From Forbes.com
Former UNC and NBA standout George Lynch, now the head men’s basketball coach at Clark Atlanta, has launched an initiative to provide HBCU student-athletes like his players with laptops to keep their studies on track.
In an online Forbes magazine article by Chris Sheridan posted Sunday, Lynch and his non-profit organization HBCU Heroes “are engaging corporate America and gofundme donations” in the effort brought on by the distance learning requirements that nearly all universities have had to undertake due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With little warning, Lynch’s student-athletes were told they would have to complete their semesters through online courses, but the problem was that many of them did not have computers or access to Wi-Fi.
“Nine of my 13 players had 3.0 grade-point averages or better, and I only had four scholarship players,” said Lynch who is in his second year at CAU.
“I played at North Carolina, and what I have experienced at the small black colleges is totally different from what it was like at UNC,” he said.
“At big schools, you might use a pair of sneakers and then get another brand-new pair for the next game. At our school, you get one pair that you have to use for the entire season.”
The Panthers finished the season at 14-16, 12-7 in the SIAC and were knocked out of the conference tournament by top-ranked and eventual champion, Miles. Lynch is 28-28 in his two years at CAU.
What led Lynch and his business partner, fellow UNC grad Tracey Pennywell, to launch this computer drive is the need.
“Many HBCU student-athletes were using school resources, such as computer labs or the library to complete their assignments. Now they have to find their own. Some are even going back to homes where there isn’t WiFi to support their school work. Something has to be done to assist them,” Lynch said.
“Our goal is to ensure all HBCU athletes have the resources to help them compete academically and athletically,” said Pennywell. “We want them to have exposure and opportunities.”
Lynch, who played at UNC from 1989-93, was a first round pick in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He played for five NBA teams during a 12- year career. The former all-state first teamer and state champion at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia and national champion at UNC in 1993, famously was part of the Lakers’ multi-team trade that landed Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles (Lynch ended up with the Vancouver Grizzlies).
Since retiring from the NBA he was an assistant on Larry Brown’s staff at SMU and an assistant in the G-League with the Grand Rapids Drive. He replaced former NBA player Darrell Walker as head coach at Clark Atlanta in 2018.
HBCU Heroes’ mission is to provide a minimum of 6,000 donated computers. Other HBCUs are in line for upcoming computer donations. HBCU Heroes has also created a consortium of athletes and entertainers who have joined forces with them to support this initiative with donations and visibility.
JP Morgan Chase Bank has already donated funding to support this computer drive via its Advancing Black Pathways initiative. That enabled HBCU Heroes to donate 10 laptops to Grambling State University for its student-athletes.
“Our students are determined to give this semester their best in spite of the dramatic shift to online learning from home. We are grateful for HBCU Heroes for helping us provide them with the technology they need,” said Richard Gallot, President of Grambling State University.
“It’s important that we do not allow HBCU students to be affected inadvertently by this pandemic. By supplying computers for these students, HBCU Heroes is keeping them properly equipped during these ever-changing times,” said Grambling alum Everson Walls, former Dallas Cowboys player who also won an NFL Super Bowl with the NY Giants.
Walls is on the front lines with this mission.
By providing students with computers during digital learning, the organization assists with:
– Increasing academic performance so students don’t fall behind, risking eligibility.
– Increasing retention/graduation rates by removing barriers to online education for as long as needed.
– Decreasing the educational divide by providing access to updated computers for online courses which many students and their parents otherwise could not afford.
“We are asking for HBCU alumni, philanthropists, professional athletes, corporations, organizations, etc. to donate to HBCU Heroes so we can purchase and provide as many laptops as possible to support these students,” Lynch said.
“Basketball will always be my passion,” Lynch said. “As a coach, I just want to provide my players with a great experience as I had,”said Lynch, who credits his collegiate journey in part to legendary UNC Coach, Dean Smith.
Like many former NBA players, he wants to maintain a connection to the game, but he is learning that life after the NBA brings challenges that he never could have imagined when he was traveling to NBA cities.
“Even the little things like proper nutrition and training tables are lacking at these small schools,” Lynch said. HBCU Heroes can be reached on: Instagram: @hbcuheroes; Facebook: @hbcuheroes; Twitter: @hbcuheroes; LinkedIn: HBCU Heroes
Full story at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ chrissheridan/2020/04/05/ex-tarheel-george-lynch-trying-to-raisemoney-for-small-black-college-student-athletes/#6d43ebb06114
IN THE NBA: George Lynch with the LA Lakers, the team that drafted him in the first round of 1993, and the first of five teams he played for in the league.
LYNCH: As head coach at Clark Atlanta from where he’s launched HBCU Heroes engaging corporate America and gofundme donations to tackle distance learning challenges for HBCU stduent-athletes.