“As a teacher I have seen the impact that Manock Lual and his programming through Prezdential has on young people in Ottawa. I have seen students who were struggling personally and emotionally transform and develop confidence, self-assurance and leadership through his mentorship and basketball programs.” – Sarah Nagy, Nominator and Community Basketball Volunteer
Power of Sport: The True Sport Report 2022 articulates that Canadians value the positive impact sport can have on children and youth, including positive effects for physical health, cognitive development and brain health, academic achievement, self-esteem, social and emotional functioning. Manock Lual, and the Prezdential Basketball team, believe in the power of sport and have been empowering youth from equity deserving groups, particularly racialized youth in low-income neighborhoods, through sport.
Prezdential Basketball offers free basketball and life skills programming strengthened by partnerships with the Boys and Girls Club, Ottawa Community Foundation and local community associations and resource centres.
Coach Manock, as many know him, is a retired professional basketball player who founded Prezdential Basketball with the mission to “demonstrate the power of transformation through the three pillars of sports, arts, and mentorship with the ultimate goal of helping youth reach their full potential.”
Prezdential Basketball’s focus on racialized youth from low-income neighborhoods is critical as the intersection of multiple marginalized identities can result in an amplification of barriers faced by any one identity on its own (as stated in the True Sport Report 2022).
“Prezdential is a BIPOC-led non-profit that is working to leverage the power of sport, arts, and mentorship to help Black and other racialized youth living in priority neighborhoods to reach their full potential. Prezdential was founded to address the fact that youth, particularly Black and other racialized youth, who are living in priority neighborhoods lack access to the programs, resources, and mentorship they need in order to reach their full potential.” shared Manock when asked about the impacts of Prezdential Basketball programming.
Manock’s personal experiences growing up in the Overbrook neighborhood, going to university to play basketball, and eventually playing professionally led him to building Prezdential to support youth in many of the challenges he faced growing up.
In 2022, the Ottawa Sport Council hosted its 8th annual Ottawa Sport Summit on “Creating Diverse and Inclusive Sport Environments” where Manock joined us to share his lived experiences with attendees who participated in a workshop to identify barriers to participation in sport. You can hear some of what Manock shared at the Ottawa Sport Summit here.
“He has a gift for creating inclusive and safe spaces and bringing community together as evident through his series of Peace in the Streets basketball tournaments in priority neighbourhoods in Ottawa. He has built an inclusive community and brought people together through his love and passion for basketball,” shared community basketball volunteer and nominator, Sarah Nagy, when asked about Manock’s contributions to the community.
Power of Sport: The True Sport Report 2022 shared that a positive coaching relationship can have a significant impact for youth from low-income families, where financial pressures and the stress of poverty can lead to a reduction in parental monitoring and impact the parent-child relationship. Manock’s work as Head Coach of Prezdential Basketball is a clear reflection of this statement and demonstrates the power of positive experiences in sport.
“In addition to the general lack of programming in priority neighborhoods, much of the programming that does exist does not resonate with the current generation of youth. Prezdential centers the lived experience of marginalized youth and the cultural values that they hold and builds its programming in response. While direct programming is important, youth need a broader array of support and mentorship in order to achieve their full potential. Prezdential sees the importance of recruiting leaders and mentors that understand the lived experiences of the youth in its programs in order to help build a broader network of support,” shared Manock when asked about the impact of Prezedential programs.
Prezdential Basketball is a community program that offers so much more than basketball. They offer programs related to nutrition, media, financial literacy, and supporting youth as they go back to school, like backpack drives. At the heart of these programs is Manock’s passion to empower racialized youth living in low-income neighborhoods reach their full potential, and he uses sport as the vehicle to reach youth in our community.
To learn more about Manock’s impact on the community through Prezdential Basketball, visit their website https://prezdential.com/ or follow them on social media @prezdentialhoops!