University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

"One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination."
John C. Maxwell
John C. Maxwell
Goals of the UNC Asheville Athletics Leaders for Leaders Program:
1. Help the UNC Asheville Student-Athletes in preparation for success in life. | 6. Help student-athletes realize their academic, athletic, personal and social responsibilities. |
2. Meet the changing needs of our student-athletes. | 7. Equip student-athletes with time management, organizational, and leadership skills. |
3. Enhance interpersonal relationships in the lives of the student-athletes. | 8. Provide a supportive learning environment that encourages academic achievement. |
4. Assist student-athletes in building positive self-esteem. | 9. Guide the student-athletes in making career decision by sharing experiences and connections. |
5. Enable student-athletes to make meaningful contributions to their communities |
Â
![]() |
I believe that my relationship with Ahmad Thomas has been a "win" for both of us on many levels. One example of this is that we found common ground not only in our love of basketball, but also, in serving the community at large by becoming involved with the Special Olympic basketball team.Ahmad helped me in the process of gifting new basketball uniforms to the Special Olympic athletes and now I have the privilege of serving as one of the coaches for the Buncombe County Special Olympic basketball team. Unquestionably, neither of these initiatives would have occurred without our participation in the University of North Carolina Asheville Mentoring Program. ~~Kevin O'Connor, Mentor to Men's Basketball Player Ahmad Thomas, 2015 to 2018 |