the base your body works from as you hit the ball, take the shot or make the move. Lose your balance and the result is not pretty.

Balance also happens to be the fundamental concept of NCAA Division III athletics, and Chapman University embraces that concept.

Think of it this way: It’s all about the hyphen. Take a good look at the term “student-athlete.” Two parts of one person, with the hyphen balancing the entire equation. In Division III, every athlete is a student—and any student can be an athlete. That’s the balance.

Right now, Chapman offers 25 different athletic options—18 intercollegiate and 7 club sports—and even more are on the horizon. That presents an opportunity for just about anyone, whether you’re recruited or a walk-on, to have a college sports experience. In Division III, playing sports is not viewed as a career path; it’s a way to enhance your college memories. There are no athletic scholarships in Division III—you’re playing for the love of the game, not the anticipation of money. It’s all about feeling part of a team, refining your skills with talented coaches, competing to test yourself when it matters… all the things that make sports so great are available at CU. And as the newest member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), Chapman teams and squads are competing against some of the most prestigious schools in the nation.

Of course, achieving the student-athlete balance doesn’t mean a Panther athlete is any less passionate, dedicated or fired up. Yes, a science lab or English assignment is given just as much importance as a practice—but when it’s game time, the nature of competition is the same at all levels. Ask any player or coach, or watch any game: Chapman plays to win.

And as a Panther, you’ll have the resources to achieve excellence. Chapman has committed more than $20 million in recent years to its athletics facilities. There’s the professional-quality sports field. The new 2,800-seat stadium. A sparkling new aquatics center with an Olympic sized pool. And a state-of-the-art athletics pavilion. The opening of the Lastinger Athletics complex means Chapman’s sports facilities are among the 10 best in the nation for Division III – and that’s out of more than 400 member schools.

Their results reflect their commitment. Five Chapman teams have brought home national championships. Just in the last 10 years, the baseball program has been to the NCAA championship finals eight times, winning two national titles and earning 19 All-America awards. In 2010 a Panther won the individual national champion in women’s tennis. Our club lacrosse team has played for the national championship twice in the last three years. Since moving to Division III in 1995, the softball program has been to the NCAA finals seven times, with five top-three finishes, a national title and 23 All-America honors. In 2009-2010 alone, Panthers were named to All-America teams in baseball, men’s water polo, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, volleyball and women’s water polo.

But equally impressive is the fact that since Chapman moved to Division III, we’ve had dozens of Academic All-America athletes—as well as dozens of academic All-America athletes. That sums up Panther athletics and the way Chapman embodies the student-athlete concept: It’s about balance.