NFL Pro Bowl MVP Lorenzo Alexander Hosts Youth Football Camp

Published

9 years ago

July 6, 2017

Oakland Post

Pro Bowl MVP and Oakland native Lorenzo Alexander and his nonprofit, ACES Foundation, recently hosted its ninth annual Hold the Line Football Camp.

ACES, which stands for Accountability, Community, Education and Sport, s uses sports as hook to get the kids into the foundation. They then the importance of being accountable for themselves, their community and their education, explained by Akeem Brown, executive director of ACES.

“It starts with raising these young kids, and we’re trying to get them ready. If we can get them to care about their community, themselves, and to be accountable for themselves, we can transform our entire community,” said Brown.

Youth participate in drills at ACES annual Hold the Line Football Camp.

The camp, held at Castlemont High School in East Oakland this year, welcomed over 150 student athletes ages 5-14. Founded in 2008, the ACES Foundation partnered with the no weight limit youth football team, Bay Area Seminoles, backed by a number of prominent Black men from “The Town” including Marcus Peters, Marshawn Lynch, Josh Johnson, Trestin George, Lamont Robertson and even film maker Ryan Coogler.

The day’s program consisted of competitive drills with guidance from coaches, parents and other volunteers from all around the Bay Area.

One proud parent who travelled from Salinas to Oakland for the camp said, “It’s good to see my son, daughter and nephew all come together to do something positive.”

During a conversation with Johnny Alexander, Coach Lorenzo’s grandfather, the importance of youth sports was brought up. “Sports keeps kids out of the streets. For many athletes coaches act as father figures and teaches them how to work as a team to achieve something rather than stepping on one another to get on top,” he said.

Whenever the slightest bit of trash talking would occur, the coaches would make the young people drop and to 10 sometimes 20 pushups.

The camp closed with a speech by Coach Lorenzo, answering questions from the kids and gave gifts to the best performances on the field as well as to the kids who brought their transcript with them.

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

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As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC