A violent week in Cincinnati left a 16-year-old dead, multiple teens shot and at least two hospitalized with serious injuries, from multiple shootings across the city. There are men and women working tirelessly to help at-risk youth and keep them safe in every school and neighborhood. Two Cincinnati Public Schools basketball coaches are prime examples. Roberto Allen and Jarelle Redden graduated from Cincinnati Public Schools and each have spent many years giving back as coaches. "The thing is what don't we do? The coaching part is the easy part," Allen said. He is the varsity boy's basketball head coach at Withrow University High School."I get phone calls at 11 o'clock at night because somebody is having a home situation that I have to manage, and I welcome that," Allen said. "Some kids call me dad behind closed doors. I may be a big brother or an uncle to some... I'm an important figure that they can come talk to, look at, model, ask questions, lean on, cry on, ask for advice." His team went won 16 games this year. He is equally proud of their high grade point average and how they have grown as men. None of that is accidental."I purposefully practice late every day so our kids are so tired from their regular school day, the weight room and a hard practice, they don't want to go outside. They want to go home, shower, finish homework and go to sleep."Allen admits the job can be all consuming and frustrating. "We basically pay to coach here in CPS," Allen said. "I have to CashApp kids some money sometimes because they're hungry at home."He keeps coming back year after year because there were coaches who were there for him when he was growing up in the inner city, facing some of the most difficult challenges a child can face. "I have friends that coach outside the district, and I hear the difference in what they have to manager and what we have to manage here in CPS. Different worlds," he said. "It's frustrating at times to know that some of those districts pay three times as much as we get paid here."Jarelle Redden is the head coach of the varsity boy's basketball team at Woodward Career Technical High School."We're constantly checking on them. We know where they live. We know their neighborhoods," he said. Just Thursday, a student was shot off campus and ran back to the school for help, prompting a brief lockdown. The student was rushed the hospital and remains hospitalized with serious injuries. Redden said his student athletes are often surrounded by chaos and have to learn to work through that. They teach their athletes to strive for a scholarship, a chance to get an education through the game they love. "We kind of provide tools for them outside of basketball through basketball," Redden said. "We win when everyone graduates and they move on."His team is focused on the playoffs at the moment. They won their second straight sectional championship this year."A lot of our kids have families, but we're just like the other family. Some don't. And we're there to provide that comfort that they're looking for," he said. "The real coaching is off the court."Allen said inner city teams and coaches need more support from the community. He urges community members to get involved, for example by volunteering to tutor or donating food items.
A violent week in Cincinnati left a 16-year-old dead, multiple teens shot and at least two hospitalized with serious injuries, from multiple shootings across the city.
There are men and women working tirelessly to help at-risk youth and keep them safe in every school and neighborhood.
Two Cincinnati Public Schools basketball coaches are prime examples. Roberto Allen and Jarelle Redden graduated from Cincinnati Public Schools and each have spent many years giving back as coaches.
"The thing is what don't we do? The coaching part is the easy part," Allen said.
He is the varsity boy's basketball head coach at Withrow University High School.
"I get phone calls at 11 o'clock at night because somebody is having a home situation that I have to manage, and I welcome that," Allen said. "Some kids call me dad behind closed doors. I may be a big brother or an uncle to some... I'm an important figure that they can come talk to, look at, model, ask questions, lean on, cry on, ask for advice."
His team went won 16 games this year. He is equally proud of their high grade point average and how they have grown as men. None of that is accidental.
"I purposefully practice late every day so our kids are so tired from their regular school day, the weight room and a hard practice, they don't want to go outside. They want to go home, shower, finish homework and go to sleep."
Allen admits the job can be all consuming and frustrating.
"We basically pay to coach here in CPS," Allen said. "I have to CashApp kids some money sometimes because they're hungry at home."
He keeps coming back year after year because there were coaches who were there for him when he was growing up in the inner city, facing some of the most difficult challenges a child can face.
"I have friends that coach outside the district, and I hear the difference in what they have to manager and what we have to manage here in CPS. Different worlds," he said. "It's frustrating at times to know that some of those districts pay three times as much as we get paid here."
Jarelle Redden is the head coach of the varsity boy's basketball team at Woodward Career Technical High School.
"We're constantly checking on them. We know where they live. We know their neighborhoods," he said.
Just Thursday, a student was shot off campus and ran back to the school for help, prompting a brief lockdown. The student was rushed the hospital and remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
Redden said his student athletes are often surrounded by chaos and have to learn to work through that. They teach their athletes to strive for a scholarship, a chance to get an education through the game they love.
"We kind of provide tools for them outside of basketball through basketball," Redden said. "We win when everyone graduates and they move on."
His team is focused on the playoffs at the moment. They won their second straight sectional championship this year.
"A lot of our kids have families, but we're just like the other family. Some don't. And we're there to provide that comfort that they're looking for," he said. "The real coaching is off the court."
Allen said inner city teams and coaches need more support from the community. He urges community members to get involved, for example by volunteering to tutor or donating food items.
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