Brian Billings, the program director for Urban Initiatives Coaches Corps, offered this inspiring story of our program changing a young athlete’s life. For the sake of privacy, identifying information has been changed. Coaches Corps is a program that enhances the PE classes and interscholastic sports programs of partner schools by training teachers and coaches on the Championship Attitude and 5-4-3-2-1GO!
Deron is an outstanding eighth grade student/athlete. He was our team’s lone captain by the end of the season, and was selected to play in the All Star Game and played extremely well. More importantly, Deron is a respectable young man who works hard in school and displays respect and kindness to those around him.
Deron didn’t always possess and display the type of character traits that make him successful today. He was taught these character traits in his PE classes. Deron has transformed himself from an unmotivated, poor performing and at times extremely disrespectful student to a student/athlete that is hard working, academically growing, and respectful to all adults and peers.
Last year Deron was frequently sent to our in school suspension room for disrespecting teachers in our school. Deron is the son of a single mother and he saw his father murdered when he was a young boy. During his life Deron has had little leadership from strong male adults. Our athletic programs and the Championship Attitude Character Traits fill that void by not only teaching the fundamentals of sport but the fundamentals of life. We constantly preach and teach teamwork, respect, commitment, perseverance, hard work, and discipline to all our student/athletes. Deron has bought into the value in these character traits and is working hard to display them each and every day.
Deron was our lone team captain this season because he was able to be his own person and stay respectful to adults when others around him choose to be disrespectful. We had two other eighth grade captains at the beginning of the season but were removed from this responsibility because they did not display leadership on the field, in the school, and in their personal lives. Deron has demonstrated the maturity to display leadership at all times. He is a different kid from last year and the choices he has made will make him a successful adult. I frequently receive positive comments from his teachers about how respectful and hardworking he is in the classroom. This is a complete change from his behavior in the past and can be attributed to the Championship Attitude Character Trait program. Our PE classes and athletic programs have successfully instilled the values he needs to be a successful person and has made the difference in this young man’s life.
Deron was recently accepted to attend a competitive enrollment high school where he’ll have an outstanding opportunity to be the first in his family to attend college.