Our Story

We work to support the dignity of all people.

In 12th grade, Memphis University School (Memphis, TN) faculty member, Spencer Reese, challenged his students to make a difference. Two students took that call to heart – Andrew Renshaw & Jonathan Wilfong.

From past family experiences, Andrew and Jonathan knew all too well the problem of illiteracy in our communities, especially in their hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. With their first-hand knowledge of the problems caused by illiteracy, they decided to offer a solution. The ideas formulated were the origins of Coaching for Literacy.

On August 28, 2013, the pair officially formed Coaching for Literacy.

The program has made a positive impact in its short history – raising awareness about the issue of illiteracy and gathering financial support for effective literacy programs around the country.

Coaching for Literacy aims to ensure that every child has the opportunity to determine their future, that they are not locked in their beginnings and have a say in their endings.  

We firmly believe that every individual possesses inerrant dignity and worth; thus, we strive to ensure individuals are functionally literate.

The problem of illiteracy is colossal and must be addressed. Coaching for Literacy relies on partnering with sports teams, businesses and individuals for the program to succeed. This success provides opportunity to children struggling with illiteracy everyday.

Our Motivation

Your story defines who you are, who you want to become and the story you want to create for others.

Our story starts in West Memphis, Arkansas, with a boy named Frank. A gentle, quiet boy blessed with long arms, a big frame and speed; Frank excelled in athletics. Sports so often can be a gateway from one place to another. Frank stood at this gate. It was open to him. Yet, he needed the ticket to pass through. That ticket was literacy.

Imagine you had a friend who always ordered the same thing you ordered, pointed at pictures and picked numbers in lieu of voicing a meal selection. Would you begin to question if that person could read? If so, what would you do? This hypothetical scenario became a reality for the Wilfong family when their son, Jonathan, played AAU basketball on the same team as Frank.

““J: “Frank, I need to ask you an important question, I am not going to be upset or disappointed by your answer, I just need to know the truth,”
[PAUSE]
J: “Can you read?”
F: “Of course I can read.””

— John Wilfong and Frank Herron

The room got quiet. A Sports Illustrated magazine slid across the office desk. John looked at Frank and said, “Can you read this article for me?” “Sure,” the boy answered in return, the confident voice now wavering. The next moments proved why Frank answered with uncertainty. This young man, now in seventh-grade, struggled mightily to read. In fact, after being assessed, it was found that Frank’s ability to read was at a second-grade level. As is often true, one cannot be helped if they are not willing to help themselves.

Frank is an individual that received help and in turn helped himself. He met opportunity - a change of school, more academic oversight, the involvement of literacy programs, and additional literacy homework with hard work and personal commitment. By the beginning of ninth-grade Frank was reading at a sixth-grade level. He continued to excel athletically and colleges took note – the gate was open. With a multitude of scholarship offers now in hand, Frank had to graduate and score well on the ACT – a ticket was needed. Due to the combination of opportunity and hard work Frank did punch his own ticket. He graduated from Central High School, passed his ACT, and enrolled at LSU, where he won a national championship. He was even named ‘Student-Athlete of the Month’ after carrying a 3.0 GPA. Frank went on to play football in the NFL, even taking home a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots.

Frank is our story because his story is the one we want to create for others. We believe everyone is born with equal and great worth. Literacy is an expression of that worth and we strive to do everything within our means to give that value to every single child. Coaching for Literacy is about providing opportunity through education.

We are about seeing children define their own story, their own ending, often escaping their beginnings to do so. We are about creating more stories like Frank’s story and less statistics like the ones we know all too well.