Sport
BLACK COACH ELITE Presents Coach Chris ‘Ace’ Anderson and Coach Chris ‘Big C‘ Reese: The Journey Further
CA: “I was once told to just do; not so much talk! It is positive action that affects communities in ways that such positive future comes out of them. Basketball, having soccer as rival, might not be the most popular sport, but one day it may be. I love the fact that I am dedicated to teach any and every kid one day.”
THN: “All over the world people are discussing what can develop of Baseline 2 Baseline and Warlords (which is located in Lagos, Nigeria) becoming an international partnership. If you will, please explain this phenomenal “idea” and how did this originate?”
CA: “I am never really going to get used to it. In the underground circles of grass roots basketball, all things basketball is discussed. Over the years, Africa has done this. On our side we humbly call it the Mutombo or Deng Move. Meaning, all at once, some coach or a string of coaches sets it up in America where many African and International Athletes are able to come to the United States to receive a quality education and have the opportunity to earn scholarships. I enjoy the fact that we have the opportunity to be a part of training future Olympians for more than one Continent. However, there is so much involved in this and as we organize everything, it never seems to end. Where there were gaps in Mutumbo’s Move and Deng’s Move, from late 2012, there will never be an ending period. It is as if we could say that our bond opened a bridge! I am honored to be a part of that and I heard about it through the many channels of Chris ‘Big C’ Reese.”
CR: “I will do whatever it takes to become a Warlord because Coach Pete is THE Coach in all of Africa. Africa is HUGE with a lot of people but there is only one Coach Pete. That in it of itself is an honor. Being a friend and an international business partner with this man is even more honorable. Yet, that is not even why he and I are cool. Coach Pete, Coach Anderson, Coach Wooden, etc., never blew a whistle to themselves. We are here for the children that are not even born yet!”
“Something grand comes from us uniting the world in such a way. New business opens up and the ability to actually live in Africa opens up in such a way that our world never thought possible. What I am conveying is, our Journey as three top quality coaches, has nothing to do with us. We are just leaders taking the lead but our joy is the children and the fact that basketball is on the verge of getting the facelift it needed for about 10+ years.”
“How did I hear about all this? Truth is I didn’t; it just happened. Coach Peter is the ‘hear’ and the ‘happen’. He is the one who brought this to life and I pray that we all are witnesses to something that started whenever he decided to Coach.”
(More: A Special Interview with Coach Akindele Peter of Nigeria)
“However, I knew this was real big when a very reliable source, over at the University of National Champions (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels), contacted me in a rage. They lost a big game and I was blamed for it, simply because if there were thousands of eligible student athletes, why are the best of them not bleeding Carolina Blue right now?! What is here, through us, is more than a school winning. This is about the opportunity for attaining both an education and a future! Thanks Coach Pete for giving a damn!”
