• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is now open! Take the survey

Five Years Later, 49ers’ Mentorship Academy Continues To Inspire

49ers-mentorship-academy
Photo Credit: San Francisco 49ers
49ers-mentorship-academy
Photo Credit: San Francisco 49ers

When the San Francisco 49ers launched their first-ever Mentorship Academy back in 2014, only one school participated in it. The team traveled to Oak Grove High School in San Jose to teach the Eagles’ 60 football players how to be leaders on and off the gridiron.

Since that first trip to Oak Grove, five more iterations of the academy have passed, with each growing in size. 

When 49ers PREP – the group behind this initiative – hosted its sixth-annual Mentorship Academy on Sept. 17, 60 football captains attended from 10 different schools. 

In total, 350 kids have gone through this campaign since 2014. With full engagement from San Francisco’s 2019 rookie class – which included the likes of No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa and second-rounder Deebo Samuel – the students got to see that they aren’t any different from these NFL stars.

“[The high schoolers] are not separate from the NFL athlete,” said Jared Muela, director of 49ers PREP and fan engagement. “They face the same trials and tribulations and can give good insight into how to be successful. That was what we wanted to do – connect everybody across the football family and the football landscape to support each other.”

After seeing the connections made between the 49ers and Oak Grove players in 2014, Muela sought out a way to get the larger Bay Area community involved. From there, 49ers PREP adopted a model that enabled high school coaches to send their captains to the Mentorship Academy.

From there, the initiative breaks down into a three-step program designed to help captains learn from the 49ers so they can teach these lessons to their teammates. San Francisco’s rookie class leads an hour-long mentorship talk with the high schoolers, who leave with more knowledge on what it takes to inspire others.

“Part of the program is [for the captains] to bring this back to their team,” said Muela. “As a captain, their responsibility is to go back and bring the messaging and lessons learned back to their teams. We’re feeling like in this dynamic, we’re able to impact more student-athletes this way.”

Outside of high schools’ increased involvement with 49ers PREP, the organization has looked to other companies to help propel its mission. While renewing its deal to remain the 49ers’ official consumer bank partner, US Bank Head of Sponsorships Chris Lee says that there was an opportunity to focus on community engagement.

At the time, the US Bank-49ers relationship was almost a decade old, Lee said, but there wasn’t much local involvement. With 49ers PREP’s established reputation, US Bank’s involvement would only add to it – while also developing relationships of its own.

“We believe in the notion of investing back in the communities that we serve,” said Lee. “It’s a great opportunity to do that with a great partner like the 49ers – to invest resources and dollars behind it because we believe that the various components of the Mentorship Academy aligned closely to our initiatives from a [corporate social responsibility] standpoint.”

49ers-mentorship-academy
Photo Credit: San Francisco 49ers

Just days removed from the 2019 mentorship academy, Lee and Muela want future editions to grow – both locally and nationally. For Lee, US Bank’s partnership with 49ers PREP in 2018 was the first step in reaching out to people all around the Bay Area. Over the next decade, he hopes that more schools will partake in the mentorship academy, enabling future generations of football players to become better people.

READ MORE: Girl Powered: Play Like a Girl Founder Launches STEM+ Sports Hackathon

As for Muela, he’s grateful that the 49ers are developing the youth who live around them. There’s still more work to be done – many NFL teams have youth-driven initiatives, but as far as he knows, no one has something quite like the mentorship academy. What 49ers PREP has been able to accomplish isn’t arduous; any team can do it – and the effect it has on the community is invaluable.

“We hope that over the next five to 10 years of this relationship, we continue to impact more youth,” said Lee. “But also get to see some success stories of young individuals who came through a variety of these opportunities and are seeing success, whether it’s on the football field or in the classroom or the business world or the community.”

READ MORE: 49ers Embrace Local With New Partnerships, Including Gold Bar Whiskey

“I’d like to see it grow and have it as an NFL-wide program that all teams can activate,” said Muela. “It’s a great experience and it’s not overly complicated – but the depth of impact is really good.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Tom Brady Set to Join Raiders Ownership As NFL Approval Nears

The NFL icon’s long-awaited deal to buy part of the Raiders is now set for an ownership vote.
Sep 15, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs fans celebrate after a touchdown by Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

‘This Is My Whole Life’: How Swifties Became NFL Superfans

The “Chiefties” have arrived. And they are “fully committed” to football.

ESPN Expands ‘Monday Night Football’ on ABC With Six Additional Games

The 2024 slate of dual-network NFL coverage now looks much more like last year’s.

Haason Reddick Fired by Own CAA Agents $9 Million Into Jets Holdout

The star rusher has not played all season over a contract dispute.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

How the PWHL is Changing Hockey

0:00

Featured Today

Sep 21, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) walks through Buff Walk before the game against the Baylor Bears at Folsom Field.
opinion

The NIL Era Is a Wild West. Is Anyone Surprised?

Amateurism is dead and college athletes are professionals. How’s that working out?
October 11, 2024

‘We’re Ready for FBS’: Sacramento State Is Serious About the Jump

How the Hornets got themselves on the short list of potential call-ups.
Duante' Abercrombie News Ch.4 interview
October 9, 2024

Tennessee State’s Ambitious Plan to Launch an HBCU Hockey Program

TSU has big plans, but the university is facing an existential dilemma.
October 8, 2024

Ryan Smith Sees Salt Lake City As Next Vegas-Like Sports Town

Utah Hockey Club’s owner says all the pieces are falling into place.

UFC’s Vegas Sphere Fight Should Set Records

The MMA fight has big aspirations and a budget to match.
August 13, 2024

Duael’s One-On-One Racing Brackets Are Yet Another Stab at Saving Track

Duael will debut in March 2025 with the inaugural Duael 100.
September 8, 2024

Guardian Caps Make NFL Debut

Multiple NFL players wore Guardian Caps over their helmets Sunday.
Sponsored

Rivalries Reign Across Red River and the Beltway, London Calling

According to data from TickPick, renewed battles between bitter foes are spiking ticket prices.
August 11, 2024

Guardian Caps Have Arrived in the NFL—Ahead of Schedule

Colts star Jonathan Taylor strapped one on for Sunday’s preseason game.
August 5, 2024

How Omega Timing Determined Noah Lyles Won Olympic Gold

Omega touches every corner of the Olympics.
The Adidas ball has changed over the years.
July 25, 2023

The Most Advanced Tech at the Women’s World Cup Might Surprise You

This year’s OCEAUNZ introduces connected ball technology to the women’s game.
Sponsored

Rewriting the Sports Media Playbook

WSC’s highlight automation improved Clemson’s content strategy and overall growth.