The Tribune

SPORTS World, an organisation comprising former professional athletes who share their personal life experiences with students, helping them to recognise the consequences of their choices while challenging them with a message of hope, joined the Bahamian community in expressing condolences for the loss of Dr Myles Munroe and his party in the plane crash last week.

Based in Minneapolis, Indiana, Sports World was introduced to the Bahamas two years ago by president and CEO, Devon McDonald, to a local committee that was headed by Jacqueline Bain.

During the group of four’s initial tour, one of the first things on the agenda for McDonald was to pay a courtesy call on Dr Munroe. The visit was facilitated by Pastor Dave Burrows, who served on the local committee.

On learning of his passing, McDonald wrote: “I still remember. Just a reminder to cherish every moment with people.”

And Bain recalled how he was “privileged and blessed to have met Dr Munroe, a great man of God, during our 2013 Go Positive Tour and he gave each of us his latest book.”

While here to participate in the 2013 Go Positive Tour in the local schools in New Providence and Grand Bahama, McDonald also spoke at Bahamas Faith Ministries, which was headed by Dr Munroe. He recalled it as one of the highlights of his visit to the Bahamas, next to the fact that he actually met Dr Munroe, whom he followed extensively worldwide and his television ministry.

During the initial visit, McDonald, a former player with the famed University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), was joined by Steve Grant, a linebacker with the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Colts, Charity Butler, a former shortstop/second base at the University of Southern Mississippi and a Swedish national champion, and Lee Rouson, a former running back with the University of Colorado and both the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns.

The Go Positive Tour was held for the second time last month with Michael Cobb, a graduate of Michigan State University who was drafted in the NFL in the first round in 1977 by the Cincinnati Bengals but went on to play for the Chicago Bulls from 1977-81, was the lone representative for Sports World as he toured a number of schools in New Providence.

Anthony Kevin ‘Tony’ Dungy may be a part of the next Sports Tour visit in 2015 as they impress upon students that they can choose a better way. As the organisation’s tagline says: “You’re not born a winner; You’re not born a Loser; You’re born a Chooser.”

Dungy is a former professional NFL player and coach. He was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001 and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008.

The local organisation include co-chairs Jacqueline Bain and Pastor Geoffery Wood while among the committee members are Pastor Burrows, Clinton Minnis, Sharmaine Adderley, Brent Stubbs and Carlos Reid.