By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Coming off a game where he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week, Mishael Powell of the University of Washington Huskies football team took time out of his schedule to visit with players from the CD Panthers youth football program.
Powell, a former player with the CD Panthers, wanted to reflect on his experience as a youth football player and help connect the dots with the young players on how the development of a good work ethic, both on the field right now, will help them achieve their dreams and aspirations.
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“Just growing up here, going to the Rotary Boys and Girls Club on 19th and Spruce, and being around the Central District, all these different memories,” says Powell. “I cherish a lot.”
This season, Powell, who played cornerback and receiver for O’Dea High School and helped lead his team to an 11-2 record and a state 3A football championship as a senior, has started every game for the Huskies. The former walk-on, who has now earned a football scholarship, was named the Husky coaches’ defensive skill player of the week following the Michigan State game and is garnering both attention and accolades on the college football scene.
This time of year is special for the CD Panthers and brings back great memories for Powell as the organization has moved their practice location to Garfield High School so that they can practice under the lights.
“When [the CD Panthers] are in the playoffs we always practiced at Garfield, so for them to practice here at Garfield means we are in the playoffs,” says Powell.
“It is good to see the youngins, they are doing good. This used to be me, in my uniform out here learning the game of football and trying to hit somebody,” added Powell with a laugh.
As a former player, Powell knows the importance of mentors and role models coming to practice and interacting with the kids, and he is now in a position to speak to kids who look up to him as a college player and give back to a community that has given so much to him.
“I would say seeing mentors is a great opportunity for young kids,” says Powell. “I remember when I was a kid we had Coach Newton come and speak to us, we had Tony Wooten come and speak to us, so I think it is a good cycle being continued.”
“When you see someone in a spot you want to be in and you get advice, you can look up to that,” Powell continued. “You can strive to be that or even better, and to see someone come back to the community and give advice, it’s good for the kids and even if they are going through circumstances or adversities in their lives, they can look to examples, role models, and know that they can achieve their goals.”
According to research from Ryan Carruthers, content marketing manager at Together Software, regarding mentorships, there are seven reasons why mentorship, especially in the African American community, is so important. Number one, Mentors kickstart development. With the encouragement of a mentor, mentees can remain focused on their goals and aspirations, gain confidence, and expand their networks.
Having a mentor leads to self-discovery and helps you continue growth. Through their feedback, youth are empowered to take your dreams to where you want to go.
Number two, mentors help young people clarify and set what experts call “SMART” goals. One of the main purposes for mentorships is for the mentee to set and attain their goals. The mentor can help a mentee define what these may be, using a mentor strategy called the SMART process: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-sensitive goals.
Reason number three, mentors hold our young people accountable to achieve their goals. By outlining goals and creating incremental steps to achieving them, mentors help mentees focus on what they need to do to advance their goals. These goals can also provide a way to measure the success of mentorship.
Number four, Mentors develop leadership skills.
Number five, mentors can help raise a child’s confidence and problem-solving abilities. Along with developing leadership skills, having a mentor to help and advise your child can increase his or her confidence and help develop essential problem-solving skills. Regarding confidence, research has tied having a mentor to an overall increase in emotional health. Mentors offer a different perspective that can be instrumental in changing bad habits or unhelpful ways of thinking.
Number six, mentors can help expand young athlete’s futures through developing and expanding their network and opening doors to opportunities. Through mentorship, mentees can expand their network and gain access to other people in various ways. Number seven is one of the main and most valuable attributes as mentors offer tacit knowledge and guidance.
For Powell, the importance of leveraging your position and success to inspire the next generation of student athletes goes far beyond just shaking hands and patting kids on the back. It’s about the foundation of a community that he wants to get stronger with each successive generation that comes after him. To help build a place that he calls home and allow those young athletes to stand on his shoulders just as he is standing on the shoulders of those who came before him.
“This is important for me because this is where I grew up,” says Powell. “I played for the CD Panthers my whole life. They are a big reason why I wanted to stay in Seattle and play, have children of my own one day, coach them, they can come and see me play. I am a big representation of the Central District and just happy that I grew up here.”
“This is more than just football,” says Powell. “I can be a computer scientist, I can be a biologist, I can be so many different things and they can do this coming right out of here in the Central District.”
