Champions for Literacy is a heartfelt cause for Stan Jones
Photo courtesy FSU athletics
By Chuck Walsh
Seminoles.com
When the Champions for Literacy program began in 2014, Florida State associate head coach Stan Jones was among the first to pledge his support to the incredible plight of childhood literacy.
The Champions for Literacy program is a non-profit organization that uses the power of sports to impact childhood reading. Last Tuesday’s Seminoles game against Boston College was just one of the many games designated as Fight for Literacy games whose outcomes are put in place to provide the resources for young children to become strong readers.
The matchup against Boston College was the ninth annual Fight for Literacy. Champions for Literacy is working locally with VyStar Credit Union, a community partner of Florida State athletics, to raise funds to support literacy in the Tallahassee community. VyStar will match the first $5,000 raised in support of this campaign.
For Jones, his ability to passionately utilize his position as a coach at Florida State to promote programs and make a difference in the lives of others is a large part of his calling as a life-long educator.
“Reading was a tool for success that was instilled in me from an early age,” said Jones who is in his 22nd season at Florida State. “From my mother who was an education major in college, to my father who was a self-educated man in learning his craft as pastor, reading has always been important to me and my development.
In 2014, Champions for Literacy was founded by Jonathan Wilfong and Andrew Renshaw. Wilfong played at Memphis, and he and Jones coached AAU basketball together in the Bluff City.
“When I heard about Champions for Literacy program from a former player at the University of Memphis, where I attended school, we connected on how I could be involved, said Jones”
During Wilfong’s career at Memphis, the Tigers went to the NCAA Final Four in 1983, won the Metro Conference Championship in 1984, 1985 and 1987 and had a record of 111-25.
“The Fight for Literacy platform was established to provide a way for all Americans to impact the monumental issue of childhood literacy,” said Champions for Literacy Executive Director Jason Bake. “Impact is the key word for Champions for Literacy. We face the brutal fact that while we will never solve this issue in our lifetime, we hold unwavering hope and conviction that we can make a difference.
“The Florida State University Men’s Basketball program has been a true catalyst for the work of Champions for Literacy. Thanks to flagship programs like FSU basketball, and close friends like Coach Jones, the Fight for Literacy Games program now hosts more than 85 games with collegiate athletic teams each year to raise awareness about the importance of childhood reading. We are very grateful for nine years of leveraging the power of sports to impact childhood reading alongside the Seminoles.”
Jones also took the idea to head coach Leonard Hamilton, who immediately put his support behind his long-time associate and the Champions for Literacy program.
“Education has always been a concept that Coach Hamilton believes in,” said Jones. “When it came to reading and promoting this program, he was happy to get behind it.”
The Department of Education reports that 68 percent of fourth grade students in the United States are not reading at their respective grade levels.
The most impactful year yet for the Champions for Literacy program was 2022, with more Fight for Literacy awareness games, literacy partners, and kids supported. During that year, the non-profit eclipsed $1 million generated through its platforms to strengthen, sustain, and scale literacy programs across the country.
Jones has long based his educational philosophy on a quote that his father utilized during one of his sermons: “The person you will be in five years is based on the books you read and the people you surround yourself with today.”
“I’m always looking for things to try to make a difference as a coach,” said Jones. “This was something that I felt really good hanging my hat on and putting my name behind it. It’s something that I’m very proud of, and I’m very proud that our program is a part of it.”
