Getty Daryl Morey looks on during a press conference at the Seventy Sixers Practice Facility
There are few front office personnel across any of the major sports leagues that are as active and present to the public as Daryl Morey. In addition to working the margins of the salary cap and negotiating franchise-altering deals, Morey is never shy to jump on an interview or share something on Twitter. He will now be furthering his reach into the community by helping bring a college prep program to Camden Academy Charter High School.
The news of this was first released by Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer who detailed the announcement. The program is referred to as “GUIDE,” which stands for Giving Underserved Individuals Direction in Education. This program was first launched in 2016 by Shane Battier’s Take Charge Foundation with the first school to participate located in Miami. Driven by the connection to Daryl Morey and both men’s desire to impact more lives, GUIDE will be coming closer to the Philadelphia area where its success is expected to continue.
Spent some time yesterday at the Sixers’ facility, where students from Camden Academy were welcomed to a college prep program as part of Shane Battier’s foundation. Battier partnered with Daryl Morey and Tad Brown to expand the program to the area.
What GUIDE Does
The GUIDE program works with high school students to make them aware of educational opportunities and provide them with a route to pursue a college degree. This includes pairing students with well-trained mentors, a College Success coach, SAT and ACT test preparation courses, and several other resources. Successful completion of the two-year program earns each student a full, four-year scholarship.
So far the program has changed the lives of over 40 students and given nearly $1 million in scholarships. Over 90% of GUIDE students are first-generation college students and thus far 100% have enrolled in college upon its completion. The program in Miami also recently produced its first candidate pursuing a doctorate degree.
Shane Battier discussed the special program he started and when speaking to Mizell put it:
“Sometimes all young people need to do is be around people who have done it. You just never know where the inspiration will lead. This is not just a scholarship program. This is not just a college prep program. It’s really a life prep program.”
Daryl Morey’s Involvement
While former Rockets sniper Shane Battier deserves a ton of credit for the idea and execution thus far, it is very cool to see Daryl Morey getting involved. The two became connected during their time in Houston and this is an awesome example of Morey staying in touch with a former player.
There are plenty of ties between Battier and the city of Philadelphia as well. He was college teammates with former Sixers standout and current general manager Elton Brand during their time at Duke. Battier’s wife is also a Villanova graduate. It is also important to note that Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment CEO Tad Brown will also be involved in the program.
Daryl Morey has spoken about his desire to help the community in the past and is putting his money where his mouth is. Battier, along with Daryl Morey and Doc Rivers, recently spoke to students from Camden Academy Charter High School which sits just a half-mile away from the Sixers practice facility to unveil the program. It will be terrific to see the positive impact that this makes moving forward and is awesome to see Morey being invested in the community that has become his new home.