The State University of New York College at Old Westbury has been chosen by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to take part in the CHAMPS/ Life Skills Program. The Challenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success (CHAMPS)/Life Skill Program is a total development program for student-athletes.

"In the great tradition of NCAA Division III athletics, the Old Westbury program is geared to helping its student-athletes prepare for life beyond both the classroom and the field of competition," said John Lonardo, the college's director of athletics. "This program will offer our student-athletes an expanded menu of resources and programming to help them grow as students and citizens."

Under the guidance of Dr. Gilda Zwerman, senior women's administrator for the athletic program and a professor in the college's sociology department, the program at Old Westbury is focused on ensuring student-athletes achieve academic excellence through group and individual advisement sessions and workshops with members of the college's faculty. Personal development for the student athletes will be a goal as well. This development will be achieved through counseling and workshops geared toward instilling in the student-athletes a greater understanding of their role as campus leaders and positive representatives of the college both on campus and off.

Old Westbury is an NCAA Division III school, fielding 10 successful varsity programs - five men's and five women's - that compete in the Skyline Conference and East Coast Athletic Conference. Along with achieving excellence in the classroom, the College's student-athletes are recognized for their success on the field of competition. Since the year 2000, Old Westbury student-athletes have earned conference championships in soccer and baseball; postseason tournament bids in baseball and both men's and women's basketball; and all-star awards in baseball, basketball; cross-country, soccer, softball and volleyball.