HOW DO
YOU SPELL
WIN?

As an African American male from the inner city of Chicago, it always felt good to know that I had someone who understood me and would help me to navigate my path. Mr. Collins  was a positive influence in that his general disposition was always professional, precise, yet warm and comforting. He often offered me reassurance, which boosted my self-confidence and helped me to consider what it meant to be a leader.  At times, when I was being taken advantage of and people were not being kind to me, Coach Collins came to my defence.  He modeled how young, black men  should conduct ourselves in public situations. He would most times wait with me while I got myself together after a game and before a press conference to ensure I didn’t feel rushed while I got suited up;  he and I shared the belief in making a great impression. For a time, I strongly considered pursuing a role in College Athletics; Coach Collins  made the job appear seamless.  I cannot count the times that he made himself available to my family and I- ways  that far exceeded his role at NIU (wellness checks, funeral visits, etc..) Coach Collins was a  guiding light in my life and so many  others. I will always be forever grateful to him.

I am so elated to have an opportunity to speak about a man that I truly respect.  This man, Robert Collins, changed my life in such a meaningful way.

As our friendship developed during our teaching together, he asked me if I would consider coaching the girl’s basketball team at Beasley Academic Center where we both taught. I immediately responded by saying I don’t know anything about coaching. He insisted that he could teach me everything that I needed to know to be a successful coach.  After coaching the girls at Beasley for a year, upon Robert’s suggestion, I applied for the coaching position at Robeson High School where he coached the boys. Initially, I didn’t get the position, but a year later, I applied again and was hired! After being mentored by Mr. Collins, I developed into a coach to be reckoned with; Robert helped me develop into a Hall of Fame Coach. He was an excellent teacher and I was a motivated learner.   Robert wasn’t aware of this, but I was going through a lot in my life when I met him. Coaching gave my life purpose and created a new future for me- one that I would not have realized had it not been for Mr. Collins. I will forever be grateful to Mr. Robert Collins, my friend and mentor for life.

The first time I met Coach Collins was under a series of very uncomfortable circumstances.  Someone very close to me had recently passed away and I was also feeling the weight of the notoriety of being a high school basketball star. To compound matters, I was to be the starting Forward for the Robeson Raiders, however, Coach Collins had the grim task of telling me I was to be sidelined until my grades improved. When he informed me that I was unable to play, I literally hated his guts (I shared this statement of fact with him many years later). At some point, I realized he was trying to support me and not humiliate me. That realization gained my respect for him.

I have grown to love and respect Coach Collins, and I share that with him each time we communicate. Coach Collins taught me to be a man! He modeled for me a healthy image of what it meant to be a man.  I was reluctant to change, but he gently pulled me in and showed me the way. Plain and simple, I never would have made it without Coach Collins.