John Lamb from Handle University addressed the Johnston Rotary group on November 21st. He provides leadership through his “Beyond Ball” programs to a number of disadvantaged youth to learn not only basketball skills, but also life skills to succeed in school and to learn to help others.
Lamb grew up, moving frequently due to a struggling financial life, and learned the importance of hard work and responsibility for his own success. He began by buying and selling items on Ebay in order to pay for his own fitness training to help him earn a basketball scholarship to Morehead State College, where he was the only white person on the team. He tried his best to “fit in” even resorting to doing some things he would later think better of.
Eventually, he attended Iowa State University, where he was picked up by Fred Hoiberg to play for his team. While at ISU he found that God called him to serve underprivileged youth with both basketball and life skills.
He helps the entire families - in large part Sudanese immigrants - with all aspects of their lives. He will pick up the kids from their home, if they have one, and drop them off after school/practice. He makes sure they study school subjects for at least an hour prior to being able to work out on the basketball floor. John has recently forged a relationship with Drake University to help with the learning process.
He prides himself in converting former “gang banger” individuals into leaders themselves through a M.O.B. (Make Others Better) approach in order to get them involved with helping others in their community.