"5:30 in the morning."

"Euphemism."

&

"Saturday night."

Mayor Kevin Johnson shared his authentic tales of the past with student-athletes at Game Plan Academy (GPA) this past Sunday at Hiram Johnson High School, leaving them with with one final message in the process: "Give back. Whatever you do, always remember to give back."

Remembering the days when he scored 48 points in the Hiram Johnson High School gymnasium as a standout Sacramento High School student-athlete who led the state of California in scoring, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson was simply "KJ" for the day, mixing in humor with serious pleas while expressing words of encouragement and sharing pearls of wisdom and lessons learned by telling some memorable stories:

5:30 in the morning. When KJ first arrived at UC Berkeley as a freshman, his coach informed the basketball team to report to practice the next day at 5:30 in the morning. "I didn't believe him, so I didn't go. I showed up to the afternoon practice at 3:00 PM, and my coach asked me where I was. I didn't think people woke up that early to workout," KJ reflected, smiling warmly as he reminisced with the GPA audience. Finishing the story, the next day, KJ showed up tired, half-asleep, and in a poor mood at the 5:30 AM workout, surprised to find that his teammates were bright awake, in high spirits, working hard on their games. The moral of the story: Change your attitude. KJ learned quickly how to have a positive attitude at 5:30 in the morning while leading the Cal Bears basketball team.

Euphemism. KJ's next 'lesson learned' emerged in the classroom during his first few days of class at UC Berkeley. Immersed amongst students discussing euphemisms fluently with gusto, KJ felt lost and out of place: "I felt this big," motioning to the students with a small space between his thumb and first finger, indicating that his confidence reached an all-time low: "I went home and called my grandma and told her I wanted to quite; I wanted to leave Cal. But, she told me that Johnson's are not quitters, to look up the word euphemism, and to go back to class and participate," KJ shared. (Aside: KJ asked GPA students to define euphemism, promising $20 for the correct answer, but no one could communicate the definition of this concept successfully). Of course, showing his determination, KJ bounced back from this initial challenge -- "I was not prepared for college," he stated -- to graduate from Cal with a degree in Political Science. The moral of the story: From this experience, KJ learned that "everything you do now matters," referring to the college preparation that occurs during the formative high school years. He capped this telling story by reiterating that Game Plan Academy provides academic support and 'tricks of the trade' -- SAT prep, college counseling, etc. -- that will help prepare students to succeed in college.

Saturday night. During his senior year at UC Berkeley, one Saturday night, KJ was working out in the gym -- his customary practice at the time-- when a janitor approached him, "Kevin. You are here every Saturday night. Shouldn't you be out doing something else?" "Not if I want to get to where I want to go," KJ recalled his response. The moral of the story: In athletics, academics, and the game of life, achieving goals requires consistent sacrifices, such as working out or doing homework and reading on Saturday nights, just as KJ did as a motivated student-athlete at Cal. KJ went on to enjoy stardom in the NBA, actualizing his many years of focused preparation.

&

The Dunk & Give Back. KJ wrapped up his presentation by reliving his historic dunk over Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon (click here to view on YouTube!) in Game 7 of the NBA playoffs, marking, perhaps, the highlight of his NBA career. Now, serving as Mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson hopes to produce the highlight of his life thus far by giving back to the Sacramento community as a responsible, energetic, and creative public servant. 

Despite the heavy rain this past Sunday, GPA students turned out with passionate energy, stretching their physical conditioning and football skills indoors in the gym while training (*See pictures above of 'dynamic yoga' exercises -- hard work, indeed!) with former NFL players Gio Carmazzi and Alex Van Dyke -- two professional, world-class athletes, who, like KJ, are giving back to their community -- expanding their world views by listening to KJ's call to "Dream Big Dreams" and to "Set the Bar High," and sharpening their academic abilities by preparing for the Math section of the SAT and drafting their Personal Statements for their college applications. This powerful, comprehensive student development combination of athletic and academic mentorship services captures the platform that Game Plan Academy (GPA) provides for Sacramento youth who normally would not have access to these resources. It's our way of giving back to the Sacramento community that has given us so much.

Remember to give back.

Good.