Esteemed NBA players and parents will share their advice and stories with Indiana’s elite AAU basketball players and their parents during the All-Star 2024 Athlete and Parent Forum Feb. 17 in Indianapolis.
The Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Mothers of Professional Basketball Players, Inc. (MPBP, Inc.) are partnering to bring elite high school students and middle school students who are future NCAA D1 and future NBA-bound players together with professional players and their parents for an insightful discussion on building a lasting legacy on and off the court.
A panel of NBA and WNBA players and their parents will discuss their personal experiences, providing insights into the challenges and triumphs of a career in professional basketball. They will offer advice for aspiring athletes and their parents, answer their questions, and help them understand how they can make a meaningful impact in lives and communities through their unique platforms as professional athletes and family members of professional athletes.
Professional athletes and their parents participating on the panel are:
- Andre Iguodala, Acting Executive Director, National Basketball Players Association and former NBA player, and Linda Shanklin, President, MPBP, Inc.
- Gary Harris, Jr., current Orlando Magic NBA player, Joy (Holmes) Harris, former WNBA player and Purdue star, and Gary Harris, Sr.
- Al Harrington, former NBA/Indiana Pacers player, and Mona Lawton, former President, MPBP, Inc.
- Eddie Gill, former NBA/Indiana Pacers player, and Kim Davis
“Athletes play an important role in their communities personally as well as professionally. The All-Star 2024 Athlete and Parent Forum is a unique opportunity for young athletes to learn the skills that will help them manage their lives and careers and give back in meaningful, effective ways,” said Una Osili, Ph.D., Dean’s Fellow of the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and Associate Dean for Research and International Programs at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
“Sports and philanthropy are natural allies. Athletes have the potential to raise awareness and drive philanthropic action that can inspire solutions. These conversations will help these young players enhance their philanthropic activities and advocacy skills to work for social change,” Osili added. “We are pleased to partner with Mothers of Professional Basketball Players, Inc., to present this opportunity.”
“As parents of highly successful athletes, we have seen firsthand both the challenges and the opportunities that a career in Division 1 and professional basketball can bring. We are mentors and friends providing resources and services, helping rising stars and their families learn from the experience our children and our families have gained as they learn to navigate life in the NBA and other professional leagues,” said Linda Shanklin, President of Mothers of Professional Basketball Players, Inc.
“Our organization serves those in need, and we strive to serve as positive role models through charity, service, and scholarships. We encourage our children to be role models in their communities and to make a meaningful impact by giving back in a wide variety of ways. It is a pleasure to collaborate with the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy to help these young players strengthen and hone those skills.”
Mothers of Professional Basketball Players, Inc., supports communities and makes a difference in the lives of those who live where their children live, work and play. The organization impacts lives through charities, volunteer efforts and fundraising, while continuing to build and promote a sisterhood among women who share the common bond of mothers of professional athletes.
The All-Star 2024 Athlete and Parent Forum is sponsored by The Indianapolis Foundation and The Office of The Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Indiana University.
Other Sports and Philanthropy Initiatives from the Mays Family Institute
The All-Star 2024 Athlete and Parent Forum is one of several initiatives of the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy that provide research-based, practical instruction to athletes and leaders of sports organizations. The institute prepares them to use their philanthropic activities and enhanced leadership skills to have a positive impact across society, including on issues associated with racial injustice and social change. The skills and information they gain allow them to engage new external audiences within their local communities; help develop and cultivate national audiences; set an example of how philanthropy (including time, talent, treasure, and testimonies) has a positive impact on reducing systematic racial inequality; and demonstrate how sports can pave the way to a better future.
In partnership with the Indiana Fever WNBA team and the NCAA, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and The Fund Raising School at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy are helping changemakers, rising leaders, and nonprofit organizations increase opportunities for making social change and address equity gaps in philanthropy. Each initiative is designed to help individuals from under-resourced groups and diverse communities prepare for leadership roles in ways that will help them advance in both their career opportunities and their philanthropic engagement. These opportunities also help the nonprofit organizations the individuals lead and serve by increasing their capacity to make an impact and achieve their missions.
Athlete to Advocate Program with the Indiana Fever
In partnership with the Indiana Fever WNBA basketball team and Anthem, Inc. (now known as Elevance Health), the Mays Family Institute leads the Athlete to Advocate program for WNBA players on the Indiana Fever basketball team. Fever players earn a professional executive certificate on “Sports, Leadership and Social Justice.”
The program is designed for emerging leaders in athletics seeking to gain insights and apply leading-edge knowledge to their leadership roles. Participating players expand their awareness of how philanthropy, sports, leadership and social justice intersect to inform effective approaches to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion while alleviating social inequality.
Preparing New Leaders for College Sports with the NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Mays Family Institute and The Fund Raising School partner to help prepare rising professionals from college athletic departments across the United States become leaders in their organizations and their field. They participate in an eight-week virtual course, “Foundations of Fundraising.” Participants are selected by the NCAA, with preference given to women and people of color. The program is designed to help increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within the leadership ranks of college sports through access to training that is essential for career advancement.
Media interested in covering the Feb. 17 All-Star 2024 Athlete and Parent Forum should contact Adriene Davis Kalugyer at 317-278-8972 or adrldavi@iu.edu.
About the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy
The Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy fosters a greater understanding of the ways in which underrepresented people are both inspired and informed donors by providing knowledge, education and training. The institute seeks to understand the perceptions, practices, experiences and needs of the individuals and institutions that operationalize philanthropy in underrepresented communities and develop programming and services to engage philanthropic practitioners, scholars and the public at large in conversations and activities to advance this field. Follow us on Twitter or “Like” us on Facebook.
About the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs, and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy, Women’s Philanthropy Institute, and the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative. Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, or Instagram and “Like” us on Facebook.