Cities and schools hope an entrepreneur's personal approach will help youth.

By Lora Pabst, Star Tribune

Over the sound of basketballs bouncing on the gym floor and sneakers squeaking, Coach Q's voice echoed over the kids' screams and yells.

"Focus, slow down," he says as he sidesteps dribbling middle-schoolers.

These aren't just words of advice for their game, said 28-year-old Quadree "Coach Q" Drakeford, a Virginia native who moved to Fridley last year. This summer, he started holding his Protect the E.D.G.E. (Excel, Dreams, Goal, Education) basketball camps with the hopes of teaching youth about life as well as sports.

Now some north-metro cities and schools are hoping his unique brand of coaching will reach young people.

Where he comes from

Like many kids, Drakeford grew up wanting to play professional basketball. He played high school basketball with current NBA player Tracy McGrady at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C. and played for three years at Grambling State University.

He also knew he wanted to be his own boss, so he started two companies while he was in college. But things didn't work out exactly the way he planned -- in basketball or business.

"I had some challenges and made some errors in judgment that cost me the businesses," he said.

The lessons he learned from this experience are ones he now passes along to his basketball students: make plans, implement them and review what you did wrong.

Starting new in Minnesota

He moved to Minnesota in May 2006 to work for BAE Systems, an armament and defense company where he still works full-time. From Virginia, he brought the idea to start a new business where he could incorporate his passions.

"I took personal development and I took what I loved -- sports -- and I bridged them together," he said.

During his first year in Minnesota, he started to organize his basketball camps. He held the first one this summer at Brooklyn Center High School for 8- to 17-year-olds. For $115, campers got four days of training, pep talks, lunch and awards.

Principal Brian Bass said Coach Q was able to connect with the students.

"You can see that vibe and chemistry he has," he said. "I felt that energy. Kids are starving for quality adults in their lives."

Pat Milton, Youth Planning Coordinator for Brooklyn Park, hired Drakeford to hold one of his basketball mini-camps two weeks ago during the city's youth summit.

"He's had a rough life and worked through a lot of difficulties," she said. "When he moved here, it's been to give back."

Drakeford said he doesn't shy away from telling youth about the challenges in his life. He closes each camp by talking about his personal experiences.

"We underestimate kids and think they can't see through us," he said. "We need to show them our wounds and challenges and what we're doing now. They relate to you cause those are real stories."

Plans for the future

Coach Q's camps fuse physical activities -- boxing and dance as well as basketball -- with lessons in how to make goals and achieve them.

"If a kid says to me 'I want to play pro ball' I say 'OK, how many hours a day are you working on your game? Six hours, two hours?" he said. "I want to teach what it takes to excel in life."

Drakeford is working on expanding his mission to include a nonprofit organization along with his Protect the E.D.G.E. business. He is also recruiting corporate sponsors to offset some of the camp costs and costs for other activities, like taking youth to professional basketball games. In the future, he wants to have permanent buildings where youth can come to play sports, get homework and test help and learn business skills.

"I don't want it to be just an inner-city program or a suburban program," he said. "I want both groups to be able to work together."

Lora Pabst • 612-673-4628

Lora Pabst • lpabst@startribune.com

http://www.startribune.com/north/story/1413852.html