Anderson enjoys giving back
Sep. 26—When Derek Anderson got the phone call to come to Owensboro, he jumped at the opportunity.
The former University of Kentucky basketball star, who won an NCAA championship with the Wildcats in 1996, spent his Monday evening as the guest speaker at the 40th annual Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club Steak & Burger Dinner at the Mike Horn Unit — and he relished the opportunity to meet more than 60 club members and share a message of personal responsibility.
"What I do is teach them about the reality of life skills and what they can do for you," said Anderson, who lives in Louisville. "It wasn't about my athletic ability that got me to where I was, it was about my attitude and work ethic. If you're polite and kind and work hard, success will follow — that's the only blueprint that you have. You can't shortcut or do anything else but do the right thing.
"We all make our mistakes, but your attitude is where you'll get opportunity, and opportunity is where you succeed."
Anderson stepped in as a replacement for fellow former Kentucky star Tyler Ulis, who was unable to make the trip.
"We were extremely thrilled and honored when we heard that Derek Anderson had agreed to step in and be our 40th guest speaker for this year," said Steve Winkler, CEO of the Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club. "We believe his insights and experiences will make this event even more memorable.
"After we heard the news about Tyler, we knew we had to do something. Our team, committee members and steadfast supporters of the Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club bound together and rallied to make this event possible. It's all about the kids. Our team and the amazing supporters that we have believe our mission, and together we can help them build great futures each and every day."
After graduating from UK in 1997, Anderson went on to play for 11 seasons in the NBA and even won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Before that ever happened, though, he recalls spending countless hours at the Boys & Girls Club as a youngster.
"I couldn't afford a membership to go to the basketball gym, so the Boys & Girls Club was one of those things that gave me an opportunity to go play basketball," he said. "You wanted to get away from things and life in the neighborhood, so where do you go? The Boys & Girls Club. That was the reason why we were able to succeed in life, because somebody gave us an opportunity to do something different."
And, Anderson added, the lessons he learned extended far beyond the basketball court.
"Everything about it was attitude," he said. "You couldn't come to the gym or come in here and be loud, you couldn't be disrespectful. And then, teaching us those values outside of basketball, it carried over into basketball. For me, the people who ran the Boys & Girls Club were kind people, but they also taught us life skills like manners, respect, and you held on to that, no matter what.
"I carried that with me for the rest of my life, and that made me better."
Now, Anderson continues to work for the NBA as a mental health counselor — another way that he can give back to the generations of players that followed him.
Although his name may not be as familiar to today's kids, Anderson still believes he has an important message to deliver.
"It's about what you can teach them as a person," he said. "That's the key. Look at my success story, look at my life — how did I get to that point? It was all about kindness, being a good person, and having a good attitude and work ethic. Our attitude is what makes us, so teaching kids that no matter where you come from, it's a significant reason why we're successful."
If the kids want to get a closer look at his playing days, though, there's always the internet.
"They can still look me up on YouTube," Anderson said, laughing.
