This week “Coach of the Week” is Tarik Glenn. After his high school football career in Cleveland Ohio, he received a full scholarship to play at the University of California at Berkeley, where he majored in social welfare and was a two-time All PAC Ten Conference player.
Glenn went on to play 10 years in the National Football League with the Indianapolis Colts, where he was named to three Pro Bowls and played on the Colts Super Bowl XLI championship team before retiring in 2008.
Coach E: How have you kept busy since retiring from the Colts?
Tarik Glenn: I’m actively involved with Dream Alive Inc., an afterschool mentoring program that supports at-risk schools and families by engaging 7th-12th graders in community service-learning opportunities. I am also a full-time dad of four and a MBA student at Krannert Business School at Purdue.
Why did you decide to stay in Indianapolis after retiring?
The city of Indianapolis has embraced my family since I was drafted here in 1997. Indy is an ideal place to raise a family in a healthy community.
With the Super Bowl coming to town, what plans do you have to showcase your organization?
We don’t plan to showcase anything that we’re doing, but we are working to grow Dream Alive into a sustainable and a dependable organization for the Indy community.
Do you think it is important for urban youth to participate in team sports? Why?
Yes. Because it teaches and reinforces much needed disciplines that most young people do not inherently have.
What is your definition of a coach?
A coach today is someone that mentors (a role model that reinforces values of integrity and character), that demonstrates leadership and holds their mentees accountable for their actions.
What advice do you have for young athletes today?
My advice to them would be to make sure not to give all of their time and effort developing athletically. I encourage them to be balanced in their development spiritually, emotionally, physically and in relationships.
When it is all said and done, how would you like the city of Indianapolis to remember you?
I would like to be known as someone who serves God with his whole heart, that serves and honors his wife and prepares his children to live for Jesus, and one who values reconciliation and builds bridges to foster a healthy community.
