OUR STORY
GameFace 4:13 was founded on the belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to grow in confidence, character, and purpose. What began with one girl's love for basketball has grown into a mission that empowers youth through sports, mentorship, leadership, education, and faith—helping them succeed both on and off the court.
WHY GAMEFACE 4:13
-Ashanti Jackson, Founder of GF 4:13
It is an inspiring story that I love to tell. When I was younger I played basketball starting from the age of elementary school all the way up to college, ultimately receiving an NCAA D-1 Women's Basketball Scholarship. Going back to when I was a young girl I played for a travel basketball team starting at the age of 8 years old. Travel basketball was highly competitive and had a way of developing a deep mental toughness that could only be gained through experience.
My mother and father were heavily involved in my basketball upbringing and would do everything they could to keep me motivated and fired up for the games. My mother would look me in my eyes before every game and tell me to put my game face on. She would ask me, “Are you ready? Let me see your game face Ashanti.” I would willingly give her the best look I could that captured my internal excitement and credence in beating my opponents on the other team. “
My mom would say, “You can do this baby girl, stay in the game and keep your game face on.” It was moments like these I realized something special was taking place and growing inside of me. –An internal confidence
BEHIND THE NAME
GameFace is a mentality and an attitude one carries. It denotes a sense of readiness and determination to take on life’s challenges.
The Game Face is an essential tactic in any competitive event. It is a look of determination and concentration. We want every boy and girl to develop their own game face mentality that will develop a confident and conquering spirit, however that may be. GameFace 4:13 mentality is a confident attitude you bring out when you are about to tackle something difficult, or when you are about to take on a challenge.
We believe, how you feel is a product of how you think, and you control how you think. Thus, you control how you feel- you choose your moods or mental states. We want each boy and girl to be fully equipped not just on the court, but off the court as well. Our desire is that campers will learn to take the lessons of basketball and use them as a strong foundation to build for the future.
Rather it is in the classroom, having the courage to make new friends, speaking in front of people, we ultimately want to build confidence in young boys and girls so they have the strength to go out and change the world. 4:13 represents the scripture of Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
CREATING POWERFUL AND LASTING IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF YOUTH.
1,500+
YOUTH SERVED
150+
PROGRAM EVENTS
350+
VOLUNTEERS
150+
COACHES
READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT?
Whether you're a parent looking for opportunities, a donor investing in the next generation, or an organization ready to partner with us, there's a place for you at GameFace 4:13.
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