On Monday, The Chambers County School District was pleased to host Coach Willie Spears as a motivational speaker to kick off Black History Month on Monday, February 3rd. Coach Spears is a nationally renowned motivational speaker who has shared his story and message in 37 states across the USA. Coach Spears inspired both students and staff alike across the Chambers County School District as he presented “The Willie Spears Experience.” Coach Spears travelled from his home in Panama City, Florida to pour his heart into the students this past Monday in three separate programs held across the district. This was the third consecutive year that the CCSD as brought in a motivational speaker for Black History Month.
Coach Spears related to students in sharing stories from his childhood and personal experiences. He noted how both of his parents were incarcerated at one time during his upbringing for having made poor choices and neither of them graduated from high school. Spears himself completed high school and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in communications from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He then earned his Master’s degree in education from Troy University. He had a lengthy successful career as an educator working twenty years as a teacher, coach and administrator. Some of his highlights in education included being part of a national championship team, winning a state championship and debating ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on the channel’s episode of “First Take.”
Coach Spears has personally written and authored 19 books and has garnered over 222,000 followers on Instagram. He has also gathered over a million likes on the Tik Tok platform too. Today, Coach Spears shares his message with over 20 speaking engagements each month across the country as well as internationally. On Monday, Coach Spears shared his message on “Resilience” with 550 plus 6th-8th grade students at W.F. Burns Middle School. Willie then travelled later that morning to Valley High School to share his motivational message with 681 students in grades 9-12 with Gator Media live streaming the program to all grade levels that were not present in the gymnasium. Coach Spears concluded his day with an afternoon program in the LaFayette High School auditorium addressing nearly 320 students for all grades 6-12 from LHS and J.P. Powell STEAM Magnet School. In all, Coach Spears shared his message with 1551 students from grades 6-12 across the CCSD.
Coach Spears highlighted each student’s “Unbreakable Resilience,” emphasizing that confidence will come with the time that each one of them puts in to reaching their goals. He celebrated, highlighted and challenged “overcomers” not to ever give up on their goals. Coach Spears noted how the legendary World Heavyweight Champion Boxer, Joe Louis had been born in Chambers County. He noted Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy noting that “The time to do right is now.” He reminded students that the decisions they are making today will determine their tomorrow’s. He stressed that the students should have a plan for their lives relating it to the plan each of them has for their order when visiting their favorite restaurant. He said making good choices is like comparing a GPS to a “Goal Positioning System” where you punch in your goals to reach them. Coach Spears further emphasized that “Resilience” is like a basketball full of air that falls and bounces right back up. He continually stressed to his audiences that “a goal without a plan is just a wish.”
Today, Coach Willie Spears is on a mission to build more confident, resilient, and mentally strong students. The CCSD was thrilled to have Coach Willie Spears pour into our students with his message of resiliency. Following his final program, Coach Spears remained in Chambers County to personally attend and cheer on the LaFayette Boys Varsity Basketball team as they travelled to nearby Lanett High School on Monday night. Coach Spears was supporting to the very end as the visiting LHS Bulldogs upset the #1 seeded Panthers in their thrilling Area Championship victory by a 57-49 score over their cross county rivals. The CCSD thanks Coach Willie Spears for investing in our students with his passion he demonstrated both during his motivational messages as well as remaining to cheer on their successes.
