like he’s definitely the kid you want around all the other kids. And I rememberonce I realized how old Omarion was and that he was like one of our alum and kindof transitioning out of the Leadership Development Program. You know, I had aconversation with him and I was just asking like, you know, what’s next?”And that’s when the lightbulb went off. Before this point, Omarion wasn’t sure whathe wanted next in life. But what he was sure of, was his interest in fitness. Somethinghe and Matt shared an affinity for. That’s all it took for Matt to connect Omarion withhis very close friend, Bryant, who is a personal trainer, one who is also deeply movedand motivated by mentorship. He knew it would be an easy connection. But first, Matthad to be sure that Omarion was moving with intention and was really serious aboutthe opportunity. So when Omarion demonstrated follow-through, Matt made theconnection. He invited Omarion to come out and shadow him at the gym. At the time,Bryant was actually in the final stages of opening his own gym. Talk about perfecttiming. Omarion had the opportunity to sit in with Bryant and his business partners,and witnessed firsthand the nitty gritty of getting a business off the ground. Now,Omarion is working daily in the gym, and is on track to become a personal trainer.Matt truly sees the young people he’s mentoring - sees who they are, what they want,what they’re afraid of. And from seeing and being seen, the jump to building trust,building a relationship is a small one. And one day, when these young men are grownand leaders in their own right, they’ll tell people that once upon a time, there was acoach named Matt who believed in them, who pushed them to find out who they areand what they want, who helped them become the people they are today.--PEACEPLAYERS UNITED STATES STORYBOOK
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