VERO BEACH — Antoine Jennings thought he was simply touring the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with a group of Crossover Mission student-athletes when the visit took an unexpected turn.
After leading the group through the Hall of Fame, legendary college basketball coach David Hixon gathered everyone together and revealed that Jennings, a Vero Beach resident and co-founder of Crossover Mission, had been nominated for the Ice Cube Impact Award, a national honor recognizing individuals and organizations that use basketball to create meaningful change in their communities.
"I mean, it's really just an honor. I didn't really think that they wouldn't even consider just a local person for it. So to be nominated is really just an awesome opportunity," Jennings said.
The award is presented annually by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to recognize those who use the game as a vehicle for education, mentoring, opportunity and character development. Jennings was nominated for his work with Crossover Mission, the nonprofit youth development organization he co-founded in 2014.
While basketball is at the center of the program, Jennings said the organization's mission extends far beyond the game.
"That's what Crossover is in a nutshell. I say, what would you do for your kids? What values would you instill in them? How much would you invest in them to help them be successful? We try to infuse that into our entire program. Whatever you think it would take to help a kid be successful, to reach them, whether it's mental health or whatever, let's do that," he said.
He said the recognition reflects the organization's belief that athletics can serve as a foundation for helping young people prepare for life after sports.
"It just reiterates the fact that it's bigger than basketball. It's what you can do beyond that, how can you use basketball to push the kids even beyond their limits. Because one day the ball has to stop bouncing," Jennings said.
Founded by Jennings and Cathy DeSchouwer, Crossover Mission combines year-round basketball instruction with academic support, mentoring, leadership development and college and career readiness.
Jennings said many of the students who come through the program simply haven't had the same opportunities or exposure as others, making mentorship a critical part of their development.
"I think that a lot of kids don't know better. They haven't been exposed to a lot, they haven't had the same level of opportunity as other kids. I think just bringing a level of awareness by exposing them, teaching them, walking them through the process of how to operate and what the world looks like and how to function into any room they may be in and most importantly feel comfortable in any room. The only way for that to happen is to continuously place them there," he said.
Beyond academics and athletics, Jennings said the program strives to create a place where every child feels valued and connected.
"We try our best to make every kid have a sense of belonging. To feel like they're a part of something that they can be proud of, that they are building strong relationships here and that they have people, whether white, black, young, old, no matter what the race or religion, we're all one band with one sound. They have people here that care about them on every level, and hopefully they grow up and become successful adults and this is a part of them, and they want to come back and give back to this program and give back to the community," he said.
Jennings said his own experience shaped the perspective he now brings to coaching and mentoring. After his dream of becoming a professional basketball player didn't materialize, he found a different purpose in helping others succeed.
"I grew up thinking I was gonna be a college star and a NBA player and I was going to make a lot of money and I was going to take care of my family and the people that I cared about. When that didn't happen, I really just felt like a failure," he said.
"I realized that life was bigger than me, and that God was really blessing me with an opportunity to not just change my life and the lives of my family, but to touch hundreds of people. I just want to be able to say that I was a part of something that truly made a difference. I want to see kids go off to college. I want to see kids become successful adults. I want to see young men get married and stay in the household and stay with their kids and take care of their kids and raise their kids. I want to see the crime rate in our community go down."