By Dan Murphy
Several students from Saunders High School got the chance of a lifetime this month as they took a trip to Philadelphia to meet Derek Jeter and learn important life lessons from his Turn 2 Foundation. The trip was made possible thanks to James Nolan, who has kept the memory of his brother Michael Nolan alive through a foundation that also does good work in Yonkers, teaching young adults the dangers of guns and encouraging them to keep on a straight and narrow path to success.
Michael Nolan was a star baseball pitcher for Saunders High School and was drafted by the Oakland A’s in Major League Baseball. In September 2015, Michael, then 23, was visiting his friends in his hometown of Yonkers when he was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting. In his memory, Mike’s family and friends created a foundation and scholarship fund, so student athletes like himself would have the opportunity to realize their dreams and attend college.
Last year, James Nolan was able to attend Jeter’s Turn 2 gala in New York City, where he met the Yankee legend and talked about his brother and the Michael Nolan Foundation in Yonkers. “I told him my brother’s story and how much he meant to us, how I would watch so many great Yankee games with my brother.”
James stayed in touch with Jeter’s foundation and was invited to bring some Yonkers students to Jeter’s Leaders Leadership Conference.
“I contacted Saunders basketball coach Anthony Nicodemo, who my brother knew and worked with, and he recommended some kids to take the trip,” said James. “Fidelis Insurance helped pay for us to go, and we were part of only 300 kids across the country to get an opportunity that we all won’t forget.”
He said Jeter “was a real nice guy and remembered who I was. And bringing those kids from Saunders was a good feeling. On the trip back we shared our experiences, and I was happy to learn that all of us took something positive away,” said James. “I learned a number of lessons and spoke about my experiences, as well, and the kids loved it and enjoyed representing Yonkers and my brother.”
The connection between Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation and the Nolan Foundation is that both are trying to improve the lives of young adults.
In 1996, during his rookie season with the New York Yankees, Jeter and his father, Dr. Charles Jeter, created the Turn 2 Foundation to motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and “Turn 2” healthy lifestyles. When the foundation was born, Derek drew inspiration from his father’s experience as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor, whose work had helped so many people overcome substance abuse.
Derek recognized that motivating young people to rise above negative influences was key to helping them reach their full potential and, with his father’s help, made it a cornerstone of Turn 2.
The foundation’s initiatives are designed to foster leadership development, academic excellence, positive behavior and social change through 10 “pillars of leadership” – morality, taking initiative, being respectful, being organized, having a positive attitude, communication, being trustworthy, being responsible, leading by example and living a healthy lifestyle.
The Jeter’s Leaders bring their message of social change to cities across the country through initiatives that include the Jeter’s Leaders Leadership Conference and the Social Change Project. Nolan and the Saunders students attended the leadership conference in Philadelphia.
Organized and hosted by the Jeter’s Leaders, the conference features seminars, activities and workshops pertaining to topics selected by students, including bullying, cultural diversity, social media, drug and alcohol awareness, healthy lifestyles and personal and professional development.
James Nolan continues to push the Michael Nolan Foundation to bigger and better things. On Sept. 27, the Nolan Foundation will host its first golf outing at Dunwoodie. Several former MLB players will be in attendance. Visit the MichaelNolanmemorialfund.com or find the Nolans on Facebook for more information.
In addition to providing eight scholarships per year to Yonkers high school students, the foundation and its members continues to fight against illegal guns being used in violent crimes and continues its effort to remove them from society.
“Hopefully we can double the number of scholarships we give every year, and in the future we hope to create a mentoring program and rebuild a baseball field here in Yonkers,” said James Nolan. “I’m in this for the long haul. It’s about my brother’s legacy.”
