On Tuesday, February 7, the Warriors teamed up with Stanford Health Care at the Warriors Practice Facility in downtown Oakland to promote college access and preparedness for local high school students. Joining the Bound For Better: Business & Basketball clinic was Warriors Forward David West, who shared his journey to the NBA out of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and his 14-year NBA career.
“Today at the Bound For Better Business & Basketball clinic with Stanford Health Care, I hope this event gave [the students] a positive message they can take with them,” said West. “Sharing my experiences, I hope that it gives them a perspective they haven’t heard before and use it to their advantage.”
The 75 high school students from East Palo Alto, Oakland and San Francisco are affiliated with College Track, a ten-year program designed to give youth the resources and opportunity to fulfill their potential through a four-year college degree. West spoke to the youth not only about winning the Associated Press National Player of the Year award his senior season, but also about what graduating with a degree meant to him and his family.
“At Xavier [University], I knew that I had to take care of the classroom, because if I didn’t handle my academics I couldn’t play basketball,” said West. “I had the chance to grow up in school, learn how to manage my time and live away from home, which prepared me for my career in the NBA.”
West also shared with the students how he strives to learn more about the world around him and how society can be improved. He encouraged the students to make reading an aggressive action by following current events and studying how new technologies can benefit the common good.
“The more opportunities we have to learn and see the world, the more we can take away a life lesson from it and use it as an experience to grow from,” said West. “This season with the Warriors, this environment and caliber of talent is something I can learn from and use on my NBA journey.”
After the Q&A, West joined Warriors Basketball Camp staffers to host the students for a basketball clinic, using the Warriors home court to host shooting competitions, learn how to execute the perfect entry pass and practice moving without the ball. West coached the students through the drills, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones and try their hardest.
“Stanford Health Care is thrilled to partner with the Warriors again this season for the Bound For Better program to connect students who love the Warriors with career opportunities they may never have learned about before today,” said Stanford Health Care Marketing and Event Specialist Maria Rizzo-Locsin.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the students joined discussion panels with Warriors front office members and Stanford Health Care professionals in the marketing, public relations and business development fields to learn how their careers may leverage their sports interests with potential professional opportunities. This is part of the Bound For Better program’s mission to promote college preparedness by providing an in-depth look at careers in the sports and health care industries.
“Having our students interact with members of the Warriors and Stanford Health Care allows our students to see beyond the game, and really learn what it takes to run a successful business,” said College Track Regional Executive Director Omar Butler. “It’s great that they can learn about different careers in sports and about business entities they would be passionate about.”