Clemson Basketball Players Visit J.T. Simpson Alternative Center Students

Three Clemson University Men’s Basketball team players spent the afternoon visiting and speaking with students at John T. Simpson Alternative Center on Wednesday.

The players—Jordan Roper, Josh Smith, Adonis Filer and one assistant basketball coach, Jonah Baize— discussed the rules of being on Coach Brownell’s basketball team and how those same rules apply in their daily lives.

They talked about their own lives, adversity they had experienced in their lives and how they overcame that adversity. Their message to the students was that no matter what happens in their lives, if young people stay on track, they too can reach their goals.

After speaking to the students in the auditorium, the players and students went into the gym where the players showed off some of their basketball moves and played one-on-one with some of the JTS students.

The basketball players finished the afternoon by mingling with the students, answering questions and signing autographs.

"Our kids look up to those guys as stars and role models. They will never know the impact that they made. To them it may have been just one afternoon, but to our kids it may have made the difference for whether they believe they can reach their goals or not,” said JTS director Reggia Stapleton.

“One of the little boys came up to me and said, 'this has been the greatest day of my life.'"

John T. Simpson Alternative Center for Education provides an alternative program centered on individualized instruction, discipline, and technology to prepare students to move forward and gain an academic foundation for a more productive future.

The school is designed to meet the needs of sixth through twelfth grade students who have not been successful in the typical school environment. Instruction is highly interactive and is driven by creating a student-centered environment that focuses on individualizing student needs, incorporating the most up-to-date technology, using the latest and most innovative teaching methods and allowing student interaction.