athlife partnership
The AthLife Foundation & Coach Beam Legacy Foundation
Coach Beam's influence on the AthLife family was profound. He dedicated himself to supporting our efforts over the years, helping countless kids in the Oakland community and beyond.
His connection to our organization began years ago through our original board chair, Matt Gliebe, a former player for Coach Beam at Skyline High School. We had a bold vision of serving as a national platform to ensure that deserving kids from our nation's most challenged, yet promising communities, would have the support and resources surrounding them to achieve in their future careers beyond sport and Matt knew that Coach Beam was someone that could help advance the mission.
In short order, we realized Coach’s influence was already present. Adam Goldenberg and Kevin Winston who were on the board also had played for him, and Caltha Seymore worked with him at Laney. Later, his daughter Sonjha, contributed time working for the AthLife Foundation. Coach was helpful with us in many ways over the years, serving as a mentor and partner respectively.
His legacy extends further, bringing countless others into our fold including former NFL and MLB players who later benefited from the services AthLife provides professional athletes. Coach Beam instilled in all of them the invaluable principle that education would unlock even more opportunity.
Every person mentioned, and so many more, were made better by Coach Beam. In turn, their lives have collectively impacted countless others, ensuring his legacy of mentorship and dedication continues to grow.
Tragically, Coach was senselessly robbed of his golden years—the time he should have spent with his grandkids, traveling to NFL games to see the players he helped rise from difficult circumstances, and coaching football abroad. He was denied the chance to truly enjoy the fruits of his labor.
For this reason we are honored that the Beam Family has entrusted us to support their vision of continuing to carry out the great work he was doing as a program of the AthLife Foundation. The family will direct the distribution of 100% of the funds that are raised in his name.
-Jon Harris
Board President, The AthLife Foundation
AthLife Founder and CEO
More on The AthLife Foundation:
Through grant funding, training and industry leading resources, we help schools create a critical professional mentoring position in secondary education, called an Academic Athletic Coach. That Academic Athletic Coach works year round to create high impact programming, taps into a student’s passion for their sport and athletics, drives academic achievement, and prepares kids for post high school success.
Links:
> https://athlife.com/
> https://athlifefoundation.org/
> https://athlifefoundation.org/donate/