|
Howard White is responsible for athlete relations. He works with athletes and their families from Tiger Woods’ mother to Deion Sanders to answer their questions and handle issues that arise. Howard also serves as a catalyst for developing athlete sponsorships.
Howard is the founder and leader of the national Nike youth movement, Believe to Achieve, an innovative traveling seminar designed to encourage youth to believe in themselves and adults to mentor them. Howard turned the seminar into a book called Believe to Achieve: See the Invisible, Do the Impossible. The inspirational book, published in April 2003, shows how people can achieve what they believe is possible. The book covers positive thinking, responsibility, leadership, forgiveness, confidence, fear, humility, sacrifice and respect. Howard discusses these concepts with both youth and people in prison.
Before joining Nike, Howard was a standout point guard for the University of Maryland. He was also an NBA draft pick until knee injuries put an end to his basketball career.
Outside of Nike, Howard enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, cycling and learning the piano.
Among the defining moments in sports for Howard was in 1999 when the Nike African American Employee Network threw a party for him to thank him for his part in their lives at Nike. Among those in attendance were Cynthia Cooper, Charles Barkley, Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley, Moses Malone, Michael Jordan and Howard’s high school coach. It was huge and overwhelming something special that I never could forget, he said.
Sports are a tremendous contributor to society, representing hope to a lot of people, he added. Sports shine a light on the power of the human spirit and the overcoming of obstacles something that happens every day but that we can’t always see and so aren’t able to share.
| 