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March 27, 2017 Ben Boulware is quick to offer a critical self-assessment, particularly for a football player about to embark on a professional career. “I’m not the biggest or the fastest or the strongest guy around,” Boulware said. But he possesses perhaps an even more important ingredient in abundance. “I’ve been blessed with the attitude and mentality to work,” Boulware said. Boulware did just that during his four seasons at Clemson, and his diligence paid off in January wh

December 7, 2016 WNBA star inspires by describing journey As Maya Moore entered The Kroc Center's gymnasium Tuesday for the Coaches 4 Character speaker series, hundreds of young people stood, cheered and chanted her name. Moore, the WNBA star, two time Olympic gold medalist and former standout at the University of Conneticut, showed up to speak about her journey and encourage the audience to partner their passion with their gifts -- in basketball or other area they choose, Mo

October 10, 2016 When he took the stage in front of hundreds of students from the Upstate Monday night as the speaker at the Coaches 4 Character event., Tubby Smith had plenty of experiences from which he could share insight and encouragement Smith is just weeks away from his first season at the helm of men's basketball at the University of Memphis. The Tigers are the sixth program for a coach who has taken each of the previous five to the NCAA tournament. He won a national t

May 17, 2016 University of South Carolina men’s basketball coach Frank Martin has developed an expertise on toughness. Not from his background as a nightclub bouncer in Miami, Florida. Not from the comeback victories he has directed from the bench. Martin asserted that he has learned toughness from his commitment as a husband and father. “We can’t call in sick to those jobs. You can’t take a two-week vacation,” Martin said with laugh Tuesday evening, to a crowd filled with so

March 22, 2016 Ten years ago, Shaq Lawson was in middle school and about as far from an exemplary student as a seventh-grader can get. “I was the class clown,” Lawson said. “I went to school to crack jokes. I never thought I’d be standing here talking to kids.” But there Lawson stood Tuesday night, with mother beaming proudly from the second row and a throng of young students hanging on his every word at the quarterly Coaches 4 Character program at Greenville’s Redemption Wor

March 22, 2016 Ten years ago, Shaq Lawson was in middle school and about as far from an exemplary student as a seventh-grader can get. “I was the class clown,” Lawson said. “I went to school to crack jokes. I never thought I’d be standing here talking to kids.” But there Lawson stood Tuesday night, with mother beaming proudly from the second row and a throng of young students hanging on his every word at the quarterly Coaches 4 Character program at Greenville’s Redemption Wor

September 22, 2015 ​ In his first meeting recently with the 2015-2016 edition of the Wofford men's basketball team, coach Mike Young had something he wanted to tell them. "We have to make sure that everybody understands how special they are," said Young as he talked to an audience of elementary, middle, and high school students during the Coaches 4 Character program at Redemption World Outreach Center on Tuesday night. Young, who is entering his 14th season as head coach of

May 20, 2015 The video is easy to find on the Internet, and not flattering in any way, which is exactly why Tim Worley advertises its existence. The video, dated April 13, 2008, shows Worley – the former University of Georgia and pro football star – being shot with a Taser and arrested by police in Smyrna, Georgia, following a daylong binge of drug and alcohol consumption. "Promise me y'all will look at it," Worley told an attentive audience at the 2015 ACE Awards celebration

March 2, 2015 During the previous three years, if Vic Beasley ever stood this close to Connor Shaw, it meant someone missed a block. That happened twice in 2013. Beasley, then a junior defensive end at Clemson University, notched two sacks on Shaw, then a senior quarterback at the University of South Carolina, when the rivals met that season. Shaw graciously reminded Beasley of those sacks Monday night before the two shared the stage at the Coaches 4 Character program. Shaw a

March 2, 2015 During the previous three years, if Vic Beasley ever stood this close to Connor Shaw, it meant someone missed a block. That happened twice in 2013. Beasley, then a junior defensive end at Clemson University, notched two sacks on Shaw, then a senior quarterback at the University of South Carolina, when the rivals met that season. Shaw graciously reminded Beasley of those sacks Monday night before the two shared the stage at the Coaches 4 Character program. Shaw a

December 2, 2014 The starting lineup Vanderbilt University baseball coach Tim Corbin compiled to lead the Commodores to the national championship last season had fewer than nine slots. It did not include his pitchers, catchers and fielders. It included the character traits he has aimed to foster in his program. "Teachable spirit. Mental toughness. Integrity. Discipline," Corbin said Monday night, before relaying the importance of those traits to students during the Coaches 4

October 6, 2014 Furman University football coach Bruce Fowler won a pair of Southern Conference championships as a player with the Paladins in the late 1970s. He won eight more during 18 years as an assistant at Furman, and last season won his first in three seasons as head coach at the school. On Monday night at the Redemption World Outreach Center, Fowler spoke to hundreds of local elementary, middle and high school students about some of the things that have helped him bec

May 23, 2014 While his father risked the family home betting on sports inside Long Island bars, he sent a young Bob Costas to the car, not to wait, but to check the score of the various ballgames, and bring him updates. There, Costas fiddled with the dial to find the faraway voices that traveled the radio waves and brought the ballgames to life. Those voices instilled in Costas a love for both sports and broadcasting. Memories of those nights stick with Costas. Through hot an

February 6, 2014 Among the many tidbits of advice imparted by Clemson baseball coach Jack Leggett Monday night at the Coaches 4 Character program was the suggestion to dream big and be diligent in that pursuit. At least two members of the audience apparently have already taken that recommendation to heart. Emily Newcomer and Will Patton, a couple of eighth-graders at Northwest Middle School in Travelers Rest, each received The Greenville News’ Coaches 4 Character Awards Monda

November 19, 2013 While college basketball is starting to get in full swing, ESPN’s Carolyn Peck couldn’t be heard broadcasting a game Monday night. Instead of analysis of men’s or women’s basketball, she was providing life encouragement as the guest speaker for Coaches 4 Character at Redemption World Outreach Center. Given that Monday’s program was “Young Ladies Night,” Peck was especially happy to address to elementary, middle and high school students from throughout the Up

September 23, 2013 Mark Gottfried says it’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit. Apparently Hannah Buford and Tate Johnson already believe in that contention. “I liked when he said to always encourage your teammates and push them to do better,” Johnson said after listening to Gottfried, the men’s basketball coach at N.C. State University, deliver his message at the Coaches 4 Character program Monday night at Greenville’s Redemption World Out

April 16, 2013 Although not in the profession, Marcus Lattimore spoke in front of largest crowd in the history of the Coaches 4 Character program at the Redemption World Outreach Center, Monday night. Prior to the event Lattimore, who has made several personal appearances around the state in recent weeks, admitted speaking to the large group of youth attending the event was special. “The whole thing about this is Coaches 4 Character,” said Lattimore. “My whole life I have bee

February 26, 2013 | Picture Credit: MYKAL McELDOWNEY -- Greenville Online The position of head football coach at Vanderbilt University came with unsolicited and unflattering counsel. “They told me I could never win there; it was the toughest job in all of college football,” said James Franklin, who was hired at Vanderbilt two years ago. “Over and over and over again, we heard that constantly,” Franklin recalled Tuesday night before speaking at the Coaches 4 Character program

December 4, 2012 Paying tribute to those who helped him rise from an underprivileged childhood to achieve excellence, former Clemson football great Jeff Davis told Upstate students at Monday night's Coaches 4 Character program that it takes education to succeed in life. But he said it also takes something more. "Education has been the reason that my life has changed, that my life has been transformed," said Davis, the captain of Clemson's 1981 national championship team. "But

September 18, 2012 Georgetown men's basketball coach Johns Thompson III believes every one is being scouted. "You never know who is watching you. You never know who is making decisions about you when you don't even know decisions are being made," Thompson told students attending the Coaches 4 Character program Monday night at Redemption World Outreach Center. Thompson shared that point while recalling how he was hired for his first coaching job, by his former coach at Priince