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The Reality of Black Men and Sports

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So You Think You Want to be A Pro Athlete

 

As promised to our young men, Mike brought in two prominent Spartanburg former world class athletes who were Mike’s team mates in high school.  Terry Wilburn and Kareem Moss were two of the most sought after talents coming out of the high school ranks anywhere nationwide.  Two of the fastest athletes in the history of South Carolina, both were state champion track athletes and were premier football players at their respective positions during their time.

Kareem tasted the ultimate victory in Division I College Football by playing with the most dominating college football program of the 1990s, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and winning a National Championship in 1994.  Terry literally showed millions around the world (as his breakout moment was televised around the globe) the true grit of a professional athlete (after playing his collegiate football for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks) by joining the ranks of the NFL, helping promote its image overseas and winning a coveted World Championship with the NFL Europe League Champions, the Barcelona Dragons.  Both men shared their personal stories of their time as high level athletes with the young men of the CLF Summer Institute.  They shared the rewards, the pressures, the highs, the lows and life after playing as successful athletes.  They also discussed, in general, what they knew to be the realities of sports and black men as well.  It was a very engaging, full throttle, no holds barred conversation with the CLF Summer Institute youth and truly a moving experience.  Mike also complimented the session by presenting the reality that most Black male athletes never get their college degrees, by presenting raw data involving the rates of the financial insolvency of most Black male athletes (most are broke within 7 years of their careers being over) and distinguished some of the reasons why these dismal realties may occur.  Further group discussion ensued and all three men encouraged the youth to be the exceptions to the presented information, not the rule if they are ever involved in post-secondary sports!!!!  The concluding time of the session ended with a brief 20 minute presentation of a portion of the noted ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, The Best That Never Was.  The film highlighted the legend of Marcus Dupree, arguably the greatest athlete to ever play football.  It was a brief introduction to the film that will be used as a focal point of discussion in a future monthly session of the CLF Youth before this football season concludes.

As promised for the ending Summer Institute session, Mike had a surprise waiting just up the stairs from the classroom.  Mike, Terry, and Kareem celebrated with the young men the conclusion of the 2011 Community Leadership Forum Summer Institute by showing their skills with the video game controllers as a part of their own private close out party on the mobile Video Game Truck.  An Awesome conclusion!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Athletes may boast eye-popping sports abilities, but when it comes to money, their inner klutzes come out. 78% of former NFL players are broke or financially stressed after retirement, and 60% of former NBA players go broke five years after retiring, according to Sports Illustrated. Broke athletes are practically an epidemic.