N.C. Central Coach Helping Others Overcome Obstacles

NBC17

http://www2.nbc17.com/news/wake-county/2012/aug/21/nccu-coach-overcame-crime-poverty-helps-others-do–ar-2537739/

The cycle of crime and poverty often starts with kids.

But the head men’s basketball coach at N.C. Central University is trying to break it.

At NCCU in Durham, LeVelle Moton showed off a mural tracing the school’s basketball history. It was his idea, but putting his own picture here was not, even though as a player he was one of the leading scorers ever for the team.

“I thought it was great for our guys to get to respect history. In order for you to know where you’re going, [you have to know] where you come from, said Moton.

When Moton was growing up in the projects of Raleigh, he says there was one area euphemistically called, the mini park.” He said that’s where he first saw drug deals going down. He saw a man injecting drugs into his veins. He saw plenty of weapons, and a lot of illegal activity.

“This is where it all went down. Drugs, selling of drugs, prostitution, sexual acts, said Moton.

He remembers seeing a friend die.

She was shot and killed on this street. I think she was 13-14 years old, he said.

Though the area near downtown Raleigh has revitalized, his memories linger.

There’s probably some buried money because some of those houses are where the drug dealers used to store their money, said Moton.

But one thing that has stayed the same is the Jones Street apartment where he grew up.

This was my beginning, he said.

It’s a building nine families shared.

You had to be really careful when you washed clothes and took ‘em out and hung ‘em up, cause people would come through and just walk the path and steal your clothes, so it really taught you a certain paranoia, said Moton.

But he’s proud of where he came from and credits his upbringing for teaching him skills he’d never learn in a university.

Drugs, liquor, guns, violence, weaponry, we had access to it. So it was a challenge to make the appropriate decisions, said Moton.

As a coach, he’s worried about the next generation and has filled their environment in the locker room with words: like adversity, impossible, winning.

You have to honestly believe that there’s a bigger and better place for you, he said.

Moton supports the Boys & Girls Clubs, because he got his start there. Every summer, he invites club kids to free basketball clinics hosted by NBA stars.

, N.C. Central Coach Helping Others Overcome Obstacles

NBC17

http://www2.nbc17.com/news/wake-county/2012/aug/21/nccu-coach-overcame-crime-poverty-helps-others-do–ar-2537739/

The cycle of crime and poverty often starts with kids.

But the head men’s basketball coach at N.C. Central University is trying to break it.

At NCCU in Durham, LeVelle Moton showed off a mural tracing the school’s basketball history. It was his idea, but putting his own picture here was not, even though as a player he was one of the leading scorers ever for the team.

I thought it was great for our guys to get to respect history. In order for you to know where you’re going, [you have to know] where you come from, said Moton.

When Moton was growing up in the projects of Raleigh, he says there was one area euphemistically called, the mini park.” He said that’s where he first saw drug deals going down. He saw a man injecting drugs into his veins. He saw plenty of weapons, and a lot of illegal activity.

“This is where it all went down. Drugs, selling of drugs, prostitution, sexual acts, said Moton.

He remembers seeing a friend die.

She was shot and killed on this street. I think she was 13-14 years old, he said.

Though the area near downtown Raleigh has revitalized, his memories linger.

There’s probably some buried money because some of those houses are where the drug dealers used to store their money, said Moton.

But one thing that has stayed the same is the Jones Street apartment where he grew up.

This was my beginning, he said.

It’s a building nine families shared.

You had to be really careful when you washed clothes and took ‘em out and hung ‘em up, cause people would come through and just walk the path and steal your clothes, so it really taught you a certain paranoia, said Moton.

But he’s proud of where he came from and credits his upbringing for teaching him skills he’d never learn in a university.

Drugs, liquor, guns, violence, weaponry, we had access to it. So it was a challenge to make the appropriate decisions, said Moton.

As a coach, he’s worried about the next generation and has filled their environment in the locker room with words: like adversity, impossible, winning.

You have to honestly believe that there’s a bigger and better place for you, ” he said.

Moton supports the Boys & Girls Clubs, because he got his start there. Every summer, he invites club kids to free basketball clinics hosted by NBA stars.