People, Purpose, Progress, and Finding the Balance

By Dr. Keith Adams
President & Founder, CKA SAVE Project

I turned 54 in August, and I felt the need to take a little time to reflect.

My Aunt Denise used to send our family an annual holiday recap about what was happening with her and the family. She lived in California, and because we didn't get to see her often, I looked forward to receiving her annual holiday card and letter. As a young kid, I loved getting that glimpse into her life.

So, in the spirit of Aunt Denise, I hope this becomes the first of what will be an annual tradition for me: a birthday report — a chance to pause, look back, celebrate the people and moments that mattered, and look ahead to what comes next.

This year's reflection is about better.

Not perfect.

Not finished.

Better.

And perhaps more importantly, it is about the people who continue to make the journey worthwhile.

Coming Full Circle

This past August, the CKA SAVE Project hosted its first formal Family Reunion with our Cheers to Charity Night fundraiser.

It was an important night for CKA, but for me personally, it became much more than a fundraising event.

It became a reunion of the past, present, and future of the CKA SAVE Project.

There were people in that room who have known me for decades, people I am just getting to know, and people who represent where CKA is going.

And then I saw Doc.

Mawuena De-Souza — "Doc" — was in my very first class more than 30 years ago.

Literally my first class.

I taught at both the feeder middle school and high school during the first five years of my teaching career, and Doc was one of those students who became part of my life in ways that went far beyond the classroom. She was my student, my basketball manager, and someone with whom I developed a lasting and supportive relationship.

Real life is real.

We lost touch over the years.

So when I saw her at the CKA Family Reunion, I literally had to stop.

I cried tears of joy.

Seeing her again after more than 30 years — and knowing that she felt it was important enough to be there — reminded me that maybe, in a small way, I did something right as a teacher and coach.

That moment alone made the reunion special.

But it was only one of many reminders that the work we do can have a life far beyond the moment in which we do it.

The People Who Shaped Me

The people at the reunion represented different chapters of my life.

Some represented my past.

Some represent my present.

And some represent my future.

Eden Godfroy — or "Barbs," as I have always called her — is one of those people.

Eden and I have been friends for more than 30 years. We worked together at Benjamin Banneker Middle School from 1995–1997 on Team 6. She taught English, and I taught Social Studies, which was also called World Studies at the time.

Eden was my first teaching friend.

Those first two years of my career were filled with some incredible teachers and mentors, and Eden was one of the people who helped shape the teacher I would become.

She gave me two things that every young professional needs:

Time and truth.

Even when I didn't want to hear the truth.

She was a "critical friend" who challenged my thoughts, ideas, and approaches to teaching — but she did it with grace.

That combination of honesty and grace has stayed with me.

Although we only worked directly together for two years, we maintained our friendship. We kept up with birthdays, career changes, family developments, and life.

Our professional paths took us in different directions. Eden moved from English to counseling and eventually entrepreneurship. I continued my journey through teaching, coaching, athletics, administration, and eventually organizational leadership.

But the relationship remained.

Recently, we had lunch and caught up on old times. We also talked about what the future could look like.

Now I am excited to officially welcome Eden to the CKA SAVE Project Team, where her work will help support our national growth and expansion.

Sometimes life gives you the opportunity to work with someone again.

When that happens, you should take it.

The Circle Keeps Growing

Another person who represents the next generation of CKA is Jordan Bolinger.

Jordan and I worked together several years ago, and I was immediately impressed by her skill set and her ability to connect with middle school students.

Today, she is working with CKA as she continues developing her skills and experience working with high school and college students.

Watching her growth has been incredibly rewarding.

And seeing Jordan meet Doc and Eden at the Family Reunion brought something into focus for me:

The work is still about students.

Different students.

Different generations.

Different challenges.

But the mission remains.

That is what organizational alignment means to me.

It means that our programs may evolve, our people may change, and our reach may expand — but the reason we exist remains consistent.

We support students.

From Student to College Graduate

Another former student, Jessica Diaz, also attended the reunion with her son.

Jessica was my student about 15 years ago.

During the event, she reminded me of an email exchange we had in 2018 when she was struggling with her transition from high school to college.

I apparently shared a few encouraging words with her.

She remembered them.

That hit me.

Today, Jessica is a college graduate pursuing opportunities in social work, and she is also supporting the CKA SAVE Project's Virtual Internship Program.

You never really know which conversation, email, lesson, practice, or hallway interaction is going to stay with a student.

Sometimes we don't know until decades later.

That is one of the reasons I continue to believe so strongly in the work we do.

Building the Next Generation Through CKA VIP

Jessica's connection to CKA also leads me to the growth of our CKA Virtual Internship Program (VIP).

Our VIP program continues to evolve as we create meaningful professional experiences for student-athletes.

Roland Hairston III, our VIP Project Manager, is a perfect example.

Roland and I met at the NCAA Convention while he was navigating the uncertainty of securing an internship.

What started as a brief interaction eventually became a transformative opportunity.

After learning about his aspirations — including his desire to create a platform for authentic dialogue around student-athlete experiences — I offered him an opportunity to become the inaugural Project Manager for CKA VIP.

He stepped into it.

Today, he helps lead initiatives designed to address what I call the "resume gap" for student-athletes.

Student-athletes are often told that they need experience.

But how do you get experience when your academic and athletic commitments consume so much of your time?

That's where CKA VIP comes in.

Our 100/100 philosophy challenges participants to invest fully in their academic and athletic lives while also developing professionally.

Through mentorship, structured programming, and our SDS Framework — Structure, Discipline, and Support — we are working to equip student-athletes with the tools they need for long-term success.

That is organizational alignment.

The program is not simply an internship.

It is another expression of what CKA has always believed:

Student-athletes deserve support that recognizes the whole person.

Passing It Forward

Our newest intern, Phoenix Williams, represents another part of this story.

Phoenix is a sophomore baseball player at Mount Saint Mary's and was a MAAC All-Rookie selection last season. We are excited about the work he will do with CKA this year.

But Phoenix's connection to me goes back much further than CKA.

His father, Lenny Williams, has been a close friend of mine since middle school. Lenny was also my high school basketball public-address announcer.

And Phoenix’s grandmother, Pam, worked in the media center during my high school years. She helped me apply to and get accepted into college during my senior year.

So when I look at Phoenix becoming part of CKA, I see another example of how life comes full circle.

People help you.

You grow.

Then you get an opportunity to help someone else.

That's how communities are built.

Watching My Son Chase His Dreams

Speaking of senior year, my own son, Keith Jr. — KJ — is preparing for his senior year at DeMatha Catholic High School.

He is a wide receiver who wants to play college football, and he continues to put in the work academically and athletically to accomplish that goal.

I left college coaching in 2013, in part, because I wanted to be a dad.

I wanted to have the opportunity to support my son.

Now I get to watch him chase his dreams.

There is something incredibly rewarding about that.

As a coach, I spent years helping other people's children pursue their goals.

As a father, I get to experience it from a completely different perspective.

And I am proud.

The Next Chapter of CKA

The CKA SAVE Project is also chasing some big goals.

Our Career Launch Academy (CLA) is entering the second year of its two-year national pilot.

We are incredibly proud of the work being done by our students, including Mikayla "MJ" Jordan, a high school sophomore field hockey player, and Josiah Jackson, a college junior studying engineering.

Both came to CKA through long-term family relationships, and both continue to demonstrate the kind of growth and development that makes this work worthwhile.

We look forward to expanding CLA and serving more students and families in the future.

We are also getting closer to launching the CKA Post Graduate Basketball Academy (PGA).

College basketball continues to evolve, and student-athletes and their families are increasingly facing professional-level challenges without professional-level support.

We believe our holistic approach is needed in this new 5-for-5 era.

We expect to name the first General Manager and Head Coach of the CKA PGA before the end of the calendar year.

That will be another significant milestone.

The Odd Coaches Podcast Continues to Grow

The Odd Coaches Podcast continues to be another important part of the CKA ecosystem.

Super Producer Kelly Jordan and I continue to produce and develop quality sports content alongside our Cavalcade of Stars.

More importantly, the podcast gives us a platform to have conversations that matter.

We've recently spoken with academic and athletic leaders and newsmakers including Keri Alexander Luchowski, Executive Director of the North Coast Athletic Conference; Jason Stahl, founder and Executive Director of the College Football Players Association; legendary college basketball coach Cliff Warren; and Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster Chick Hernandez.

These conversations are part of a larger vision.

We want the Odd Coaches Podcast to be a place where coaching, leadership, education, athletics, and student-athlete development intersect.

Again, it comes back to alignment.

Different platforms.

Same mission.

Taking Better Care of Me

I would be leaving something important out of this reflection if I didn't talk about myself.

I am continuing to work on taking better care of my own health.

That means regular screenings and doctor's appointments.

It means working out three or four days a week.

It means trying to be intentional about making better decisions.

I have spent a lot of my life taking care of students, athletes, colleagues, family members, organizations, and other people.

At 54, I am learning that taking care of myself isn't selfish.

It is necessary.

I still have work to do.

And I want to be around to do it.

A New Professional Chapter

This time last year, I had retired from my 30-year teaching career in Maryland.

Now I am entering my second year teaching in Virginia.

Looking back, it has been one of the best career decisions I could have made.

The move has given me additional time with KJ, while also creating more space for me to continue building the CKA SAVE Project.

That balance matters.

My professional life, my family life, and the work of CKA are not separate pieces of my life.

They are connected.

That is probably why the concept of Finding the Balance has remained so important to me for so long.

Still Doing the Work

I am also proud to have been re-elected to my position as President-Elect of The Drake Group.

Our work advocating for student-athletes continues to be important, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to those conversations on a national level.

At 54, I have learned that titles matter less than impact.

The question is not simply, "What position do you hold?"

The better question is:

"What are you doing with the position you've been given?"

Better

So as I close this first annual birthday report, I keep coming back to one word:

Better.

I want CKA to be better.

I want our programs to be better.

I want to be a better father.

A better teacher.

A better leader.

A better friend.

A better advocate.

And honestly, I just want to be better at being me.

I am still learning.

Still growing.

Still making mistakes.

Still figuring things out.

Still chasing happy.

Because the work isn't always easy.

But it is rewarding.

When I see Doc walk into a room after 30 years and cry tears of joy...

When I see Eden, a friend from the very beginning of my teaching career, become part of the next chapter...

When I watch Jordan grow...

When former students like Jessica remind me that something I said years ago mattered...

When Roland takes an opportunity and turns it into leadership...

When Phoenix joins a program that connects our families across generations...

When I watch KJ prepare to chase his own dreams...

When I see CKA VIP, CLA, PGA, and the Odd Coaches Podcast continue to develop...

I am reminded that this journey is bigger than me.

And maybe that's the real lesson at 54.

The goal isn't to arrive.

The goal is to keep becoming.

To keep serving.

To keep learning.

To keep building.

To keep finding the balance.

And to keep getting better.

I hope Aunt Denise would be proud of this first annual birthday report.

I hope there are many more to come.

And if there are, I hope that each one tells a simple story:

The work continued.
The people mattered.
The mission grew.
And somehow, through it all, we got better.

Here's to 54.

Here's to still becoming.

And here's to continuing to Chase Happy.