ARTS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT
BY TY SOSINA
Alpha athlete makes difference in Middle East Former NFL player, Brother LeMarcus Newman [Kappa Phi Lambda, ‘08], now an international human resources supervisor with the U.S. State Dept., in Doha, Qatar, is putting his athletic ability to work for a good cause—coaching kids and inspiring young people to compete. Last summer, Newman sought to bring American football to the Middle East. To achieve this goal, he
developed a partnership with the National Football League and Aspire Zone Foundation. The Aspire Zone Foundation is a Doha-based organization that develops and promotes sports to galvanize the country’s sports economy. “As a former NFL player and member of the NFL alumni I felt like I had to do something for the kids and give back and mentor young men,” says Newman. It’s not Newman’s first time coaching. He was a coach at Hightower High School in Missouri City, Texas. In February, Brother Newman succeeded in bringing teams together to play American flag football for the first time. Teens aged 13 to 19 participated in an exhibition game at Aspire Park. “One thing is clear about football and sports,” says Newman. “Sports help bridge cultural gaps. It is a cross-cultural builder. You learn a lot about yourself and about others, but you also learn to put aside your differences to work towards one common goal and that’s winning.” S
Above: Brother Newman stands by the poster he uses to recruit young men to play football in Doha, Qatar. Below: Young men are dressed and ready to play flag football.
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Ty Sosina [MU. ‘09] is a sports enthusiast, freelance journalist and host of ‘Phirst Contention,’ an online sports show. Follow him on Twitter @ShaiGuy312.
THE SPHINX