Publisher’s Page, September 2017: ASU Alums Inspired to be Game Changers for Kids

When thinking about all of the amazing community funding our professional sports teams provide season after season, I can’t help but think how my friends and fellow alumni from Arizona State University play a role too. My time as a student volunteer for several organizations played a huge role in my future as a nonprofit-staffer-turned-consultant. My fellow Sun Devils are taking this concept to another level.

Meet Erika and Russ Dickey, founders of the Game Changer Legacy – a foundation created in honor of Russ’s grandfather, an inspiring Texas high school football coach for 35 years (and a teacher for 50). When they heard about an opportunity to help student athletes that were game changers on the field become game changers in life, they jumped in and brought their friends along with them.

The Game Changer Legacy raises funds and provides resources to support the Scholar Baller Initiative at ASU, a developmental program that focuses on empowering urban youth through their interest and connection to education, sports, and entertainment. The ASU Scholar Baller participants teach leadership and character development principles to high school students involved in athletics, art, music, and other extracurricular activities at local urban high schools. For the Dickeys, supporting this program was an opportunity to create a pipeline of future community leaders on and off the field.

Three years ago, these funds resulted in the ability to hire a full-time director for ASU’s Scholar Baller program, increasing its reach and impact. Russ shared this testimonial from one of the high school teachers with me: “I have never been so impressed with the professional manner in which the ASU athletes talk to our students about the seriousness of grades and giving back to the community.  The ASU student-athletes are of such high quality I wish that all of our students could meet with them.”

Today, the program involves student athletes from 12 ASU sports teams (six men’s and six women’s) and serves over 200 high school students each year. This growth will continue as the program expands to a third high school this year and the Dickeys bring together 100 founding families to join them — the Game Changer 100 — to continue support of this incredible initiative for seasons to come.

Forks Up!

 

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About Andrea Evans

Andrea Tyler Evans is the Publisher of Frontdoors Media. She can be reached at publisher@frontdoorsmedia.com.

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