Every now and then, life gives you a day that reminds you why you keep pushing. Yesterday was one of those days.
I met with Lenny McAllister at Starbucks after we were connected through a mutual friend. Before we ever sat down, he had already taken the time to read several of my articles, and that meant a lot. Lenny is an incredibly intelligent man with an impressive background in politics, media, and public policy. While we don’t agree on everything politically, we see eye to eye on many issues, and more importantly, I respect people who can have thoughtful conversations built on knowledge, experience, and mutual respect. It was a great conversation.
Then something happened that I never expected.
Former Penn Hills boys basketball coach Paul Seneca walked into Starbucks. I hadn’t seen Coach Seneca since he left Penn Hills in 1995 to become the girls basketball coach at North Allegheny. More than 30 years had passed.
Seeing him instantly brought back memories.
Coach Seneca wasn’t just the coach who led Penn Hills to the 1994 WPIAL championship. He also helped build one of the greatest girls basketball feeder systems Western Pennsylvania has ever seen. Before Penn Hills’ girls became a powerhouse, he coached many of those same players at St. Bartholomew School, where they won seven consecutive WPIAL championships. That foundation helped create years of success at the high school level.
But to me, Coach Seneca has always been special for another reason. When I moved back to Pittsburgh and enrolled at Penn Hills, I was only in the fifth grade. Coach Seneca saw something in me and my brother Vernon “Jake” before almost anyone else did. He told my dad, to never take us 2 out of Penn Hills. He told people I would become the best basketball player to ever come through Penn Hills. At the time, most people probably thought he was exaggerating. I was just a kid.
But his actions matched his words. While I was still in elementary school, he regularly had me playing with the junior varsity and varsity teams in the white oak summer league games. That wasn’t normal. He believed in me long before I had proven anything.
As we talked yesterday, I found myself praying for his health and thanking God that we had another opportunity to reconnect after all these years. Some people impact your life for a season. Others leave an imprint that lasts forever.
Coach Seneca is one of those people.
Then today came another moment I’ll never forget. After leaving Starbucks, I later sat in my car listening to Lenny McAllister’s show on KDKA Radio. During the broadcast, Lenny mentioned author Damon Young and community advocate Leon Ford as examples of successful Black men making a positive impact in Pittsburgh. Then he said something that caught me completely off guard. He talked about my journey as an author and the work I’m building with my new media website, saying I could become one of Pittsburgh’s next great success stories.
It was humbling.
Not because I believe I’ve arrived. But because someone I respect saw the vision. As someone who is still building, still learning, and still working every single day, hearing those words reminded me to stay focused, stay humble, and let the work continue speaking for itself.
Life has a funny way of coming full circle.
Yesterday I spent time with the coach who believed in me before anyone knew my name. Today I heard someone recognize the work I’m doing as I try to build something meaningful beyond basketball. Different chapters. Same lesson.
Never underestimate the power of people who believe in you.
Like Ice Cube said… Today was a good day.