Robert L. Terrell: Coach and Role Model

I first met Robert Lewis Terrell in the fall of 1963. Mr. Terrell was a physical education teacher, an assistant football coach, and the head basketball coach at Corry Junior High School in Memphis, Tenn. Known to his friends as “Bobby,” Mr. Terrell was respected by faculty, staff and students alike. Little did I know the impact Mr. Terrell and the values I learned playing sports would have on my life.

Academics, Athletics and Adolescence

The transition from elementary to junior high was not much different 45 years ago than it is today. Many students felt anxiety moving from an environment where their classroom teacher provided instruction and guidance throughout the entire school day, to one where they experienced many changes, not the least of which included a new school, changing classes, puberty, and peer pressure to smoke, use drugs, drink alcohol, engage in sexual activity or join a gang.

I’ve always been athletic and above average size. I wore men’s size 12 shoes, stood 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds when I entered seventh grade. While I loved playing basketball and wanted to go out for the school team, I was wooed to join the football team. However, after just one day of practice I went to the coach and informed him that football was not for me. I left the team but not without pressure to “stick it out.” However, I made the decision that was best for me, which became my litmus test for dealing with peer pressure.

Later that fall I went out for the basketball team. I had been in love with basketball since the third grade when my school showed a filmstrip about the Harlem Globetrotters. I was amazed and enthralled with the ball-handling skills and wizardry of the likes of Curly Neal and the rest of the team.

The one thing that was a constant for me was the values that my family had instilled in me from a very young age. My parents showed me love and ensured that my brothers, sister and I went to church regularly. I was a high achiever and had been placed in the top classes throughout my six years at Dunn Avenue Elementary. With my faith, family values and focus on academic achievement, tackling junior high was not difficult for me.

Making the Team

I was excited to go out for the basketball team. I credit Mr. Terrell’s discipline and physical regimen for getting me into shape for the team and helping me slim down from a “husky” 13-year-old to become a budding athlete. Looking back, going out for the team involved more conditioning and endurance than actually playing basketball. I think Mr. Terrell was trying to gauge which ones of us had the perseverance to keep going when the going got tough. He taught us how to dribble, shoot and make lay-ups. He taught us how to keep a wide stance with one foot in front of the other and our center of gravity low when on defense. Then, one day Mr. Terrell posted the names of those who had made the team on the bulletin board. As we scrambled to see the list, I was glad to see I had made the team!

Mr. Terrell and the basketball team became my family away from home. The discipline and camaraderie I gained from playing basketball gave me the skills to be successful in school and in life, and kept my mind and body busy and away from negative influences.

Mr. Terrell was firm but caring. Unlike another more famous coach, also named “Bobby,” Mr. Terrell never threw chairs or tirades. He had high expectations for us on and off the court. We worked hard, sometimes holding two-a-day practices in the summer. We even practiced on Thanksgiving morning.

Mr. Terrell’s diligence paid off in many ways and by my ninth grade year our team was a basketball powerhouse. We beat every team we played. I remember going to the citywide junior high tournament in my final year at Corry. The team we met, Porter Junior High School, had an identical 29-0 division record. We were both undefeated and everyone knew it was going to be a tremendous contest! The game was hard fought and went down to the buzzer. You could feel the tension in the air as an opposing player sank the winning jump shot just as the final second ticked off the clock. Our hearts sank like lead balloons. My teammates and I cried as our opponents jumped in joy as they hoisted their first-place trophy. We had worked so hard and achieved so much, however, that night we had to settle for second place.

We wondered about the integrity of the officials and the fairness of the final call. Had the time expired before their player hoisted that final shot? We were undefeated. How could the last game of the final year at our beloved school be marred with a defeat? Regardless of what he might have thought, Mr. Terrell took the high road, congratulated the coach of the opposing team and told us to hold our heads high as we had nothing for which to be ashamed. His demeanor made a profound impact on me and I learned a valuable lesson on sportsmanship and how to lose with dignity.

Role Model

Mr. Terrell was more than a teacher and basketball coach; he was a role model. With the same esteem I had for my father, I admired Mr. Terrell and wanted to be like him. He influenced me in many ways. When I was promoted from the ninth grade, I was named salutatorian of my class and received the award for “Academic Excellence for an Athlete.” The skills I developed under Mr. Terrell’s guidance prepared me to make my high school’s varsity basketball team in my sophomore year. The discipline, teamwork and leadership skills I learned under his guidance prepared me to excel, becoming a member of the National Honor Society, President of the Student Council and President of my Hi-Y Club!

In 2003, upon receiving my Ph.D., I looked up Mr. Terrell’s number in the phone book. Since it had been 37 years since I had seen or spoken with him, when I called him I said, “I don’t know if you remember me. This is Willie Dean. I’m a former student and player on your basketball team at Corry Junior High School…” Before I could finish, Mr. Terrell said, “Of course I remember you Willie! You and your teammates were a special bunch!” After I told him about my life and accomplishments since junior high, he said, “I always knew you would do well!” What validation; the man who had made such an impression on my life was telling me that I had made an impression on his!

A few years later in 2006, I got a call from Mr. Terrell asking me to speak at his retirement dinner in Memphis. I told him I was honored and looked forward to the occasion. My Dad and I went to the dinner together. This was fitting to have perhaps the two most influential men in my life in a room together.

Mr. Terrell passed away in March 2008. His wife, Katherine, phoned to tell me the somber news. She said that he always held me in high regard and often praised my accomplishments. Mr. Terrell had retired as Principal of Cummings Elementary School. A year after his death, the street on which the school is located was renamed “Robert L. Terrell Boulevard.”

YMCA Youth Sports

The values I developed under Mr. Terrell are similar to the values we teach in YMCA sports today. I didn’t know four decades ago that Mr. Terrell’s guidance on and off the basketball court would help shape and mold me to become the man that I am today.

Each year over 14,000 youth in the Arlington and Mansfield communities play sports through our YMCA. They learn the fundamentals of basketball, flag football, track, volleyball, baseball, and t-ball, etc. However, more importantly, they learn values like caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, and faith. They learn how to lead and how to follow. They learn how to give and take, and how to get along with others.

Through the caring leadership of dedicated volunteer coaches, thousands of youth develop healthy lifestyles and learn how to transition from adolescence into adulthood. We believe that youth participation in YMCA Youth Sports helps combat childhood obesity. It also prepares youth to make wise decisions and to resist peer pressure to smoke, use drugs, drink alcohol, engage in sexual activity or join a gang. We view sports as tools that help us work with youth to instill values, develop leadership skills and improve their health and well-being.

I thank God for caring and supportive adults like Mr. Terrell! I pray that the thousands of youth in our sports programs will receive the same guidance from caring adults in their lives!

First Pitch: A Lesson on Humility

Last week I received an e-mail from Rob Porras in the Community Affairs Department of Reliant Energy, inviting me to view the August 18th Texas Rangers vs. Minnesota Twins game with other guests in their corporate suite. The YMCA of Arlington is one of Reliant Energy’s community partners and has benefited from their generosity. I gladly accepted the invitation and was looking forward to enjoying food, fun and fellowship with some fine people.

Then on Monday, the day before the game, I got another e-mail from Rob asking if I’d like to throw out the first pitch! After nearly falling off my chair, I tried to rationalize why I should or shouldn’t accept this awesome opportunity. I thought, “What if I flub the pitch and look silly?” “What if I get winded climbing the steps or pull something, because I’m just four months from having had two major surgeries?” I started no less than four times to phone my wife, GinaKaye, to ask her advice; however, my pride got the best of me. I phoned Rob, thanked him and declined his invitation because of my recent surgeries.


Anxiety
That night when I talked with GinaKaye and shared my anxieties she consoled me by telling me at least I followed my intuition. I lamented; however, that I was sorry I had turned down what was likely a “once in lifetime” opportunity. Finally, I did what I should have done in the first place; I prayed about it and asked the Lord for guidance.

The next day, less than 12 hours before game time, I sent an e-mail to Rob which said, “If the opportunity to throw out the first pitch is still available I’d like to do it tonight. If not, please keep me in mind for this honor should it occur in the future.” I knew it was likely that someone else had been asked since I had turned down the invitation the day before. However, Rob responded almost immediately confirming that I would be able to do it, “Let’s play ball…….you will have the honors to throw out the first pitch tonight.” I was reminded that following the Lord’s guidance always leads us in the right direction!


Exhilaration
I sent out a joyous e-mail to about 150 board members, staff, family and friends around the country that said, “I will do something tonight that I never dreamt of doing...throw out the first pitch at a Major League baseball game!” I went on to say, “This is an awesome opportunity, one that few people ever get. It turns out that Major League pitcher Dizzy Dean and I have something in common. We were both born to sharecroppers in the South and went on to achieve much in our lives. I thank God for every opportunity He provides me!” I closed by saying, “The game is tonight, August 18, at 7:05 p.m. I’ll be the one wearing a red ‘YMCA Activate America’ t-shirt. Tune in and pray that all goes well...it could be the start of something BIG! I've got to go now and practice my pitching (smile)!”

In response to that e-mail, many individuals wished me well and a few suggested that I not “bounce it off the ground!”


Anxiety…Again
I even got an e-mail from Mark McLemore, former Texas Rangers great and Fox Sports Southwest sportscaster, who said, “I’ll b covering the game tonight so I’ll c u there. By the way a word of advice, when u throw out the first pitch whatever u do just don't bounce it!!! I'll b watching.” A number of other friends had similar admonitions.

That’s all I needed was to be reminded not to embarrass myself, or the YMCA, in front of 30,000 baseball fans. The nervousness was on…again!


Relief
Then to my relief, Mark Bradrick, YMCA Sports Director, sent me an e-mail, “Come on over and I will have Jason work with you. He has done a lot of pitching in high school and college. You don’t want to bounce it to the plate!! This is so awesome!! Make sure you take a lot of pictures. Congratulations.”

I phoned Jason Simmons, one of our Sports Coordinators, who played baseball in high school and was a pitcher at his alma mater, the University of Texas at Dallas. Jason agreed to catch with me that afternoon. He was very supportive and offered tips after I had thrown several pitches from the 45-foot and 60-foot rubber he had laid out. I found that my control when throwing hard wasn’t what I remembered as a teen some 40 years ago. Imagine my amazement! So, I decided to throw at a moderate speed, aim for accuracy and avoid “bouncing it!”

Lynn Frankenfield, Executive Director of our Cooper Street YMCA, accompanied me to the game and graciously took photos of me on the mound and afterwards with the Rangers catcher and mascot.

Comments from family and friends following the game gratified me and helped me remember how important praise is for kids of all ages.


Humility
I learned that another gentleman would also be throwing a pitch that night. The Rangers staff had him go first. He threw a blistering pitch that sounded off in the catcher’s mitt and the crowd responded in approval. Rather than try to compete with this gentleman who appeared at least 25 years my junior, I stuck to my plan. I positioned myself about three feet short of the rubber, wound up and threw a moderate-speed pitch directly into the catcher’s mitt. My pitching experience was a blast! I had managed not to “bounce it” and I received a “thunderous” roar from the crowd (smile)! There isn’t a video on You Tube; however, I placed photos on my Facebook page to prove to myself and my grandkids that the evening really did happen! In addition, former Texas Rangers pitcher, Tim Crabtree, stopped by the suite and autographed his alumni card for other guests and me!

Just think, six months ago I was diagnosed with bilateral renal carcinoma. And, just three months ago I underwent two major surgeries to remove malignant tumors from my kidneys. And this week, I threw out the first pitch at a Major League baseball game!

I thank my friends at Reliant Energy for the opportunity to throw out the first pitch. Family and friends have commented on how cool my experience was. Being selected for the first pitch was a lesson on humility; for that I thank God. What a testament to His awesome power!

Faith, Family & Friends: Principles to Live By

In March 2007, just after accepting the position of President/CEO of the YMCA of Arlington, I learned that I had a pituitary mass and would require brain surgery. Just three months earlier I had been laid off from my job as Senior Vice President/COO for the YMCA of Greater Cleveland; a victim of the slowing local and national economies. Just when things were going right again, my world ground to a halt.

I prayed that the mass wouldn’t be malignant and that my surgery and recovery wouldn’t jeopardize my ability to start my new job. I decided, along with my family and fiancé, to undergo surgery in Cleveland. The Lord made a way. The surgery was successful and the mass was found to be benign. My recovery took only six weeks and I relocated to Texas, started my new job on June 1, and got married on June 23. My wife, GinaKaye, and I still commute from our homes in Mansfield, Tex. and Akron, Ohio about one weekend a month.

All my life I’ve cherished “faith, family and friends” as important principles by which to live. Now, two years into my job as head of one of Arlington’s largest nonprofits I pause to look back at my achievements, and ahead at what the future holds.

I turned 58 in March, have an earned doctorate and have been described by one of my colleagues as a “renaissance man.” My hobbies include biking, sports cars and photography. I hold a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and I’m learning to play the guitar and to speak Spanish! I’m a Christian who embraces the principles of “faith, family and friends” to guide my life. And, most importantly, I give credit to God for all that He has allowed me to accomplish.

I’ve been an overachiever all my life. I taught an adult Sunday School class and was Assistant Superintendent of my Sunday School when I was a teenager growing up in Memphis, Tenn. I played basketball in junior high and high school and was a starter on my school’s varsity squad beginning in my sophomore year. I was also President of the Student Council at my high school. I went on to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Memphis State University, an Executive M.B.A. Degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Education from the University of Minnesota.

I’m a 32-year YMCA professional. I was hired as Program Director for the Glenview Branch YMCA, in Memphis, Tenn., in January 1974, the semester before graduating from Memphis State University. Fifteen months later, in April 1975, I was hired as Executive Director of the McDonald Branch YMCA in Fort Worth, Tex. At age 23, I was perhaps one of the youngest YMCA branch directors in the nation. In July 1981, I was hired as Branch Executive and District Executive Director of the Monsanto Branch YMCA in St. Louis, Mo. Under my leadership the Monsanto Branch YMCA was named one of “Ten Model YMCAs Serving Urban Communities in the United States,” by the YMCA of the USA.

In October 1989, I was named President/CEO of the Omaha/Council Bluffs YMCA, becoming the first African American to serve in this role in the organization’s 123-year history. During my tenure in Omaha, my volunteers, staff and I expanded the Y’s traditional programs and reached out to serve kids and families in disadvantaged communities. My crowning accomplishment in Omaha was raising over $5 million to build a new Y in the inner city.

In June 1994, I was hired as National Field Executive for the Mid-America Field of the YMCA of the USA. In this role, I was responsible for supervising 15 staff members based in offices in Minneapolis, Minn., Dallas, Texas, Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Ind. My consultants and I provided support to 700 branch and corporate YMCAs in 17 states, from Texas to Minnesota and Colorado to West Virginia. I routinely flew 100,000 miles per year to meet with local leaders and speak at Y gatherings. In September 2005, I was hired as Chief Operating Officer of the YMCA of Greater Cleveland, a position I held until December 2006.

Looking Back
Upon taking over leadership of the Arlington YMCA I found an organization that was both steeped in tradition and poised for growth. Our YMCA, founded in 1958 by Mayor Tom Vandergriff and other community leaders, celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. We were known for youth sports, before- and afterschool childcare, and our Father/Child programs.

However, our YMCA was less known for its commitment to health and well-being and working with others to address community issues. And, we needed to expand our programs, services and facilities to better serve our community. We set about strengthening our volunteer board, building our staff team and letting the community know that the YMCA was interested in forming partnerships and collaborations to address community needs.

Working with my board of directors, we interviewed community leaders, conducted research and identified issues in our community. We then crafted “Vision 2014,” our five-year strategic plan, the YMCA’s response to many of these issues.

For 50 years the YMCA of Arlington has enriched the lives of thousands of residents. Our Y has redoubled its commitment to serve kids and families in Arlington, Mansfield and surrounding areas. Our goal is that by the year 2014 the YMCA will have made significant contributions towards the development of individuals and families in our community. The YMCA mission is, “To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.” Our core values, “caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, and faith,” guide everything that we do. The YMCA’s mission and values are what differentiates it from other organizations. I have the best job in the world, one that provides gainful employment and at the same time allows me to draw strength from my “faith, family and friends” as I work with hundreds of volunteers and staff to serve the entire community.

Community Issues
In developing our strategic plan, we conducted research using United Way, U.S. Census, university and other data to determine the key issues facing youth, adults and families in our community. Critical community issues were found to include: changing demographics, increasing numbers of economically disadvantaged, public safety and crime, latchkey kids, youth not participating in programs, youth gangs, challenging schools, lack of public transportation, lack of parenting skills, insensitivity to diversity and inclusion, lack of life skills education, need for neighborhood revitalization, and population growth.

We then crafted Vision 2014: Building Strong Communities, a five-year plan to respond to these issues. The plan addresses: childhood obesity, youth values, teen programs, diversity and inclusion, and health and wellness programs for youth, adults and seniors.

We found that unhealthy behaviors, sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition have led to an epidemic of obesity and related chronic disease in the U.S. Childhood obesity likely will lead to lower life expectancy and chronic health issues. Children and teens are increasingly growing up in single-parent homes. Racial diversity is increasing and the need for teaching of values and the appreciation of diversity and inclusion is paramount. Our YMCA believes that to effectively address these critical issues, it is imperative that organizations work collaboratively to maximize limited community resources.

YMCA Response
Our YMCA’s vision is to be the premier human service organization in our community. To do that, we will dramatically expand our membership, programs and facilities, and focus on goals that will: develop youth and teens, strengthen families, create health and well-being for all, connect members to one another and the community, and develop leaders for the future.

Activate America
Activate America® is the YMCA's response to the nation's growing health crisis. The YMCA is redefining itself and engaging communities across the country to provide better opportunities for people of all ages in their pursuit of health and well-being in spirit, mind and body. Through this initiative, the YMCA is redefining itself to provide better opportunities for people of all ages in their pursuit of health and well-being. We believe we can influence and motivate health seekers—those who wish to be healthy but may be new to exercise and well-being—to make positive changes in their pursuit of healthy living by defining membership not as a commodity, but as an experience characterized by the creation of relationships and opportunities to support the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. Through this program, the YMCA works to create and sustain healthier communities by actively participating in our communities and connecting our network and resources to influence decisions that impact health. In other words, we plan to Activate America® beyond the walls of the YMCA.

Before and After School Childcare and Summer Day Camp
Our YMCA is the area’s largest provider of before- and after-school programs. During 2008 we served more than 1,000 children at school sites throughout Arlington and Mansfield. Our summer day camps served nearly 635 children each week at seven day camp sites and three teen camps. These programs focused on kids, ages 5 to 15, with working parents who needed a place for their children and young teens that was safe, fun and productive. Many of the children would have been unable to attend if it were not for the financial aid they received from our Strong Kids Campaign.

Youth Sports Programs
Organized sports help to provide valuable life skills for those who participate in them. Our YMCA served more than 14,000 kids last year in sports like baseball, basketball, extreme track, flag football, soccer, softball and volleyball. Through participation in team sports, kids not only have fun, but they build a base for health and well-being that lasts into adulthood. Additionally, at the YMCA, youth sports participants focus on character development along with skills development. Those who play at the Y, learn teamwork, good sportsmanship and respect, along with how to throw a ball or shoot a basket.

Soccer Club at Hutchinson Junior High
Through partnership with the City of Arlington’s Weed & Seed program, our Y learned of a group of kids who attended Hutchinson Junior High who just wanted to play soccer. They desperately needed something to do after school, but they were either ineligible for the school’s organized sports programs or for some other reason were unable to play. During the 2008-09 school year the YMCA continued the efforts started by Weed & Seed volunteers and organized an after-school soccer club for Hutchinson students. Gang problems are evident in this neighborhood, and our YMCA is an agent of change in order to keep kids safe. We see this soccer club as one way to address the gang issue in this community.

Teen and Tween Leadership Councils
One of our YMCA’s most successful teen programs has proven to be our Teen Leadership Council (TLC). We expanded this program to include youth ages 10 to 12 in a Tween Leadership Council. Last year, 70 teens and tweens participated in this important leadership development program. TLC and TweenLC offer area youth the opportunity to learn about their community, become involved and learn how to become a leader to affect change. With community service projects, fieldtrips, and educational components, our YMCA helped build our community’s leaders of tomorrow. Each of our branch locations serves their area’s teens and tweens, and we’re working to take this program “beyond the walls” of the Y as well.

Artisan at Rush Creek Apartment Program
In the spring of 2008, the City of Arlington was looking for a partner to work with the youth and families who reside at the Artisan at Rush Creek Apartments in south Arlington. The apartment community had a high incidence of calls to the police for help with issues like petty larceny, assault, loitering, etc. Police officials said that many of the calls resulted from youth and teens having nothing to do.

We met with city staff to devise a plan. Lynn Frankenfield, Executive Director of the Cooper Street Branch YMCA, developed a proposal to serve the youth and teens in the apartment community. Arlington City Manager Jim Holgersson made a $5,000 Neighborhood Assistance Grant available, to which our YMCA matched $5,000 from our Strong Kids Campaign. Additionally, the apartment owners provided $5,000. With only $15,000 in funding, the YMCA, the city and the apartment owners developed a partnership that changed the situation and ended up changing lives!

The partnership provided programs that included basketball, flag football, Safe Sitter classes, Tae Kwon Do, Teen Leadership Council and Tween Leadership Council leadership development activities, and monthly fieldtrips to the YMCA. We also implemented a tutoring program at the apartment complex in collaboration with the Mansfield Independent School District.
As a result of the partnership and the Y’s intervention, crime has been reduced to virtually zero and youth and teens are involved in positive activities. Our YMCA hosted a Christmas party at the Artisan apartments, where youth and their families received 90 bicycles and helmets, 140 Christmas baskets and turkeys, coats, and 42 pairs of athletic shoes and socks.

The apartment program continues to grow and thrive and the results have been phenomenal! Youth from the apartments participated in Global Youth Service Day in April to create a flower garden at the Cooper Street Branch YMCA. Our Y will provide lifeguards and teach swimming lessons at the apartment pool this summer. Proudly, one of the teen residents, involved in the program since its inception, has been hired as a lifeguard in her own community!

Our YMCA was able to make a real difference in this one part of the city. There was a significant decrease in vandalism and petty crime in the neighborhood and an overall improvement of the image of the community by those who lived there. Because of the positive results, we will expand our programming at Artisan to other similar communities around the city.

The Urban Swim Program
The YMCA of Arlington is the largest provider of swim lessons in our area, with more than 2,500 youth enrolled each year. During this past summer, we piloted a project we called “The Urban Swim Program,” offering free swim lessons and water safety classes to youth who might not otherwise have had an opportunity to learn to be safe around the water. Nationally, minority youth drown at disproportionate rates because they don’t know how to swim or haven’t been taught how to be safe around water. Partnering with schools that we serve through our afterschool programs and the leaders and volunteers of Arlington’s Weed & Seed program, we hoped to serve up to 50 youth. We enrolled an astounding 76 youth and teens—proof for us that this program is sorely needed and should be offered each year. Our Y has been working with the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Arlington in order to expand this program in the future. We will provide The Urban Swim Program again next summer, and will serve even more youth and families.

Community Impact
The more than 60,500 members of our YMCA’s facilities and the more than 36,000 program participants speak to our organization’s relevance. Through their participation in YMCA activities and programs, our members and participants know the difference the Y makes. By providing a caring and nurturing place to work out, be cared for, play sports, or learn to swim, the Y becomes much more than a childcare center, workout facility, swimming pool, or gymnasium. For our members and participants, the Y has become a community, family, and social center, and much more. It’s a place to learn, to grow, to become healthy and to become stronger in spirit, mind and body.

None of the work of our Y would be possible without the support of almost 1,700 volunteers and nearly 1,200 donors. These leaders help make the YMCA in our community successful. They know the importance of having youth sports, health and fitness, aquatics, and childcare programs with an emphasis on the core values of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility and faith.

During the past year the YMCA of Arlington:

• Awarded $594,527 in financial aid to 21,807 recipients, allowing them to participate in membership and programs, without regard to their ability to pay.
• Arranged donation of over 200 bicycles and gifts to youth, in an effort to combat childhood obesity, improve their health and well-being and build their self-esteem.
• Served over 600 teens in Feeding Frenzies at Sam Houston High School, to establish rapport and communications with this important segment of our community.
• Expanded our partnership with Bethlehem Baptist Church, bringing summer day camp for youth and Safe Sitter classes to Mansfield.
• Served 10,607 youth in before- and afterschool programs, providing safe, affordable childcare to children of working parents.
• Served 4,873 youth in summer camp programs, providing creative and innovative care for youth, allowing their parents to work without fear of their children’s safety.
• Served 14,416 youth in sports programs, teaching values as well as athletic and leadership skills.
• Served 890 youth and their fathers in our Father/Child Program, strengthening the bonds between parents and their children.
• Served 4,598 youth in aquatics programs, teaching swimming and water safety skills.
• Served 648 youth in teen programs, providing opportunities for service learning and leadership skills development.
• Served 14,866 adults in health and well-being programs, encouraging individuals to enjoy regular exercise, good nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
• Served 866 seniors, in active older adult programs and SilverSneakers® activities, helping to keep them physically active, vibrant and connected to their community.
• Served 136 students in the United Way-funded FitFuture Project at Amos Elementary School, a school with the highest incidence of childhood obesity in Tarrant County.
• Collaborated with The Miracle League to provide baseball for over 200 kids with developmental disabilities.
• Provided programs and services for 20 adults with special needs through the Special Friends program, at our North Branch YMCA, made possible through a grant from Mental Health Mental Retardation of Tarrant County.
• Served 20 east Arlington kids in our Thornton Elementary Afterschool Program, funded through a grant from JCPenney.
• Involved 1,500 youth and their parents during YMCA Healthy Kids Day®, a day designed to show kids and families how to incorporate healthy activities into their daily lives. Activities included: Air Hog Baseball Pitch, a bean bag toss, a bounce house, Dance Dance Revolution contest, a diaper dash, family challenges, family group exercise classes (Zumba, Drums Alive and Hip Hop), healthy snacks demonstrations, and Twister.
• Engaged 41 youth and teens and 18 adults who volunteered 240 hours to spread mulch and plant trees and flowers at our Cooper Street and Central branch YMCAs during Global Youth Service Day in April.
  

Trials and Triumphs
My brush with a brain tumor wasn’t the only trial my family and I have overcome. In 1996, I learned that my pericardium, the lining of the heart, had fluid that serendipitously appeared on a chest x-ray. I underwent a biopsy, which revealed that the fluid was benign. I credit my “faith, family and friends” with helping me endure the anxiety created by this situation.

In 1998, my wife at the time suffered oxygen deprivation following surgery and never regained consciousness. I prayed for her recovery, however, it wasn’t to be the case. I cared for my 12-year-old and 16-year-old sons during this difficult period in our lives. My oldest son relocated from Memphis, Tenn. to Bloomington, Minn. to help his brothers and me cope. Prayers and gestures of love and support poured in from family and friends from around the country and around the world. Neighbors brought over home-cooked meals and cleaned our home weekly for nearly a year. I made the difficult decision to withdraw life support after my wife had languished in a chronic vegetative state for more than three years.

During this difficult period in my life, my job was eliminated as the YMCA of the USA reorganized its national service delivery system. The YMCA of the USA was very accommodating and leaned over backwards to accommodate my family and me. However, I realized I couldn’t continue to perform a job that required extensive travel. I took a severance package and left my job as National Field Executive for the Mid-America Field, one of only four such positions nationwide. Again, I was sustained by my “faith, family and friends” during a very trying time.

In order to strengthen my reemployment possibilities and continue my education, I enrolled in the Ph.D. program in recreation administration at the University of Minnesota, from which I graduated in May 2003. In June of that same year, I received a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, after studying the martial art for more than 10 years. I found the intellectual rigor of my doctoral studies and the physical and mental demands of learning a martial art to be therapeutic as I dealt with my grief and the stresses of being a single parent breadwinner.

Although I had 30 years experience, an M.B.A. and a Ph.D., I found it difficult to get back into the YMCA at a level commensurate with my experience and salary requirements. I applied for a number of CEO positions and got as far as phone and personal interviews. However, I was unable to land a CEO position at a major YMCA. I then applied for other senior-level nonprofit, for profit and governmental jobs, without success.

My dissertation, “Barriers to Upward Mobility for African Americans in Leisure Services: A Case Study of the YMCA,” examined issues that keep minorities and women from advancing in organizations. My research found that organizational leaders tend to hire and nurture people like themselves. Invariably diversity is inhibited because those in power don’t see the value of inclusion. Ironically the barriers that I experienced in my job search paralleled those of the minorities and women in my study.

Additionally, I felt my attempt to reenter the YMCA at a senior level was hampered because people didn’t know whether I could still lead, given that I hadn’t been a CEO of a local Y for over 10 years. I believe that managing a YMCA, or any organization for that matter, is just like riding a bicycle. It’s a skill that you don’t lose. Once you’ve learned how to manage, the skill stays with you. Since I hadn’t been a CEO for a number of years, people assumed I could “no longer ride a bike.” All I needed was a chance to demonstrate that I could still lead.

I got that chance in September 2005, when friend and colleague, Glenn Haley, President/CEO of the YMCA of Greater Cleveland, hired me as Chief Operating Officer for the 17-branch Cleveland YMCA. I worked with Glenn, volunteers and staff to position the YMCA for growth. I was instrumental in developing the organization’s five-year strategic plan and setting the course for the future. My tenure in Cleveland positioned me to compete for CEO positions by giving me recent operational and leadership experience. Finally, I could demonstrate that “I still knew how to ride a bike.”

In early 2007, I learned that the YMCA of Arlington was looking for a CEO. Having worked in Texas three decades earlier and knowing the management consultant assigned to the area from the national YMCA and others familiar with the Arlington YMCA, I decided to submit my résumé. After extensive research of the community and the organization, reference checking, a phone interview and a personal interview, the selection committee and I felt that I was a match for the job.

I’ve worked hard to get involved in our community. I’m a member of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield and the Arlington North Rotary Club. Additionally, I’m a graduate of Leadership Arlington and the Dale Carnegie Course. I’ve also been involved as a member of the Arlington Independent School District’s Community Gang Prevention Taskforce, the Success in School Summit, the Mayor’s SPIRIT Task Force, and the Our Community Our Kids Task Force.

Cancer Survivor
Perhaps the most serious situation that I have dealt with was a diagnosis in January of this year that I had bilateral renal carcinoma—malignant tumors on both kidneys. I had gone to my primary care physician last fall because of pain in my upper abdomen. Previously I had been diagnosed with diastasis rectus, a tear of my abdominal muscles. My physician said a CT scan didn’t reveal the diastasis; however, it did show lesions on my kidneys. I made an appointment with a urologist who scheduled me for a biopsy.

I nervously spent the holidays not knowing the nature of the lesions or my fate. Then on December 31, both my father and my wife encouraged me to attend the watch night service at my church to bring in the New Year. I had joined the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, shortly after relocating to Texas in June 2007. I felt the warmth and love from my pastor, the Rev. Dr. Michael A. Evans, Sr., and from the many members whom I had gotten to know. Pastor Evans had even invited me to give the keynote address at our church’s Martin Luther King Celebration earlier in the year.

During the service, Pastor Evans asked members who had experienced a health challenge, job loss or other trauma during the past year and now had “praise reports” to stand. He then asked those who recently had gotten bad news to stand. Those whose prayers had been answered were asked to go and stand with those who were facing new trials and tribulations.

At that moment, Warren Davis, a member with whom I had spoken briefly in the past came over and took my hands. He told me that he had been diagnosed with cancer a few years earlier and that his cancer had been in remission. Although the cancer was back, he said that he was blessed. I cried. We had breakfast together a few weeks later and my new friend became an important part of my support system.

I underwent a biopsy of my left kidney when my wife was in town in January. A few weeks later, when the results were available, my urologist’s office phoned and informed me the tumor was malignant. I phoned my wife in Ohio and drove to my urologist’s office alone, not knowing what lay ahead or my chances for survival. The doctor confirmed that I had renal cell carcinoma and that tumors were present on both kidneys.

While I had prayed that the lesions would be benign, I also had asked the Lord to let His will be done. The moment that I learned I had cancer, I felt afraid, angry and hopeful. I was afraid, not knowing whether the diagnosis was a death sentence. I was angry that my life, although a good one, already had been filled with many trials and tribulations. I felt cheated that time with my wife of less than 18 months was being cut short. Yet, I was hopeful as I knew that God has dominion over all things. I prayed for guidance and strength. I phoned my wife and gave her the details. She had already begun research on the Internet and was trying to understand the battle with which we were about to engage.

After further tests, I had some good news. A bone scan, chest CT and head CT revealed that the cancer was confined to my kidneys and had not metastasized to other parts of my body. My urologist said that my prognosis was good and that surgery is the recommended protocol for treating kidney cancer. He wanted to refer me to specialists at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, to attempt renal sparing—removal of the tumors and salvage of my kidneys.

I liked this strategy; however, I was concerned with having surgery in Houston where I wouldn’t have benefit of the support system afforded by my church and friends. My doctor then suggested the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. or the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

I had lived in Cleveland and was aware of the world-class reputation of the Cleveland Clinic; however, the fact that my wife lives just 40 miles away in Akron, Ohio made it an easy choice.

My doctor referred me to a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic. That urologist, Dr. Charles S. Modlin, had been my doctor when I lived in Cleveland. Dr. Modlin, nationally renowned and one of only 15 African American kidney transplant surgeons in the United States, scheduled me for additional tests and surgery within three weeks.

I underwent an open partial nephrectomy on March 2 to remove a tumor from my left kidney. The surgery went well. However, I awakened in my hospital room to a sea of people wearing white coats. Someone was saying, “Mr. Dean, can you hear me?” “Mr. Dean, squeeze my hand.” It became apparent to me that something was dangerously wrong. I had suffered a drop in blood pressure which sent me back to the intensive care unit and ultimately back to the operating room. Over the next few hours, the medical team tried numerous strategies to raise my blood pressure.

I heard someone say, “We need six units of blood.” I could hear the doctors discussing what needed to be done. At one point, they prepped me for surgery to run a coil from my groin up to my heart and down to my kidney in an attempt to embolize the bleeding. However, a CT scan revealed no apparent “leakers,” areas of internal bleeding, and this strategy was abandoned.

I was holding my wife’s hand and began praying while the doctors and nurses worked on me in the ICU. I asked the Lord to heal me, and more importantly to let His will be done. I asked God to take care of my wife, my children and others important to me. I asked God for humility and thanked him for allowing me to achieve much in life. I confessed my sins, acknowledged Jesus Christ as my personal savior and asked Him to accept my soul. Then, late into the night, at about 2:30 a.m., the medical team summoned Dr. Modlin and they took me back to surgery.

My wife said that the technicians attempted to take my vital signs and prepare me for surgery when I paused in my prayers, however, each time I would start praying again. She finally told them, “You’re going to have to keep working because he isn’t going to stop praying.”

In the early morning hour as I was being prepped for surgery and going under the anesthetic, I heard a male voice that said, “Everything is going to be alright.” I later told my wife that I didn’t recognize the voice and didn’t know if it was Dr. Modlin’s or the voice of God. She told me it might have been the Lord! The emergency surgery didn’t reveal significant internal bleeding, however, I required eight units of whole blood.

The next day, I awakened in the ICU to the appearance of Terry Gaines, Chairman of the Board of the Arlington YMCA. He had arranged a business trip to Pittsburgh, rented a car, and drove to Cleveland to deliver an oversized get-well card from volunteers and staff our YMCA back in Texas. Terry’s visit took me by surprise. I was elated that our friendship was so strong that he wanted to show his support for me in such a dramatic way.

I was discharged after four days in the hospital and I recuperated over the next two weeks in Akron. My wife and I flew together back to DFW and I was back in the office just one month following major surgery.

I underwent a second surgery to remove a tumor from my right kidney on May 11. This time the process went smoothly. Like the first surgery, I was discharged from the hospital after four days, recuperated in Akron and returned to work in a month. According to Dr. Modlin, “Fifteen years ago a person with a diagnosis of bilateral renal carcinoma would have had their kidneys removed and ended up on dialysis. We were able to remove the tumors and Dr. Dean now has two healthy kidneys.” I will undergo blood work and CT scans every 3-4 months to monitor my kidneys and determine whether the tumors have returned.

When I first learned I had cancer, I asked, “Lord, why me?” After experiencing God’s awesome power, I ask, “Lord, why not me?” I serve an awesome God, who is capable of doing all things and I am privileged to bear witness to His power and grace. I credit Dr. Modlin, an instrument of God, for literally saving my life. Dr. Modlin said, “This is a very powerful and important testimonial that will surely help others when they read it. I am moved and I am in awe to have been a part of your journey. There must have been a reason that you and I met each other several years ago. Often, we doctors take care of patients and operate on patients, without having the opportunity to learn about the personal experiences facing the patients. I thank you for sharing with me your story and I am proud that you chose to come to me to participate in your care.” Perhaps my pastor, the Rev. Dr. Evans, said it best, “My brother, we are calling out your name daily. Your church family is interceding on your behalf and we believe in God for a healing.”

Looking Ahead
The current economic downturn has made it difficult for many individuals and families in our community. A number of Y members have suffered job layoffs and many are concerned about their future. Our YMCA has responded by making financial assistance available—nearly $600,000 last year—to members who can’t afford membership or programs.

During periods of uncertainty organizations like the YMCA are needed more than ever. Individuals and families in our community need safe, affordable childcare and accessible health and well-being programs to ensure good community health. Our YMCA has been part of the heart and soul of our community for nearly 50 years. We celebrate good times, and we support those in need, through child and youth development, family strengthening, and health and well-being programs. We’re committed to helping all members of our community live healthier lives—in spirit, mind and body.

Our focus doesn’t change because the economy changes; however, it has particular relevance today. Our YMCA helps people focus on the important things in life: children, family, community and personal well-being. Our YMCA is a charitable, nonprofit organization that is open to all irrespective of income. We have financial assistance available for those in need.
The nation’s 2,686 YMCAs respond to critical social needs by drawing on our collective strength as of one of the largest not-for-profit community service organizations in the United States.

YMCAs are committed to helping: children and youth deepen positive values, their commitment to service and their motivation to learn; families build stronger bonds, spend time together and become more engaged with their communities; and individuals strengthen their spiritual, mental and physical well-being. At every stage of life, YMCAs are there to help children, families and individuals reach their full potential.

Holistic Development of Children and Youth
The YMCA, locally and nationally, is working to develop children and youth. YMCAs help children and youth deepen positive values, their commitment to service and their motivation to learn.

As the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of child care, the YMCA serves more than 500,000 children at nearly 10,000 sites across the country. YMCAs offer financial assistance to 20 percent of children in their child care programs. With more than 1,500 YMCAs serving communities where the median family income is below the U.S. average, financial assistance—made possible annually by more than $1.6 billion in public and private support and YMCA members—opens all YMCA programs to those in need.

Family Strengthening
Family strengthening is a key goal of the YMCA. YMCAs help families build stronger bonds, achieve greater work/life balance and become more engaged with their communities. Parents also can come to the Y for support and education when dealing with life changes and family stress.

Health and Well-being for All
Health and well-being for all is critical to the future of our community. YMCAs are the nation’s largest providers of health and well-being programs. They help people strengthen their spiritual, mental and physical well-being. All are welcome at their neighborhood YMCA, regardless of age, race, sex, faith, background, ability or income.

YMCAs are working to combat rising levels of obesity and promote healthy living for millions of Americans through Activate America®, the Y’s response to our nation’s growing health crisis. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes are our nation’s leading killers, and they affect 90 million Americans, young and old. Increased physical activity and healthy eating are of critical importance to our community if we are going to prevent and control many of these illnesses. That is why the YMCA of Arlington, along with other YMCAs across the country, is working to provide supportive environments for community members to adopt healthy lifestyles and is beginning to work with community organizations and policymakers to make ours a healthier place to live.

Faith, Family and Friends
I’m optimistic about both my personal and professional life. My focus on “faith, family and friends” will continue to sustain me and allow me to conquer challenges that I face in the future. I am blessed, my faith is strong and I have the love and support of family and friends. My health is excellent and I have the benefit of working for an organization that prides itself in helping to improve the health and well-being of everyone in our community.

I look forward to leading the YMCA of Arlington in accomplishing its five-year goals to reduce childhood obesity, enhance youth values, expand teen programs, improve diversity and inclusion, and make health and wellness programs more readily available for youth, adults and seniors.

I want to reach out to more organizations to collaborate to address community issues. An important part of that collaboration will be establishment of a YMCA presence in east Arlington and a new branch in Mansfield, to augment the services we currently provide from our Central, Cooper Street and North branch facilities. It is important that our YMCA dramatically expand our membership, programs and facilities, develop youth and teens, strengthen families, create health and well-being for all, connect members to one another, and develop leaders for our community.

I believe our Y is still vibrant and strong after 50 years of serving the Arlington and Mansfield communities because everyday our members, volunteers, staff, and leaders live our mission, “To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.” I believe that my reliance on the YMCA’s mission and values and the principles of “faith, family and friends” will catapult our Y and me to even greater heights!

Willie Dean, Ph.D.
President/CEO
YMCA of Arlington
1148 W. Pioneer Parkway, Suite H
Arlington, TX 76013
(817) 299-9629 ext. 16
willied@ymca-arlington.org
http://www.ymca-arlington.org/