Athlete brings message for teachers

For most of his childhood, Duane West lived in a crime-infested New Jersey inner city where each morning he boiled water just to have a warm shower.

But he learned to survive, persevere and overcome adversity. As a high school freshman, he stood at 5-foot-2 and weighed 120 pounds, yet he earned a starting job on the football team and later played professionally.

"I always drive to try to be productive, rather than become a statistic in my community," he said.

Mr. West has teamed up with other former professional football players, including Bobby Jackson, a member of the New York Jets Hall of Fame, and Richard Dent, a Chicago Bears Super Bowl MVP, to form Pro Athletes Inc., a company that motivates and mentors students. Mr. West is the president and founder.

On Monday, a day set aside for staff development in Richmond County, Mr. West will present a workshop for teachers at the Academy of Richmond County to help them build rapport with their students, motivate them to learn and engage parents. It's the first in a series of programs he will be presenting locally.

Mr. West said he is well-suited for training teachers to better deal with inner-city youth because of his background and the adversities he overcame.

As a motivational speaker, he has addressed more than 3 million children at more than 1,000 schools, in addition to making appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Maury Povich Show .

Mr. West's intention is to empower the teachers, instill a sense of urgency within them and let them realize what they're doing is a career, not just a job, Mr. Dent said.

Principal David Robbins said he expects Monday's program to recharge his staff and ultimately the pupils to carry them through the end of the school year.

This is the time of year when class is in session for the longest period of time without a break, Mr. Robbins said.

"I wouldn't call it the winter blues, but it happens," he said.

Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or gregy.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.