ABOUT

Hi, my name is Timmance McKinney.  I am from Boston, Massachusetts.  More specifically, I grew up in the areas of Jamaica Plain and Roxbury.  I have started my own mentoring program with which I will be sharing my story to "at-risk" and middle school student athletes around the City of Boston.  I believe my story will benefit these kids because at their age, they are putting sports before school.  With my experience, I have made similar mistakes as them.  However, I've been able to learn and grow from it.  I believe the struggles I went through as a young kid growing up in Boston is relatable to these kids.  I believe they will be interested in listening to someone who has been through the same hardships as them.  I want them to see that taking the path of putting sports before school at a young age really hurt my future.  I understand what they are going through growing up in such tough neighborhoods.  I had a lot of friends give up and turn to the streets when things got bad, and I want these kids to know there is someone there to prevent them from going down this path.  My main goal is to use my story to help the next generation of young men in the City of Boston.

 

I am currently attending Colorado Northwestern Community College.  It is a Junior College which I had to attend because I did not meet the NCAA clearing house’s credit requirements.  While in High School, I was recruited by a handful of Division I Schools.  I was unable to attend a Division I School because I struggled with my grades.  I know there are other kids out there like me, and I know they just need someone to guide them down the right road to avoid the situation I am in now.  I want to use my experiences to become a mentor to kids in Boston.  Even though I will be away at college, I want to create a mentor program for kids struggling in school, but want to make something out of themselves in the future.  I would love to work with students in 6th – 12th grade who play sports and are at risk of dropping out of school or entering a gang.

 

I really believe if we can get the word out and show the world these at-risk kids have the potential to be something it will make a difference.  I hope this will make people see these kids need a chance and that they shouldn’t give up on themselves.