Philly Non-profit Helping High School Athletes Maintain Athletic, Academic Success

Many students are struggling with the transition to online learning. How would you manage balancing SAT prep and playing a sport during a time like this? The students involved in Focused Athletics have a little bit more than just managing schoolwork to adapt to.

According to CBS Philly, Focused Athletics, a free academic, athletic and professional nonprofit Philadelphia organization has been extending help to student athletes during this time. This program involves two main pieces for success among the student athletes. The organization brings together SAT prep and group workouts. During in-person sessions, the students would all be tutored at 19th and Market. Now these students have moved to an online athletic and learning experience on Instagram live.

Founder of Focused Athletics, Jackson Duncan says, “We actually made the transition to tutoring on Instagram Live...Different tutors will sign up, kids will come in and they really are working hard. We’ve been able to send almost $2,000 worth of protein powder, cleats, everything out to young men to reward them for working hard during tutoring.”

The school is as successful online as it is in person because they are inspired by one of their former classmates, Kristian Marche. Marche was a 18 year old track and field athlete who was murdered a few days before attending Penn State University. His former classmate Dedrick Parson says, “He would be in a room and you know he’s in the room...Like, just his infectious personality, his joking, his laughing...He was probably the fastest person I ever seen run. Like literally, he could just play around with it and still beat you.” The school has organized a challenge in his honor, The Kristian Marche Challenge. The fastest runner and the highest miles documented are able to win a $200 gift card.

Students involved in the program have only positive feedback to share about the program and the transition. Howard University running back Dedrick Parson says, “It’s a family...Anything you need, help with anything from SAT prep to just life."