Athletic Recruitment: Why Choose Calvin?

The Student-Athlete Experience

We want you to have a balanced experience here, so you will be cared for as a person first, a student second, and an athlete third. Calvin can provide you with a profoundly academic education and an athletic experience that is rooted in a tradition of excellence.

Calvin teams have done extremely well at the national level:

• Men’s Basketball National Champions: 1992, 2000
• Women’s Cross Country National Champions: 1998, 1999
• Men’s Cross Country National Champions: 2000, 2003, 2004
• Women's Volleyball National Champions 2010
• 10 teams have finished as National Runners-up
• In 2004-2005, Calvin had 25 All-American performers, and 5 Academic All-Americans

Recruiting Philosophy

We aren’t just looking for talented athletes at Calvin, we are looking for people who will embrace the student-athlete experience and become contributing members of the vibrant, Christian community present at Calvin.

Leadership Development and Christian Character

There are many opportunities to actively develop leadership abilities and strengthen your Christian character as a Calvin student-athlete.

Aaron Winkle, in the office of Christian Formation for Athletics and Team Development, works together with our coaches to provide optimal opportunities for our student-athletes to grow as individual and team leaders through retreats, book clubs, committees and mentoring opportunities.

What Student-Athletes Have To Say

"To get an excellent education, play on this basketball team, meet great people, and get all of this with a Christian perspective, is something that I really appreciate a lot. This whole experience has been a blessing in my life.”

"I came to Calvin because of the strength of its academic program, but being on the softball team has been a great experience for me. I have enjoyed being around people who have their focus on academics and career goals but also have a great passion for the sport of softball. It’s been the best of both worlds.”

"God’s hand has been very evident in my life. I’m so happy to have had the opportunities I had. I’m afraid to think of the person I would have been if I had made the decision to go somewhere else.”

"My teammates are like a second family to me and have been a huge part of my positive experience at Calvin.”