MORROW, Ga. – Clayton State Athletics, in effort to continually improve and constantly strive to be among the best in the field, has released a new set of core values that will guide the Department for years to come.
 
"Our athletics staff did a tremendous job identifying and defining the core values of our department," said Director of Athletics Ryan Erlacher. "We are focused on creating a culture by design and our intentional efforts speak volumes to that approach. We are thrilled with our end result and look forward to implementing our core values into our daily operation."
 
Over the course of several months, all members of the Lakers' athletics staff worked to develop the Department's core values, which consist of six main principles. These are Professionalism, Excellence, Accountability, Character, Innovative and Trust with each having multiple aspects associated with them that help define each area.
 
These six areas not only speak to what Clayton State Athletics represents, but are an indicator of how we will conduct ourselves and will evaluate our Department as well as what the public, community, partners and our student-athletes and staff should expect on a daily basis.
 
It is truly a culture by design and not by default and we invite you to be a part of it as Laker Athletics continues to stride toward the future.
 
CLAYTON STATE ATHLETICS CORE VALUES
PROFESSIONALISM
We respond to requests in a timely manner and follow-through with promises. We practice urgency within our day-to-day job functions; • Our demeanor is courteous, kind, and tactful in all situations; • We dress appropriately and take pride in the way we represent Clayton State; • We continue to seek personal and professional development opportunities to better ourselves; • We are coachable; • Our communication will be respectful and we will listen with the intent to learn; • We exhibit ethical decision making at all times; • We seek ways to help each other, work collaboratively, and be a great teammate.

EXCELLENCE
Our efforts are focused on building a program of comprehensive excellence, achieving distinction in all the areas offered; • We constantly challenge ourselves to improve and strive towards constant ascension; • We are different, noticeable, and appealing; • We provide a higher standard for our student-athletes, coaches, and staff and never settle for anything less; • We strive to be outstanding in everything we do by encouraging others to go the extra mile; • We go above and beyond; • Everything we do speaks and sends a message, and we will focus our efforts on sending a great message.

ACCOUNTABILITY
We care enough to confront; • As leaders, we provide a clear vision and direction; • We take responsibility for our actions and mistakes and learn from them; • We do not ignore problems, because if we do, it sends a message of acceptance; • We are intentional in our efforts and allow our core values to guide our actions; • We are reliable and follow-through on assignments and projects; • We are aware of our job responsibilities and execute them to the best of our abilities; • We are always seeking feedback to improve our performance; • We consistently work together towards our common purpose; • We hold ourselves to a higher standard in the way we perform our jobs, interact with others, and represent our University.

CHARACTER
Integrity is at our core, it is present in our decision making; • We exhibit patience and understanding in difficult and pressure filled situations; • We hold ourselves to a higher standard, even if no one is watching; • We respect ourselves, our teammates, and our University; • We exhibit toughness, grit, and determination when deliberately trying to do the right thing; • We show compassion for our opponents and demonstrate good sportsmanship; • We set a good example for those around us to follow; • We treat others with dignity and respect; • We are honest in our dealings and demonstrate genuine care; • We uphold and promote admirable traits such as responsibility, courage, and leadership that everyone strives to achieve; • We demonstrate sound moral and ethical principles at work.

INNOVATIVE
We are constantly looking for ways to improve our department and be trend setters in the athletics landscape; • We think differently and challenge each other's creativity; • We do not settle for status quo, we look for ways to move the needle and be leaders in our respective areas; • We use creativity to enhance our performance and outcomes; • We ask questions and challenge conventional thinking; We value innovation and intentionally create an environment that fosters creativity; • We have a shared definition of innovation and common purpose; • We are never complacent with our success, we always look for inspired and original strategies that could help establish excellence; • We find a way to get the job done, even if the situation proves to be challenging.

TRUST
We provide genuine leadership and never portray ourselves as being disingenuous; • We put the needs of our program and others before our own; • We provide a positive and confident environment that allows us to trust one another and improve our culture; • We are team players and look for ways to help each other; • We believe in one another and know we have the best intentions in mind; • We pick each other up in defeat and celebrate each other in victory; • We believe in our team, our culture, and are "All In".