University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Leaders for Leaders Program Inspires Giving Back
07.18.2016 | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Asheville, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's and women's basketball programs assisted Special Olympians with the fitting of their new Adidas uniforms that will be displayed on the basketball court in a little over two months from now at their first game. Men's basketball player, Ahmad Thomas and his mentor Kevin O'Connor worked together with head women's basketball coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, First Team Sports and the Walnut Cove Members' Association to turn many individual pieces into one complete picture of community members supporting one another.
And it all started with one conversation between a mentor and his mentee.
O'Connor and Thomas were matched up through the UNC Asheville Athletics Leaders for Leaders program, which pairs student-athletes with members of the Asheville community. According to O'Connor, this was the first flap of the wing in a true Butterfly Effect.
“One day we were having a conversation, and Ahmad told me that he wanted to be an elementary school special needs teacher,” said O'Connor. “I just couldn't believe that at his age he knew what he wanted and that he was already thinking about ways to serve his community.”
But, this doesn't seem so out of the ordinary to Thomas.
“Wanting to work in special education is just something my heart grew into. Being around special needs individuals while I was younger and working with Special Olympics back in my hometown of Danville, Virginia brought me so much joy. They are kids who have their own unique powers. I just want to help out, and let them know that they aren't different at all,” said Thomas.
“When I started thinking about Ahmad's career plans, it challenged me to think about what I was doing to help others,” O'Connor said.
So he reached out to Josh O'Connor (no relation) at the Special Olympics of Buncombe County and asked if there was a place where he could help. As fate would have it- they were looking for a basketball coach.
Kevin found his niche in coaching, but he didn't stop there.
“After seeing our Buncombe County athletes play the Hendersonville County Special Olympic team, it became apparent that our team was in need of some new uniforms. My first call was back to the main guy of this story, Ahmad Thomas, to ask him about what happens with old Asheville uniforms,” said O'Connor.
The inquiry led to a meeting with UNC Asheville Athletic Director Janet R. Cone and women's basketball coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatirck who in turn connected O'Connor with Adidas, who offered to help with the new uniforms.
"We were very excited about the opportunity to collaborate with The WCMA, The Special Olympics of Buncombe County, Adidas and First Team Sports to help create and host a wonderful experience for these young people. Our student-athletes are passionate about serving our community and it's especially rewarding to have the privilege to promote the game we love so much and share that energy with the Special Olympians," said Kirkpatrick.
From there, everything seemed to be falling into place. Thanks to a donation from the WCMA, who covered the cost of the team's new uniforms, Kevin and Ahmad's conversation seemed to create a whole new pattern of giving back to the community.
While O'Connor claims the first flap of the butterfly's wings was when he was connected with Thomas, Ahmad looks to Kevin's leadership as the pair continue to work together to serve Asheville's community.
“By seeing Kevin work hard with this program, and hearing how much he enjoys working with the athletes just makes me want to follow his lead and help out in anyway I can,” said Thomas.
The men's and women's basketball teams will continue to volunteer their time with the team once practice begins in the fall. Players from both teams intend on dropping in on practice to assist with teaching skills.
