TFA’s Devin Jackson, Global Not Local team up for hoops clinic, backpack giveaway

Giving back to his community is what drives Wendell Coates Jr.

It’s the reason he founded Global Not Local Cares, a nonprofit with a mission of providing young people with the resources and inspiration to dream big and not be limited by their environment. One of the tools Coates uses to do that is the game of basketball through free clinics, and even creating and coaching various youth teams. 

“I really try to bring awareness to what we’re doing in the community, because when I was younger, I never had anything like this,” he said. “Having put on a bunch of these clinics, I know the costs involved, and it’s no wonder why we didn’t have them when I was a kid. But that’s also why we do this for free. We provide these clinics and camps, run these teams and ultimately invest in these kids, because if we don’t, it’s just not going to happen. I want to make sure that the kids from our community have the opportunity to be successful.”

Now, more than a half-decade after diving into this passion for giving back, Coates is having the opportunity to reflect on the impact he has had as the group of sixth-graders who made up the first boys youth basketball team Coates coached are entering their final year of high school. This realization becomes even more tangible for Coates thanks to the accomplishments of a trio of athletes among that initial group. The three boys from Winter Garden shined so brightly on the football field that each of them earned a plethora of scholarship offers to play college ball at the Power 4 level. 

Despite choosing to focus on football and leaving basketball behind, the time Devin Jackson, Devonte Anderson and Larry Miles spent hooping for Coach Dell — how the three refer to Coates — left an indelible mark on their journeys, so much so that each of them made sure to thank their youth basketball coach during their recent college football commitment ceremonies.

“Over the past two weeks, I actually had the chance to go to each of those guys' commitments,” Coates said. “I saw Devin commit to Oregon, Larry with Nebraska, and D-2 (Anderson) go with Louisville. I’ve never been to something like that before. To see all of them accomplish something so big and to think that they were all part of that first group, it makes me really just proud of what we’ve done. It makes me feel like this is a real thing that’s impacting lives in a good way. To hear them make their speeches and thank their parents, coaches and include me in that group makes me certain that what I’m doing is my purpose.”

More than the fulfillment that comes from simply knowing the nonprofit’s work has impacted young people from the Winter Garden community, in the past month, Coates has been able to experience the boomerang-like effect that comes from pouring into the lives of young people. 

“Me and Coach Dell’s relationship has always been great — and not just as a coach, but in a lot of ways, he’s been one of the key figures in my sports life,” Jackson said. “Because of Coach, I had a safe place to play sports and had role models to look up to. So when I committed to Oregon, I really felt like God put it in my heart to do the same for the kids in my neighborhood. I prayed about it, talked to Coach and remembered how lucky I am to have had people in my life that pointed me in the right direction, so that’s what I wanted to do.”

The direction Jackson wants to point kids to is the understanding that getting the job done in the classroom is the only way you can get it done on the field. That is why he partnered with Global Not Local to do a free basketball clinic and backpack giveaway for 200 kids from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at the West Orange Recreation Center.

“When it came to doing the backpack giveaway, the idea was to help kids focus on keeping school first … to make sure they have the resources they need to be successful in the classroom,” Jackson said. “I was lucky to have a mom (who) kept me focused. When I was younger, I didn’t take my education seriously. I didn’t understand why any of it was important. But my mom always made sure to remind me that my education is the most important thing, and without it, I couldn’t play football. As I’ve gotten older, I’m just thankful for her and that she instilled that in me.”

For Coates, seeing Jackson not only develop as an athlete but also as a young man has been rewarding. Being able to collaborate with his former player on this project is even more evidence that Coates is on the right path.

“Devin reached out about doing something special for the kids in the community before they went back to school,” Coates said. “He was totally focused on the education piece and came up with the idea to do a backpack giveaway on his own. All I did was give him some guidance and suggest collaborating with our clinic and he was in. 

“Honestly, though, seeing Devin instantly think about pouring back into the community — without having even started college yet — makes me feel like I did my part in helping him understand what’s important,” he said. “Devin could’ve done anything else. He could have bought a car or a chain, but instead, the first thing he wanted to do was a backpack giveaway. To not just see him be in this great position but (also) to use his resources to give back to the community means everything to me. It makes me feel like what we’re doing is not in vain.”

Along with the backpack giveaway, the back-to-school event for children ages 8 to 17 also will provide free lunch and a special Global Not Local Basketball Clinic Dri-Fit performance shirts for each attendee. 

“It’s completely free,” Coates said. “We feed them. We give them camp T-shirts. We have professional trainers and athletes come train and coach them. They also speak with the kids throughout the day; it’s a great experience.”

To register for the event, visit signup.com/globalnotlocal.