EYBL’s Corey Frazier – Part Two – Mentoring Men

Navigating Difficult Times

(St. Louis, MO) – Corey Frazier has a calling. While he has been a collegiate player and has coached hundreds of basketball games and thousands of players. His calling goes beyond the scoreboard and lasts longer than championships.

Corey Frazier is busy mentoring men. During roughly 20 years of coaching, he has helped players earn college scholarships, become professionals and win championships. His calling, mentoring men, has become even more difficult by the coronavirus pandemic and recent racial unrest. Teams aren’t playing or practicing, but he continues to care, serve and lead.

During Part One of our interview we stuck to hoops. In this story, we are digging deeper.

Dealing With Difficult Times

Mentoring is players is an ‘all-the-time’ thing for Frazier. Our nation’s recent racial struggles merely high-light what the Charleston, Missouri native says has to be taught all the time. He is open about his own experiences and passes long wisdom given to him.

 

 

Frazier says he is learning when and how to speak on the subject of racial inequality. The thoughtful coach realizes he is mentoring men with everything he says and does. The young men under his leadership have suffered through difficult experiences. Frazier had one of his own while playing basketball at Saint Louis University.

 

 

Mentoring Men – Looking At Society

As a multiple state champion (as a player and coach), Frazier has experienced greatness in his sport. He played in the NCAA Tournament and coaches high-level players everyday. Due to the recent killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, Frazier has faced other emotions. He wants something better for our communities and for African Americans.

Frazier says dialogue between the races is important and listening is as important as speaking.

 

 

There is great pain in the African American community, so we discussed ‘the 3 L’s’. Listening – Learning and Lamenting. Frazier agrees that compassion and empathy need to be part of the healing equation.

 

 

Too often, African Americans are put down and not listened to. One controversial reason is found in protests that turn to riots. Frazier says he thinks some important protests are ruined by the riots that break out. True to his coaching roots, he believes that often happens due to lack of preparation on the part of protest organizers.

 

 

Corey Frazier is helping young athletes improve their ‘basketball stock’ and sharpening their skills. More importantly, he is mentoring men.

Do Good

 

We were grateful to conduct a long, free-form interview with coach Frazier. It is divided into two different podcasts. Both are available her. Part One – Hoops and Hearts and Part Two – Hoops, Life and Training Men