During Black History Month, App State Athletics is highlighting some of the accomplishments and perspective of coaches, administrators and staff members who serve as role models to our student-athletes.
Today, we hear from fourth-year assistant men's basketball coach,
Frank Young. Young joined the men's basketball staff in April 2019 after serving as an assistant alongside
Dustin Kerns at Presbyterian. The West Virginia grad led the other Mountaineers to the 2007 NIT championship, earning tournament MVP honors as a player.
Q: Why is celebrating Black history important to you?
Young: It is important to me because I learn something new every single year and want to continue learning more about my history and the ones that came before me.
Q: Is there a figure in Black history whose story particularly resonates with you?
Young: There is not a single figure, but the older I get, the more I enjoy learning about the civil rights era and what those people went through on a day-to-day basis to improve the lives of black people today (and there is still a long way to go). But those people endured a lot of pain and sacrifice during those times.
Q: How do you share Black history with App State student-athletes and/or staff?
Young: I have not done a good job in really sharing Black history directly. The one thing I do is try to share some kind of Black history fact every day on social media.
Q: Why is it important to have representation within athletics?
Young: The athletes can see someone that looks like them and can relate to them on a different level, having been through some of the same situations that they may have been through, being able to share and talk through some situations. Furthermore, being able to talk about their experiences in life and share it from a vantage point.
Q: What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to someone looking to pursue a career in college athletics?
Young: A lot of people like to be involved with sports because it can be fun and it comes with a lot of rewards, but the one piece of advice I would give is to make sure that you will enjoy all of it and not just the positives of working in sports. There is a lot of work and sacrifice that comes along with it.
