Beyond Basketball

It was a natural pairing: Maceo Jack, the Political Science major with aspirations of a future in government, had plenty of questions, and Chuck Merin was eager to help fill in the blanks drawing from his four-decade career in the nation's capital, both working in the federal government and as a lobbyist.

Jack walked away from their first meeting earlier this fall through the GW men's basketball mentorship program excited to find out more.

"It's amazing how many powerful politicians he's worked with," Jack said. "We just had a super interesting conversation."

The Colonials' mentorship program traces its roots back to the Mike Jarvis era and has had various incarnations through the years.

After hearing from alumni from the past 20-plus years about its impact, head coach Jamion Christian has made it a priority in his first season at the helm.

The revitalized initiative – now named the Leroy Charles Mentorship Program in memory of the late GW supporter who championed the cause – has each student-athlete set up with a mentor in his field of interest to lend off-the-court guidance with an eye on life after basketball. Those efforts have taken shape in recent months with more chances to connect planned looking ahead to the new year.

"We have to identify ways that we can be exceptional, ways that we can be different than everyone else – The mentoring program has that opportunity," Christian said. "It was great because here they already had it established. They already had a blueprint for how they were able to do it and what really worked with it.

"When I talked to a bunch of these former players, they all talked about their mentors and what an impression it made on them. I wanted that for our players, just connecting them with people who can really help them as they continue to grow."

Those who have supported the program through the years are excited about the efforts to make it better than ever.

Marty Lewis called Jarvis "a visionary before his time" for his plan to ensure a holistic program that offered professional training beyond the court and classroom.

Twenty-five years ago, the coach's concern for making sure his student-athletes had access to help with their resumes, interview tips and a network of internship opportunities made the Colonials unique.

Charles, a former basketball standout at Tufts University, was instrumental to what it became, boosted by a first-hand understanding of the time crunch that often falls on a student-athlete. It's why long-time supporters believe it's a fitting tribute that the program now bears the name of Charles, who died last February.

"Leroy's philosophy, and it's been true over time, is that for most of these kids – most being probably 99 percent – the ball is going to stop bouncing for them one day," Lewis said. "When it does, they have to be prepared for life in all different facets."

Lewis, a business owner and youth basketball coach, has done his part over time with his mentees including T.J. Thompson and Rock Battistoni, both of whom have gone onto careers in coaching. He's working with Adam Mitola this time around, mindful of the difference that he can make simply by sharing his time and experience.

"Everything spills into everything else," Lewis said. "If you're enjoying college and enjoying your GW experience, I think it makes for a better student-athlete all the way around, both as a representative of the university on the court and off the court."

Lewis is among a diverse group of mentors that features a wide variety of professionals from not only the D.C. political scene but also the world of business, medicine, law and more. The hope moving forward is to grow the base to include more program alumni, allowing the former Colonials to pass on some of what they learned from their mentors.

Merin jumped at the opportunity to get involved.

He's supported the program since moving to Foggy Bottom to attend GW in 1969, and over the years, he's had the chance to mentor past Buff and Blue greats like Ellis McKennie and Sonni Holland to more recent Colonials like Patrick Steeves.

Those relationships and dozens more have endured, meaning plenty of chances to celebrate not only career success but weddings and the births of children, as well.

"It tells me a lot about Jamion and speaks so highly of him that he would make this an enormous priority," Merin said. "It's a logical extension of what he has said to myself and others, which is that he views this as a family. This is about building a family and sustaining the family through familial relationships. We're there to help each other."

The first call Christian made as he looked to reignite the program was to Jarvis to find out more about how it set the Colonials up for success off the court during one of their most distinguished periods on it.

The early returns have been positive since a kickoff gathering for mentors and mentees at Lewis' home last month.

To Jack, the scene – with so many long-time fans gathered and eager to help – was a reminder of what makes the program special.

"It's just exemplary of the culture that coach Christian is building here," Jack said. "It takes a village, and it's not just the people on the team or the support staff, it's truly a village. A lot of people really care about this program, and I'm really excited to see how we're moving forward."

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