How Tulsa's My Brother's Keeper uses athletics to shape young men’s futures

When organizers first tried to reach young men of color through traditional mentorship programs, turnout was low.

Then came a realization: almost all of them were already showing up — just not to mentorship meetings.

“We learned that the majority of them were in sports, but they were not willing to leave sports and join any new initiative,” said BerThaddaeus Bailey, Managing Director of My Brother’s Keeper.

So Bailey and his team brought the mentorship to them.

The result became My Brother’s Keeper Sports, a growing program now in its third year that connects male students from Central, McLain, and Monroe High Schools with mentors who guide them academically, socially, and professionally — all before practice even starts.

Beyond the field: mentorship meets real-world preparation

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