The biggest problem we face with the kids is the fact that Katrina was so devastating in so many ways, it broke families up, separated families. Families wanted to move back but they just don’t have the resources, the federal government is moving real slow. We still have a lot of families that are not here. So what you have is a lot of kids who have come back and are living in the trailers owned by their parents who can’t afford to move back because of the job situation and they are staying in different areas. You have a lot kids raising themselves, putting themselves through school. The biggest thing is they come back and their mental state is not the same because they have been through so much, it has been such a trauma. It has been hard for them to adjust and to realize how important an education is at this point in time. But it is understandable because a lot of them are working and going to school and taking care of their younger brothers and sisters. From an educational standpoint, I have been overwhelmed by the numbers of problems that they have, but I hope through sports, some of that can change for them, hopefully they can make a difference. One of the positive things about basketball is that it is able to create a type of discipline that these kids need, not just in basketball but also in class and their daily activities. If a kid has to think, he normally improves his ability to be able to deal with a whole bunch of things. I tell the kids, man, if you are thinking in the classroom, studying and doing what you need to do, then you can do it out here on the floor. I try to give them an understanding of how important it is to remember everything that they are being given and hope that it will enlighten them and help them realize how important an education is.
Interview by Will Steacy
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