Most of us know Deion Sanders from his run with the Dallas Cowboys; others know him from his TV show or possibly from reading his book. Deion, or "Prime Time" as some call him, is now making his name while reaching out to children. Deion has established the Truth Football club to influence the lives of local youth, however he has decided to take his motivations one step further. In the Fall of 2010, Sanders plans to open Prime U Prep, charter school that will start with kindergarten through fifth grade, with plans to expand to more grades in 2011. Deion's desire to connect with kids on a personal level and develop kids in all aspects of their life is the prime motivation for his development of this school. The school will be ran as a free, open enrollment charter public school with an already established Board of Directors and a superintendent.
Personally, I usually feel as though acts like, reaching out to children from professional athletes is usually done for personal gain or to improve the athlete's brand image, however, a quote from Sanders in this article changed my mind:
"When I played football, I wanted to be great," Sanders said. "I wanted to be the best. I want the best for these kids. I want to educate them. It's not just about playing football. We don't think many of these kids will be professional athletes. But with education, they will be professionals in life -- doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs. People who don't trust me don't trust themselves," Sanders said. "They can't differentiate between the guy high-stepping on the sidelines and the guy praying at night. They can't separate the two entities. But I don't mind being criticized. It only motivates me to do more."
Hearing about how Sanders wants to develop children into "professionals in life" is a statement that made me change my original assumptions. With the development of this school, Sanders is focusing the children on gaining an outstanding education that will take them farther in life than transforming the youth into football stars. I believe it is very inspiring that Deion takes all of his criticisms and turns it into motivation to prove the public wrong. Looking at his acts from a sports marketing standpoint, Deion is really creating a positive brand image for himself in the minds of fans. It is very refreshing to see Deion use his star power that has been created through his football career and use it for the benefit of others. With his continuous outreaching to youth, Deion is not only building upon his already positive brand image, but doing something so fantastic and inspirational for the youth of America.
For more information on Deion Sanders and how he is reaching out to youth today, check out this article: For "Prime Time," pushing for potential kids game.
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