2009

"Champions 4 Champions" (C4C), is a cadre of retired sports legends and celebrity athletes that are committed to positively impacting the lives of underprivileged and disadvantaged youth throughout the world and dedicated to supporting our troops, their families and veterans.

The "Champions 4 Champions Troop Morale Initiative", provides our deployed U.S. Army troops an opportunity to simultaneously  communicate in real time with their families, dignitaries, celebrity

athletes and coaches via high definition videoconferencing technology at major sporting events such as the NFL Super Bowl, NBA All Star Weekend and NCAA Final Four. The initiative also assists Army

MWR (Morale, Welfare & Recreation) in achieving its mission "to serve the needs, interests and responsibilities of each individual in the Army community for as long as they are associated with the

Army, no matter where they are."

During the 2007 & 2008 NBA All-Star Weekends, top-ranking Army personnel and retired NBA basketball players communicated with members of the 25th Infantry Division in Iraq via high definition

videoconferencing technology in real time.

The Champions 4 Champions Shoot for the Stars

Program The Champions 4 Champions "Shoot for the Stars" Program is a positive peer leadership/human development and career awareness training designed for high school youth that focuses on problem solving, refusal skills, mentoring, community service, teacher appreciation, family involvement and career awareness.  The trainings are conducted throughout the United States by Wali Jones, Miami HEAT's Community Affairs Liaison, and 10 year veteran of the National Basketball Association (NBA).  Army personnel are invited to speak with the youth at the trainings to discuss career

opportunities available with the U.S. Army. His messages are simple: “Do the best that you can do,” and “kids don’t fail; plans fail.” They might be concepts that children have heard before, but it’s the way that Jones delivers his messages and instills them in our youth that is so impressive to see. He uses his background in educational psychology to captivate students and at the same time deliver his points. 

2009

Signature Events

C4C Members

“Too Tall” Jones Darryl Dawkins Sam Jones Riddick Bowe Randy White Ricky Sanders

Doug Williams Drew Pearson JoJo White Ray Mercer Dominique Wilkins Ken Easley

…And Many More

Current Partnerships

“Coach” Chuck Hatcher

Coach Hatcher, the host and executive producer of remote broadcast radio show, “Sports Inside & Out”, has a career that spans over forty-five years in sports. As a pioneer in the early professional arena of sports, particularly basketball, he has quietly paved the way, in conjunction with other professional players, in helping many young athletes.                    Coach Hatcher started his career at Norview High School (1965-66) in Norfolk, Virginia, where he helped pioneer the integration of high schools via basketball. He became the first African American high school basketball player to be named to the All City, All District and All State teams. Coach was voted All American, Honorable Mention and was also the first African American to be voted the most outstanding basketball player in the City of Norfolk. He then played and became All Navy, All Interservice, which led to being invited to the Olympic Trials and playing internationally. He was a free agent draftee in the American Basketball Association (ABA), and then began coaching. He coached with the Pro Athletes in Action Tours, the National Basketball Association Summer Tour, and the Pro Team Tours that played in Israel, professional leagues of the European league, (HypolHatir). He served as a motivational speaker for the Pro Athletes in Action Stay in School Program, which later became the NBA Stay in School Program. He spoke in many cities, targeting schools and other institutions as his main venues.

In 1975, after graduating from Virginia Wesleyan College, Chuck Hatcher, was mentored by Dr. Richard Lapchick of Boston University, and began his speaking and motivational career. Dr. Lapchick is the founder and Director of the Center for Sports in Society at Boston University and formerly a member of the United Nations.

Coach Hatcher’s sons, Carl and Charles Hatcher, and his stepsons, Dominique (nine-time All Star, three-time NBA leading scorer, seventh All-Time Leading Scorer, NBA Hall of Fame, class of 2006 and European Championship MVP in 2000) and Gerald Wilkins (New York Knicks and Orlando Magic) also have exciting and rewarding sports and business careers.

In 2001, Coach Hatcher gave his life to Christ and began a cause to help troubled youth, problem parents and athletes, through motivational speaking and counseling.

2009 Ambassadors

NBA Hall of Fame Member

Sam Jones

NFL Super Bowl Champions

Ed “Too Tall” Jones

NCAA Coach Great

Clem Haskins

Sam Jones spent all of his twelve seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics who drafted him in the first round in 1957. Jones was known as a clutch scorer, and scored over 15,000 points in his career. He participated in five NBA All-Star Games, and is usually mentioned as the 4th best guard of the 1960s, behind Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Hal Greer. Jones was named to the All-NBA Second Team 3 straight years (1965-67) and he played on ten championship teams (1959-66 and 1968-69) — a total exceeded only by teammate Bill Russell in NBA history.Jones was originally claimed by the Minneapolis Lakers, but returned to college upon completion of military service as an Army Airborne. 

He was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1970 he was named to the NBA's 25th Anniversary team, and in 1996, he was named as 1 of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

Brig. Gen. Crutchfield serves as director for the Joint Center for Operational Analysis (JCOA). JCOA assists in leading the transformation of the joint force by producing compelling recommendations for change derived from direct observations and sound analysis of current joint operations, exercises and experiments.

JCOA also maintains a comprehensive database and archive of lessons and documents pertaining to previous and ongoing joint and combined operations around the world.

Brig. Gen Crutchfield has served tours across the United States as well as Germany, Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan. He has commanded at the platoon, company, battalion and brigade levels.

"2009 NBA All Star Weekend - Champions 4 Champions Troop Morale Initiative Hosts"

Veterans Hospital “Thank You” Tour

Legends of Sports visiting veterans' hospitals spreading goodwill and boosting the morale of our veterans.

New in 2009!"Champions 4 Champions Mentoring Hotline“

1-800-C4C-1859

(1-800-242-1859)

The C4C Mentoring Hotline is available only to high school youth that attend a Shoot for the Stars training.  The hotline operator will request: name, telephone number, high school, city and state.  A mentor will be contacted and will return the call ASAP.  Mentors will provide high school youth the following:

            *Encouragement to advance their skills, capabilities and confidence;            *Serve as a role model and sounding board            *Guide them towards growth beyond his/her expectations

            *Offer perspective on what it takes to succeed.