Transcription
ANNUAL REPORT
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T SLetter from the FOUNDER 1MISSION STATEMENT 3OUR STORY 5Profiles of LEADERSHIP TEAM 7TESTIMONIALS 9MOKAN BY THE NUMBERS 11RECRUITMENT LOCATIONS 13GROWTH OVER TIME 15ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE 17CHARACTER BUILDING 19SERVICE to the COMMUNITY 21irreplaceable OPPORTUNITIES 23STUDENT-ATHLETE PROFILES 25SCHOLARSHIP Statistics 35PARTNERSHIPS 36CONNECTIONS MAKE OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES MAKE A DIFFERENCE
LET TER FROM THE FOUNDERMore than competition, basketball forstudents in MOKAN’s program is a sourceof empowerment and transformation. Forexample, 100 percent of MOKAN par ticipantswho have completed the program havegraduated from high school AND receivedcollege scholarship assistance. Even moreimpor tantly, young men are walking awayfrom the program with the tools necessaryto create real change.In our minds, there’s nothing more valuablethan seeing a student receive the oppor tunityto overcome their circumstances in life andbecome the husband, father and leader thattheir community needs.DEAR SUPPORTERS AND FRIENDS,What if basketball had the power to change lives? At MOKAN, we knowit does. We have witnessed it firsthand, again and again.“Even moreimportantly,young menare walkingaway fromthe programwith the toolsnecessary tocreate realchange.”In our award-winning documentary, I am Marvin Clark, we d etailthe remarkable life transformation of one of the young men in theMOKAN program. The film reveals the enormous challenges Marvinfaced growing up in Kansas City and how he was able to change hiscircumstances with the suppor t of MOKAN.While Marvin has endless possibilities before him today, many otheryouth find themselves stuck in the life he once knew. Facing issues suchas pover ty, fatherlessness, failing schools and fractured communities,these students simply miss out on oppor tunities other youth receive.MOKAN strives to empower students in our community throughmentoring, academic suppor t , basketball and service learning. Ourprogram inspires youth to lead healthy lifestyles, be engaged studentsand become agents of change in their communities. By providing youthwith caring mentors and a structured environment designed to buildhigh character learders, MOKAN is changing the purpose of spor t .We are a unique 501(c)(3) nonprofitorganization that combines elite basketballcompetition,academicassistanceandservice learning into a comprehensiveprogram that emphasizes physical activity,health, education and civic engagement .Thisinterconnectednessinspiresourmentors and student- athletes to see the“big picture” and make connections betweenthe cour t , the classroom and the community.In order to continue the transformationalwork taking place within MOKAN, we needthe help and suppor t of those in the KansasCity area and throughout the region. We aredependent upon the assistance of generousindividuals and corporations across ourcommunity for continued success.T h ank y o u fo r y o u r time and p l ea s econtin u e to r ead on to l ea r n mo r eabo u t o u r wo r k , and t h e r e s u lt s itb r in g s .Sincerely,Matt S utherFo under1VAL U E SEmpowermentMOKAN believes that students havecomplete control over their attitude andeffort regardless of circumstances. Wedesire to guide students toward habitsthat lead to success in the classroom, onthe court and in their relationships withfamily and friends.inspirationUsing sport to change lives, MOKANinspires youth to think beyond what theyknow, daring them to be the absolute bestthey can be. Words of encouragement froma mentor are a powerful thing.COMMITMENTSuccess doesn’t happen overnight.Anything worthwhile is not easy. MOKANemphasizes perseverance and dedication;lifeskills that translate beyond the court.teamworkMOKAN provides a safe, constructivelearning environment allowing studentsto express individuality while workingtogether towards a common goal.Significant achievement requires thework of many.2
M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N TWE KNOW TODAY’S YOUTH AREPASSIONATEABOUT BA SKETBALLTHIS PASSION GIVES US THEIRATTENTIONTHEIR ATTENTION GIVES US ANOPPORTUNITYAN OPPORTUNITY WEL USE TOTRANSFORM LIVES.34
O U R S TO RYOUR STORYAfter playing collegiate basketball and graduating from the University ofMissouri-Kansas City, MOKAN founder Matt Suther began to miss beingaround the game and the relationships that came with the experience.A basketball enthusiast, Matt began to closely follow the high schoolbasketball scene in the greater Kansas City area. He observed a patternof highly talented kids leave the city for oppor tunities, only to return ayear or two later because they weren’t properly prepared for the demandsor structure of the college environment. Attributing his success to theprinciples he learned from his parents and coaches, Matt began to searchout coaching oppor tunities where he could pass on those lessons.“Matt believed that exposing kids to college level practices was the onlyway to truly prepare basketball players for success at the next level. Hewas cer tain that his basketball knowledge would be his greatest asset tothe kids he was going to coach. Matt soon realized he couldn’t have beenmore wrong.I KNew that there was a tremendousopportunity to use thE disguise of basketball“Our goal is to createto give kids hope and a sense of belonging. Weeven greater impact withtalked about work ethic, sacrifice, and teamthose we serve while at thework on the court knowing full well thosesame time creating moreare the same qualities needed to be successfulopportunities for thosein the workforce or in a marriage. I Began tothat need it the most. Itis with sincere gratitudemeet others that shared the same perspectiveand while still being fiercely competitive –that we thank those whose”THEY UNDERSTOOD THE BIGGER PICTUREfinancial contributionshave and will continue tomake our work possible. ”His first team was comprised of mostly inner-city youth from single parenthomes who lacked many of the necessities most youth take for granted.By the end of the first month, he realized that basketball wasn’t the mostpressing need.Most of the kids lacked the financial resources to afford the basics likeuniforms, shoes, and tournament entry fees. Transpor tation to practiceand games was constantly a challenge in the single-parent families. Kidsoften showed up to practices without having eaten lunch and sometimeseven dinner. Some of the parents worked nights making it difficult tomonitor their son’s academic progress and study habits. Something thatwas intended to be solely about basketball quickly became so much more.The relationships formed from that first team and lessons learned aresomething that Matt will treasure forever. Four years later, they becameMOKAN’s first graduating class. The personal growth each student-athletemade from their initial interactions as freshman in high school untilgraduation was incredibly rewarding to watch.Most inspiring is the fact that every single student-athlete from thisfirst group not only graduated from high school but received a collegescholarship. These dedicated pioneers set the standard for all whofollowed them, as both of those statistics remain true eight years later.One team turned into two and two grew to four. Fast forward to today:MOKAN serves more than 300 young men annually ranging from thirdgrade to highschool in the metro Kansas City area. With the help of anetwork of mentors, friends and par tners, MOKAN has become a consistentsource of hope for area par ticipants.Since 2004, more than 70 student-athletes have received collegescholarships through the platform provided by MOKAN. We have alums atsome of the most recognizable educational institutions across the country.from the University of California–Berkeley to Duke University.56
PROFILES OF LEADERSHIP TEAMHi s g oa l i s to PR E PA R EYO U T H F O R C O LL E G EA N D L I F E I N G E N E R A L, B YE X P O S I N G T H E M TO W H AT I TTA K E S TO B E SU C C E SS F UL.Hi s g oa l i s to M A K ETHE LIVES BETTER OFT H E YO U N G M E N H EINTERACTS WITH ON AD A I LY B A S I S.MATT SUTHERJim HuberDEREK EVANSMOKAN founder Matt Suther knows both sides of basketball:playing and coaching. A first team all-state selection in Kansasin high school, Matt enjoyed a successful collegiate career atthe University of Missouri-Kansas City. Graduating with a liberalarts degree, Matt also completed his master’s degree in sportsmanagement at UMKC.A constant presence in the youth basketball scene in Kansas City, JimHuber has devoted a large portion of his professional career towardsdeveloping youth through sport. A graduate of St. Thomas AquinasHigh School, Jim also played collegiately at Avila University.Hi s g oa l i s toC O N T I N U E TO C H A N G ET H E L I V E S O F YO U N GM E N T HRO UGH T H EG A M E O F B A S K E T B A LL.O UR PURP O S E MENTORT h e n ee ds of the you ng me n w it hin a r e pr og r a m areco mplex, m ultifaceted , a nd ofte n v a r y on a n ind iv id u alba si s. The cum ulative e f fect of t he t ime our s t a ff,spou ses , m entors and voluntee r s inve s t in our you t hal l ow us to cre ate la s t ing , imp a ct f ul r e la t ions hi p s .Wh i l e s e tb acks and cha lle ng e s a r e inev it a b le , o u rstu dent-athletes know t hey ha ve a communit y of p eop l eo n whom they can rel y for f ut ur e s uppor t . CONNECTMOKAN has the capacit y to connect yout h in nee d ofamen de d e nv ironm en t s . S ome of our mos t ins p ir i n gsto r i es occur w hen a f a mily op e ns t he ir home a n dh ea r ts. In addition to t he b a s ic ca r e t ha t eve r y k i ddeser ves , we believe t ha t young me n d e s pe r a te ly needh o pe and s tab ility. We wor k d ilig e nt ly to ma ke t ho s eco n n ections happen. EQUIPMOKAN s trives to cr e a te g e ne r a t iona l cha ng e . Ea c hpar ti cipant is expos ed to life s k ills t r a ining inte nd edto l a y a foundation for f ut ur e s ucce s s . L ife s k ills top i c si n cl u de s ocial m e dia , pe r s ona l f ina nce , chiv a lr y a n ddeci si on m aking. Aca d e mic a s s is t a nce includ ing ACTpr ep, goal s e tting, tutor ing a nd t r a ns cr ip t ev a lua t i o nen su r e s that s tudents s uccee d in t he cla s s r oom. FACILITATEOu r high s chool s tud e nt s a nd t he ir f a milie s r ecei veco l l ege planning as sis t a nce w hile t hey ma ke one ofth e m os t im por tant d ecis ion of t he ir live s . To d ate,100 percent of our 17u pa r t icip a nt s ha ve b ee n of fe r edco l l ege s cholars hips eq ua ling a s s is t a nce v a lue d atmor e than 6 m illion s ince t he f ir s t g r a d ua t ing clas si n 2 008.7FOUNDERDesiring to share his basketball experiences with a youngergeneration, Matt formed and coached what would becomethe original MOKAN team in 2004. Matt currently oversees allaspects of MOKAN including fundraising, business developmentand programming.Serving in various management roles in the financial andinsurance industries for more than 10 years, Matt has kept hispassion for basketball alive through his work with MOKAN. Mattlives in Lenexa, KS with his wife, Cherie and two sons, M.J. andMason.Co- Founder / Program AdvisorRodney PerryCo- Founder / Program AdvisorInstrumental to the growth of MOKAN, Rodney Perry has providedparticipants with strong leadership and mentoring. Widelyrespected in basketball circles, Rodney played on an NCAAtournament team while at Missouri State University graduatingwith a degree in physical education. His extensive coachingexperiences include time at the high school, NCAA Division I,NCAA Division II and NAIA level.As the current head coach at Avila University, Coach Perry is inthe gym year round whether it’s with his current college studentathletes or MOKAN participants. His knowledge of the recruitingprocess from both the player and coach perspective is invaluablewhile assisting MOKAN participants with the decision makingprocess.In 2012, Coach Perry guided the MOKAN 17u team to its bestappearance to date in the prestigious Nike Peach Jam finishingin the Final Four. Rodney has received numerous nationalaccolades for his work in youth basketball including invites tocoach at the Nike Global Challenge and Nike Elite 100 camp. Thelist of student-athletes that have been mentored and coachedby Perry increases each year as he has a constant hand ondeveloping youth in the metro KC area. Rodney lives in OverlandPark, KS with his wife, Cynthia.Growing up in Olathe, Derek Evans is well aware of the rich basketballtradition in the Kansas City area. While earning a bachelor’s degreein sports management at the University of Kansas, he worked withthe Adidas office within the Kansas athletic department giving him abehind the scenes look at high level college athletics.A former college head coach at Avila University, Jim brings a wealthof basketball knowledge and coaching experience to MOKAN. Hisrelationship with MOKAN founder Matt Suther dates back to Matt’splaying days at UMKC when Jim served on the UMKC coaching staff.In 2010, Jim led the expansion of the MOKAN program to includeprogramming for those in third through eighth grade more thandoubling the opportunities MOKAN provided to area youth.While earning a master’s degree in Sports Studies at Kansas,he simultaneously served as a graduate assistant for the UMKCbasketball program where he met fellow MOKAN staffer DrewMolitoris. At UMKC, Derek assisted with all aspects of programspecializing in game film breakdown and edits.As head coach of the MOKAN 17u team, he led this group to earn a spotin the prestigious Nike Peach Jam tournament held in N. Augusta, S.C.in July 2013. Receiving national recognition for his coaching efforts,Jim was selected to coach at the Nike Elite 100 camp as well asthe Nike Global Challenge that featured the top amateur basketballtalent from the U.S., Brazil, France, Canada & Africa.Prior to joining the MOKAN staff in 2012, Derek was accepted intothe prestigious Teach for America program and taught middle schoolmath at an inner city public school in Jacksonville, FL. Derek’s draw toMOKAN has a significant personal connection as he cites his formeryouth coaches and mentors as some of the most influential peoplein his life. Growing up with his father incarcerated, Derek has theunique ability to relate to a situation familiar to MOKAN participantstoday.Assisting Matt Suther with the original MOKAN team, Jim has beeninstrumental in helping more than 70 high school student-athletesearn college scholarships. Jim lives in Olathe, KS with his wife, Ashleyand his son, Kaden.Hi s g oa l i s to H E LPS T U D E N T- AT HL E T E SR E A C H T H E I R F ULLP OT E N T I A L B OT H O NA N D O F F T H E C O URT.Director of OperationsDerek assists with all aspects of the organization including day today operations, youth programing and business development. Dereklives in Overland Park, KS, with his wife Mandee and two sons, Bentonand Duncan.Hi s g oa l i s to G A I N ACENTRALIZED FACILITYT H AT C O UL D H O US E A LL O FM O KA N’S A C A D E M I C A N DAT HL E T I C A C T I V I T I E S.S.He r g oa l i s to PRO V I D EF I RS T C LA SS A C A D E M I CSUPP O RT S O S T U D E N TAT HL E T E S C A N M AX I M I Z ET H E I R C O LL E G EO PP O RT U N I T I E S.DREW MOLITORISAcademic AdvisorDirector of DevelopmentDrew Molitoris has been involved in the basketball community since1999. While earning a degree in health and physical education fromthe University of Georgia and a master’s degree from Florida StateUniversity, he served on the basketball staff at both universities.Drew assisted with all facets of both basketball programs includingrecruiting, player development, film breakdown, scouting and publicrelations. During his time at UGA & FSU, he was a part of two NCAAtournament teams and worked with five future NBA players.Originally from Atlanta, Drew came to Kansas City in 2007 to serveas the Director of Basketball Operations at UMKC where he wasintroduced to MOKAN founder, Matt Suther. While coaching amiddle school team in spring 2011, Drew became captivated by theopportunity to combine mentoring and coaching with a diverse groupof students. With MOKAN, Drew assists in all aspects of the programfrom fundraising, academic assistance, curriculum development andspecial events. Drew lives in Leawood, KS with his wife, Cassie anddaughter, HarperCLAUDIA MEYERWith more than 15 years of experience in education, Claudia Meyerhas been instrumental in the development of MOKAN’s academicprogramming. Claudia spent five years as a foreign language teacherin the Blue Springs school district prior to shifting over to serve as ahigh school guidance counselor. As a counselor, she provided academicassistance, assessed college and career readiness and assisted withgrant writing.Meyer currently handles business development for Infinite EnergyConstruction in Kansas City. With MOKAN, Claudia is responsible fortranscript evaluation, coordinating tutoring services and ongoingacademic programming. Her oldest son Shawn attends Kansas StateUniversity and is a member of the basketball team. Claudia lives inBlue Springs, MO with her husband, Tony and youngest son, Marcus.8
“TESTIMONIALSMOKAN provided me with direction and showed me how hard”you have to work to be successful. I learned a lot aboutsacrifice and commitment from those experiences.david kravish MOKAN CLASS OF 2011 UN IV E RS ITY O F california– berkley“without mokan, i woulD be going nowhere. i wouldn’thave gotten better, problems with my family would havebeen worse and i don’t even know where i would be living.”just being around so many loving people was a real goodlearning experience and a great foundation for my future.marvin clark MOKAN CLASS OF 2014910
MOKAN BY THE NUMBERS100%WORKS WITH67%of M O KA N PA RT IC IPA N TSgraduate from high schoolKANSAS CITY9 YR OLDS – 17 YR OLDSsome youthTRAV E L UP TO250the G RA DUAT IO N RAT E IN TH EKC M O S C H O O L DIS T RICT7 5% C OME FROMLO W - to MO D ERATE –I NC OME FA M I L I ESO F PA S T PA RT I C I PA N T S A R EE N R O L L E D A N D progressingto w ard a college degreemilesTOTAL N E E D E D E X P E NS E S FO R St ud ent -ATH LETES ACA D EM I CPROG RES SCOMPARED TO 57%95%F RO M T H E G R E AT E RKC A R E AATHL ETI CD E V E LOP MEN T2 0 13 B udg e t 1 6 0 , 0 0 0(67% contributions / 33% E vents ) 2500 17u (high school Junior)2012 Financial EXP ENS ES 2200 16u (high school sophomore)7% 1900 15u (high school freshman)2% 1500 STUDENT (6th – 8th grade) 1000 STUDENT (3rd – 5th grade)2 0 1 4 P r o p o s e d B udg et 250 , 0 0 0G eneral & A dministrativeF undraising91%PROGRAM O nline ACT P repCoordinated Academic T utoringT ranscript E valuationCollege V isitsT ransportationCollege P lanning A ssistanceS ervice L earning P ro j ectsTournament CostsF inancial A id A ssistanceF acility R entalsO ngoing P rogram D evelopmentAs a community improvement program, MOKAN accepts youth from many backgroundsand walks of life. These statistics reflect the students that your donations support.1112
Saint Louis Toledo Ohio Missouri State Illinois State Creighton Sam Houston State Houston Baptist Southern Miss Northern Colorado Bethune Cookman UMKC Emporia State William Jewell MissouriSouthern NW Missouri State Missouri Southern Mid America Nazarene CMSU University of Central Oklahom St Leo’s University KCKCC Hutchinson Indian Hills Dodge City NE Oklahoma Moberly Penn Valley Northern Oklahoma Marrow College Kansas State Missouri Kentucky South Carolina Duke CaliforniaColorado Nebraska Murray State Saint Louis Toledo Ohio Missouri State Illinois State Creighton SaHouston State Houston Baptist Southern Miss Northern Colorado Bethune Cookman UMKC Emporia State William Jewell Missouri Southern NW Missouri State Missouri Southern Mid America Nazarene CMSU University of Central Oklahoma St Leo’s University KCKCC Hutchinson Indian Hills Dodge City NE Oklaho Moberly Penn Valley Northern Oklahoma Marrow College Kansas State Missouri Kentucky SouthCarolina Duke California Colorado Nebraska Murray State Saint Louis Toledo Ohio Missouri State Illinois State Creighton Sam Houston State Houston Baptist Southern Miss Northern Colorado BethuneCookman UMKC Emporia State William Jewell Missouri Southern NW Missouri State Missouri Southern Mid America Nazarene CMSU University of Central Oklahoma St Leo’s University KCKCC Hutchinson IndiaHills Dodge City NE Oklahoma Moberly Penn Valley Northern Oklahoma Marrow College Kansas State Missouri Kentucky South Carolina Duke California Colorado Nebraska Murray State Saint Louis Toledo Ohio Missouri State Illinois State Creighton Sam Houston State Houston Baptist Southern MissNorthern Colorado Bethune Cookman UMKC Emporia State William Jewell Missouri Southern NW MissourState Missouri Southern Mid America Nazarene CMSU University of Central Oklahoma St Leo’s University KCKCC Hutchinson Indian Hills Dodge City NE Oklahoma Moberly Penn Valley Northern Oklahoma Marrow College Kansas State Missouri Kentucky South Carolina Duke California Colorado Nebraska Murray State Saint Louis Toledo Ohio Missouri State Illinois State Creighton Sam Houston State Houston Baptist Southern Miss Northern Colorado Bethune Cookman UMKC Emporia State William JewelMissouri Southern NW Missouri State Missouri Southern Mid America Nazarene CMSU University of Centra14 Oklahoma St Leo’s University KCKCC Hutchinson Indian Hills Dodge City NE Oklahoma MoberlyPennValley Northern Oklahoma Marrow College R E C R U I T M E N T LO C AT I O N SBig 12 ConferenceSoutheastern ConferenceAtlantic Coast ConferencePac-12 ConferenceBig TEN ConferenceOhio Valley ConferenceAtlantic 10 ConferenceMID-AMERICAN ConferenceMissouri Valley ConferenceSouthland ConferenceConference USAWESTERN ATLANTIC CONFERENCEBIG SKY CONFERENCEMID-EASTERN ATHLTEIC CONFERENCE13
gro w th over time“MOKAN believed in me when others didn’t andreally challenged me both academically andathletically. They’ve been in my corner fromday one and I’m really thankful for everythingthey have done for me over the years.”Changing many livesFrom the initial team in 2004 to today, more than 70student-athletes have received college scholarshipsthrough the platform provided by the MOKANprogram. From the University of California-Berkeleyto Duke University, the program has alumni at someof the most recognizable educational institutionsacross the country. While we reminisce with pride onthe past ,our focus remains FIXED on the future.Our goal is to make a positive impact on the studentswe serve while at the same time creating additionaloppor tunities for those that need it the most . Withoutthe suppor t of generous donors, our growth over thepast 10 years would not be possible.UN IV E RS ITY O F K E N T UC KY# of youth participantsOriginating in 2004, one team turned into two,and two grew to four. Suppor ters such as ShannonSpradling, Jim Huber, Derek Zeck, Rodney Perry andRobin Lucas all volunteered their time and talentsto help provide oppor tunities for the youth in themetro Kansas City area. Their goal was to ensure thatno kids were turned away based on lack of financialmeans.162102004 200515303WILLIE CAULEY–STEIN MOKAN CLASS OF 201210201020 0 620 0 720 0 83120 0 95320 107320 1120 1216
A C A D E M I C A S S I S TA N C EIT STARTS WITH A PLANSTEP 1 Academic Goal SettingP la ns ar e c r e ated ba sed oni n d ivi dual n ee ds to crea tep e r son al accounta bil ity.STEP 2 Transcript EvaluationE n s ur e s stude nts com pl y with highs c hool g r aduatio n requirem entsi n a d d i ti on to the recentl y upda tedN CAA ac ade mi c guidel ines.STEP 3 TutoringAcce ssi b le to a l l MOKANp a r ti c i p an ts t hro ugh pa r tnershipswi t h loc al h i g h schoo l s a nd o nl inet h r o ug h K h an Aca dem y.STEp 4 ACT PreparationPr ac t i ce te st s a nd co ntent review inE n gli sh , Math , Rea ding, a nd Sciencep r e par e st ude nts for test da y.STEp 5 College Needs AssessmentG u i de s fami li e s thro ugh thed ec isi on maki ng process byi d e nti fyi n g fac to rs m o st im por ta ntto t h e i n d i vi dua l studentBOOSTINGACADEMIC SUCCESSESMOKA N believes t hat youthshould be given every oppor t unityto succeed ac ademic ally. Werecognize t he need to suppor tand ac t ively encourage t heac adem ic developm ent of ourstudent-athletes at all ages.100%of p a r tici p ant s com p l etin g t h ep r o g r am h a v e g r ad u ated f r omh i g h s c h oo l100%of p a r tici p ant s com p l etin g t h ep r o g r am h a v e r ecei v ed co l l e g es c h o la r s h i p s .95%of a l u mni a r e en r o l l edand p r o g r e s s in g towa r da co l l e g e de g r ee1718
CHARACTER BUILDINGLESSONSBASKETBALL IS OUR ENTRYWhile we are undeniably brought togetherby a shared passion surrounding the gameof basketball, it’s only a small par t of whowe are as individuals. “Ball is life” is aphrase that is popular and often thrownaround among middle school and highschool basketball players these days.Basketball is not life; it’s a part of life.We hope it’s an extremely impor tant par tof every MOKAN par ticipant’s life, but itis not life.Ifw e effectively teach young menho w to brea k a full - court pressbutd on ’ t emphasi z e k indness andhonesty ; w e have failed.Ifw e have players that understandho w to attac k a z one defensebutdon ’ t have an appreciation forthose different than them ;we have failed.19E xam p l e s of s ome of t h e week lyto p ic s cov e r ed wit h M O KA Npa rtici pant sATTI T U D EOur attitude is so important because it affectsthe decisions we make and the actions wetake. There are so many things that happen tous that are out of our control. Our response,however, is a decision that we control everytime. Those with a positive outlook will dowhat is necessary to move forward. Others maymake excuses or point the blame at othersaround them.It’s often been said that life is “10 percentwhat happens to us and 90 percent how werespond to it.” Our coaches and players will betested throughout the year both on and off thecourt. Challenge yourself this week at school,at home and on the court to have a positiveattitude and be an example to those aroundyou!BODY LANGUAGEResearchers argue that 90 percent of allcommunication is nonverbal body language.Little things add up to make a big differencein the way others see us. Eye contact, bodyposture, and facial expressions are allextremely important when trying to make agood impression.A WIN IN OUR BOOKSO ur ultimat e m easu r e of success w ill not be defined by w ins ,tournament championships or even college scholarships .T he c or e of e v ery thing that w e do is to create generationalchange in the young men w ithin our program . R egardless ofw hat individual circumstances they may come from , w e have theprivilege and opportunity to help young men brea k throughthe cycles that hold such a tight grasp on our society.T hrough pu r p o s ef ul and plann e d in t er act ion , our coaches ,mentors and volunteers see k to have lasting impact byproviding consistent encouragement and support.O ur hope is that the same lessons w e teach and instillthrough their participation in M O K A N are used T en tofifteen years later in their fam ili es and com munit ies.When you walk past someone in the hallway,having your head up and making eye contactsignifies confidence. When our teachers,parents or coaches speak, we listen with bothour eyes and our ears. As we go through thisweek, make sure to focus on our body languageon and off the court.20
S E RV I C E TO T H E CO M M U N I TYSPECIAL OLYMPICS WITH MOKAN’s middle school teamsGIVING BACK TOTHE COMMUNITYService learning teaches youthto look beyond their needs andexamine how they can help othersand give back to the community.Places where MOKAN has served theKansas City community include:RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE WITH MOKAN’s HIGH school teamsThe Special OlympicsRonald McDonald HouseHarvestersThe Salvation ArmyGuardian Angels Parish Food Pantry“Hoop & Help” Charity TournamentPART OF THE TEAMTeam Manager Plays Major Role in Summer SuccessWhen the high scho o l basketball seaso n ended, O lathe S o uth senio r Jac k s on By r dassumed his time o n the basketball co ur t was over. While par ticipating in t h e Ka n s a sSpecial O ly mpics state basketball to ur nament , Jackso n was intr o duced to M O KANco ach Jim Huber. “ I co uld tell how impo r tant basketball was to Jackso n a n d t h ough t itmight be fun fo r him to help o ut with o ur team,” said Co ach H uber.Jackso n was inv ited to help the MO KAN 17u team and so o n became a f ix t ur e a tpr actice and games. He quickly develo ped a special bo nd with his new te a m m a te s .MO KAN’s Ben Richar dso n was quick to po int o ut the impo r tant r o le Jack s on p l a ye dthr o ugho ut the seaso n. “O ur co aches talk all the time abo ut do ing yo ur r ol e to t h ebest of yo ur ability and valuing ever yo ne’s co ntr ibutio n. I know ever yo n e a p p r ec ia te dall he did fo r us.”“I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR JACKSON AND WHAT HE DID THIS PAST SEASON. HE WAS ALWAYSPOSITIVE AND FUN TO BE AROUND. HE WAS A BIG PART OF OUR TEAM.”NOAH KNIGHT MOKAN CLASS OF 2014-Raised 16,000 for Hurricane Sandy victimsAlec Burks Basketball Camp-Hosted free clinics for area youthAmerican Cancer Society Hope Lodge2221HARVESTERS WITH MOKAn’s high school TEAMs
irreplaceable O P P O R T U N I T I E S“MOKAN gave me thE opportunity to develop both as a personand a player. i was able to play elite competition whichexposed me to basketball at a completely different level.”JACKIE CARMICHAEL MOKAN CLASS OF 2009I L L I NOI S STA
the university of Missouri-Kansas City. graduating with a liberal arts degree, Matt also completed his master's degree in sports management at uMKC. Desiring to share his basketball experiences with a younger generation, Matt formed and coached what would become the original MOKAN team in 2004. Matt currently oversees all
