Are you going to watch a National Football League (NFL) game or two this Sunday? Whichever pro team you follow, most likely there is a player on that squad you especially admire for his abilities on the field. Well, there are some really special NFL players who are also admired by many for what they also do behind the scene -- support mentoring programs for youth.
Here are three of these highly disciplined athletes who are proactive in their support for mentoring because they know that mentored youth have improved relationships with other family members; exhibit a better attitude towards school; are less likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; and show a marked decrease in violent behavior.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ Corvey Irvin set aside time last year when he was with the Carolina Panthers to help Georgia MENTOR celebrate its 20th anniversary in Augusta. “I looked forward to participating in Georgia MENTOR’s anniversary celebration and spending time with the kids,” said Irvin. “Its great to be able to give back and I hope I was able to asinspire youth at that event and others throughout our communities to excel in life through education,” said Irvin.
In 2003, NFLer London Fletcher of the Washington Redskins founded the London’s Bridge Foundation (LBF), an Ohio based non profit organization to build standards of education, leadership, teamwork and recreation for today’s youth, with the ultimate goal of instilling the values of volunteerism and philanthropy. Through the foundation’s mentoring and charitable giving programs, LBF teaches youth life skills and valuable learning lessons.
New England Patriot fans cheered on Tom Brady during the 2010-2011 season because (among other reasons) for every touchdown pass the Pats quarterback threw, donations streamed into Best Buddies International (BBI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement of programs that mentor disabled kids and adults.
Best Buddies International was founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, son of Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver. In keeping with a Kennedy legacy to support people with disabilities, President John F. Kennedy founded the first president’s Committee on Mental Retardation and Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the Special Olympics.
So while cheering your team on to its hoped for victory, remember to also take a moment to appreciate and cheer all that many of its players do for our youth. GO TEAM!
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