Lurone Jennings II

The way Lurone Jennings II sees it, if students make the right choices on the front end, they may not have to worry about making the wrong choices on the back end.

This month, around 15 children a week have been exposed to his nonprofit ministry, BASIC, in a Football University Day Camp at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

“We’re training them up, coaching them up and trying to be in a relationship with them,” Mr. Jennings said.

The students, in grades 1-8, learn football skills in the morning and academic and life skills in the afternoon. They are also introduced to a sport such as tennis or swimming they might not be familiar with.

“We share Jesus Christ every day” at a midday chapel time, Mr. Jennings said. “We want the athlete to be well-rounded. We want to offer skills to help (them) on and off the field.”

The camp skills are a variation of what he does with high school athletes during the school year.

“My position on campus is to be in relationships with the students and athletes,” Mr. Jennings said. “I want to come alongside students, parents, faculty and staff to be a resource. I want to be a strong resource for those involved in the students’ lives.”

He said the main thrust of BASIC, which has a three-person staff and stands for Believing in Athletes and Students and Introducing Christ, is teaching academic, athletic and life skills. Life skills might include the likes of student-teacher relationships, parent-child relationships and teen pregnancy. For the athlete, the skills might include the concept of getting recruited by a college, he said.

“We believe with a relationship with Christ and certain skills any student can be successful,” Mr. Jennings said. “We want them to go far beyond what their expectations are to perform in today’s society.”

While there are other area ministries to high school students such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Venture and Young Life, he said BASIC fills a niche that supplies simple life skills that might make a difference in a student attending college.

Mr. Jennings said all the organizations have the same values, are engaged in the life of students and share Jesus Christ.

“The reality is, when it comes to campus ministry, the more (organizations) on the mission field, the better for the students,” he said.

Students referred to BASIC have different issues, said Mr. Jennings, who was a member of FCA in high school and college and later was a Young Life staff member.

“We (discovered) these students did not obtain the proper skills to be successful,” he said. “They were struggling with the simple skills we want all students to have to become successful citizens in America.”

Mr. Jennings said his primary focus is high school students and Brainerd High School students, specifically, but he also has developed relationships with students at Howard, Ooltewah and Red Bank high schools, among others.

“I go just about everywhere,” he said. “I preach to football teams. I try to become a resource to coaches and players.”

Following national football signing day in February, Mr. Jennings and BASIC sponsor Fifth Quarter, a banquet for all area signees.

“It’s a great celebration for families,” he said.

Troy Rogers said both of his sons, third grader Jaylin and 10th grader DeMarcus, have been influenced by Mr. Jennings.

He said BASIC’s founder mentored Jaylin at this month’s Football University Day Camp and helped DeMarcus keep his focus over the past year at David Brainerd School.

Mr. Rogers said he appreciates the fact that Mr. Jennings is a “strong role model” and “talks about Jesus” as “the foundation of everything.”

“He’s helping them grasp what it takes to be an athlete at a young age — to keep it balanced,” he said. “He’s giving them a vision.”

Brainerd High football coach Marvin Jones said Mr. Jennings “wears many hats” around his team, providing pre-game motivational speeches, pre-game prayer and teamwork programs. He said Mr. Jennings wants to organize tutoring for the ACT college-entrance test.

“He is a familiar face in our building, especially around the football program,” he said. “He has kind of adopted us. He counsels and motivates (the players) and brings more of Christian values to the program.”

Alvin Tarver, head football coach at Howard School of Academics and Technology, said Mr. Jennings talks to his players about the benefits of making the right choices and gives them examples of people who didn’t make the right choice.

“He tries to give kids an outlet,” he said. “They always look forward to seeing him come.”

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