Who We Are.
“Good, Better, Best, Never Rest Until Your Good is Better and Your Better is Best.”
Our
Vision.
To promote the development of young people, through the combination of sports and academics through mentorship and high-level coaching with outcomes based on high-level college placement percentages with colleges and universities throughout the United States. Athletes Meeting Excellence will provide on-site classroom training and postsecondary educational advancement through providing financial assistance and high-level preparatory experiences for its participating youth.
Our Mission.
Athletes Meeting Excellence, Inc. (AME) is a fully incorporated not-for-profit charity that seeks to provide young people living in Georgia (and the United States) with a focus to help student athletes achieve their best not only in their prospective sports but also in the classroom.
AME’s greater mission is to instill confidence and purpose in today’s youth while creating a standard to achieve excellence in their everyday life. We do this by educating young men and women on the importance of being complete student athletes, teaching them the fundamentals, sportsmanship, competition, and discipline. We want to impact those who are willing to go above and beyond within their local community, classroom, and the playing field.
These substantial experiences, provided by AME will enable young people to be prepared for college (and career) in areas of mentoring, tutoring, and provided with scholarship opportunities.
History
Alex Easterling founded Athletes Meeting Excellence, Inc. (AME) in 2011 while he was a student at Morehouse College. It was there where he learned the essence of leadership is to serve others and to do it in excellence.
Easterling first discovered he had an ability to inspire while he was a collegiate athlete at Middle Georgia College. Easterling has been involved in the community in a multitude of ways. He has served as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta and as a mentor and motivational speaker at Youth Challenge Academy in Augusta, GA.
In addition to spending countless hours as a mentor leader, Alex is also a NCAA certified coach and is currently head coach for one of the top AAU programs in the nation. Coach Easterling was a high school standout and won multiple championships. Easterling was a part of 3 final fours, a national championship, and back-to-back state championships at Dunwoody High school in Atlanta, GA. Alex Easterling is a dedicated person and has a passion for helping our youth reach their best potential.
He believes that sports can save lives because of the sports ability to teach life skills such as discipline, hard work, teamwork, and competitive friendship. Easterling learned the positive effects of youth sports as a student athlete. When he saw players becoming professional players and not knowing how to be professionals, he saw a need to start a sports mentoring company.
Athletes Meeting Excellence Inc. held its first event in the summer of 2015 with their youth Leadership academy in Erie, PA and Atlanta, GA. Easterling sees AME as the place where young men and women learn the importance of service, hard work, setting goals, and achievement. Because of AME, several kids have had the opportunity to play collegiate sports at the Division 1 and Division 2 levels.
His understanding of the game of basketball exceeds that of many of his peers and certainly that of most coaches and mentors at his age. Constantly on the lookout for the next innovation in offense or defense, he is quick to learn it and then adapt it for use by his team. His experience as a high-level basketball player and professional around the world generates high level respect from students and their parents within the Georgia area, and with regard to youth programs and their development which can assist affected youth.
As a youth coach on the sidelines, he is adept at managing game situations while still coaching those on the bench.
Alex’s personal goal of helping students from all family backgrounds is to make sure all student-athletes in his program have the opportunity to succeed. He plans to help his program by offering skills training, NCAA education experiences, fund college visits, fund camps & clinics for coaches and players, in addition to form a scholarship fund from which students will receive assistance for college attendance.