Go Spartans!
Michigan State Spartan Head Basketball Coach and Hall of Famer Tom Izzo has a Coaches 4 Character visit on his calendar! Izzo, who has led six Michigan State teams to the Final Four, will be our featured guest speaker on April 19th, 7 PM at Redemption World Outreach Center. Make plans now to transport a group of students to hear this dynamic speaker deliver his always powerful message. Go Spartans!
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Berea Athletes Honored at Coaches 4 Character
February 17, 2012
Life has thrown Victoria Green a series of stumbling blocks in her 17 years.
She’s hurdled them all.
“My success comes from my obstacles,” Green said. “My mom always taught me determination, so I got my strength from her.”
Green was one of two Berea High School students honored with The Greenville News character awards at the Coaches 4 Character Series Thursday night at Greenville’s Redemption World Outreach Center.
Joan Cronan, longtime Women’s Athletic Director at the University of Tennessee, was the guest speaker for the quarterly event. She reminded the more than 1,000 students in attendance that “there are a lot of people who believe in you or you wouldn’t be here tonight.”
Cronan urged the crowd to “keep their lives straight” and be accountable.
The two honorees from Berea apparently have done just that.
Green, whose mother, Pamela Black, passed away on Jan. 7 after a prolonged illness, has faced her challenges with “optimism, strength and resolve.” An honor student who ranks in the top 10 of her class, writes poetry and is involved in many extracurricular activities, Green plans on attending Winthrop University.
Thursday night’s other honoree was Zach Snyder, a sophomore at Berea. Snyder, a creative musician who plays several instruments, was cited for being “kind, generous, smart and a leader.” He also expresses his thought and music on the Internet through a weekly “vlog” on YouTube.
“He serves as a role model and leader for his brother and sisters by assisting them with their homework, cleaning the house and doing other daily chores,” said Lenny Kindall, an assistant principal at Berea. “It is amazing he finds time to study, but somehow he does because he is a member of Renaissance, which holds students to a higher standard of academics as well as overall behavior at Berea High.”
by Scott Keepfer--Greenville Online (February 17, 2012)Wofford's Ayers Speaks at Coaches 4 Character Program
December 13, 2011
Wofford College football coach Mike Ayers gave rousing speech to kick off the fifth year of Coaches 4 Character programs, Monday night at the TD Convention Center.
While Ayers, who has led the Terrier program for 24 years, which includes advancement to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in four of the last five years and several Southern Conference titles, gave the children and adults in attendance the story of his life and the importance of perseverance. There were at least two on board with the message.
Holley Roper, an eighth grader at Riverside Middle School and Blake Stevenson, a seventh grader at the same school were announced winners of The Greenville News Coaches 4 Character Award.
The students, who won the award due to their high character, are also outstanding students. They found out they were the recipients of the award in an interesting way.
“They made the announcement over the loudspeaker during the afternoon announcements,” said Stevenson. “I thought I heard it wrong.”
Roper’s favorite subjects are math and drama. A competitive varsity cheerleader at J.L. Mann Academy, she hopes to become a fourth generation Clemson graduate where she plans to study sports physical therapy.
“I would like to be a doctor,” said Roper.
Roper attempts to live by her personal slogan: “Remember, there is always a little girl in the stands who wants to be just like you. Don’t let her down.”
Stevenson, who has maintained an `A’ average since the first grade, has dreams of attending Harvard School of Business.
The Riverside Middle School students fit in well with Ayers message of not only believing in yourself, but doggedly working to achieve whatever goals are set.
Ayers spoke of making bad choices early in his life before turning it around.
“I am telling you all right now if I can do it, you can do it,” said Ayers. “It is about you and how hard are you willing to work. How long can you keep your hands on the shovel and keep digging in life.”
by Willie T. Smith III--Greenville Online (December 13, 2011)Big Bus Alliance 2012
The Big Bus Alliance is a unique collaborative effort focusing on transporting at-risk youth to our Coaches 4 Character programs. Young Transportation of Asheville again generously has donated eight beautiful 55 passenger buses for our 2012 Coaches 4 Character Series. Atlanta Bread Company, Cherrydale is donating meals for the programs. The impact of the Big Bus Alliance will be that an additional 1400 participants, most all of whom otherwise would not have the opportunity, will be able to attend our four 2012 Coaches 4 Character programs.
Students 4 Character 2012
Students 4 Character is a special partnership between Coaches 4 Character and Clear Channel Radio focusing on students, not adults, discussing character development.
We are partnering with Clear Channel Radio to present four 2012 Students 4 Character programs. Students from Upstate high schools will gather at Clear Channel to discuss their thoughts and feelings on character and education issues. Beginning three weeks prior to each Coaches 4 Character program, approximately 250 character sound bites from the students will be broadcast on WESC 92.5, WSSL 100.5, WMYI 102.5, and SHINE 96.7. These public service announcements also will serve as promotional pieces for the upcoming Coaches 4 Character program. A sincere Thank You is due Carolina Dental Group for sponsoring this unique initiative.
A Special Thank You
A Coaches 4 Character "good friend and supporter" has donated 400 tickets to Coaches 4 Character for the Charlotte Bobcats game versus the Toronto Raptors on March 17th, 7 PM at the Time Warner Cable Arena. We are happy to be able to distribute these tickets to at risk youth in our area and are doing so through churches, schools, and other non profits who focus on helping them. A special THANK YOU is due our gracious friend!
UNC's Williams Tells Students to Compete Every Day
September 27, 2011
Roy Williams confessed. He is a compulsive competitor.
Williams, the men’s basketball coach at the University of North Carolina, admitted his compulsion as the speaker of the Coaches 4 Character program held Tuesday night at Redemption World Outreach Center.
Williams qualified his confession as he addressed a crowd of about 800 students. He contended that “life is competition” and should be approached with enthusiasm.
“Do something to help yourself everyday,” he said. “Be led by your dreams, not pushed by your problems.”
Williams’ decree was illustrated by two Greer High students who were recognized for their perseverant, competitive spirits. Stephanie Torres and Trey Brown were both presented The Greenville News Character Award.
Greer High guidance counselor Tarah Boulware shared accounts of the personal hardships the two honor students have overcome.
Brown pressed on after the sudden death of his mother and helped support his grandmother through a bout with cancer.
Torres once struggled through a language barrier. Now, she is enrolled in the most difficult courses offered at Greer.
Boulware said both students have inspired their peers, as well as the Greer faculty.
“They are just really good kids,” Boulware said. “A lot of people may not know their circumstances. It’s not something they use as a crutch. If you didn’t already know their background, then you wouldn’t know it. They’re just really good people and really good students.”
Torres and Brown’s stories of resilience and determination paralleled Williams’ message of constant competition, diligent preparation, tireless effort and bold dreams.
“I experienced some of the same problems that kids are going through today and some of the same good things,” said Williams, who also confessed that he just celebrated his 61st birthday. “It’s so much harder than when I was in school. We had some bad choices that we could have made but not nearly as many as youngsters are exposed to today.
“I’m asking young people to listen to themselves and make the right decision. That’s the biggest thing we have going, that you can make the right decision because you want to make the right decision.”
by Mandrallius Robinson--Greenville Online (September 27, 2011)