Creating value-driven enrichment opportunities for kids with the Coach Tate Foundation

November 17, 2020

In Morganton, everyone knew Coach Tate. He was a well-known sports coach in the small town, and when he passed in 2010, his daughter Phrantceena T. Halres knew she wanted to create something to carry on his legacy. She created the Coach Tate Foundation in his memory that year, and awarded the first Coach Tate scholarship to a Morganton student. In the last 10 years, the foundation has only grown, and today, the mission of the Coach Tate Foundation is to provide scholarships, leadership development, and character building thorough innovative opportunities in sports, music, and art. We sat down with Phrantceena to learn more about her vision of building out the foundation into a campus in Buncombe County.

Tell us about your business and the role you play in it. 

Coach Tate National Educational Athletic Association Corporation, more casually known as the Coach Tate Foundation, is a federally registered 501c3 non-profit organization. The Coach Tate Foundation was founded  Phrantceena T. Halres in May 2010 in honor of her dad, a well known sports coach from Morganton, with the hope of carrying on his legacy. Today, the  to educate our multicultural environments to include everyone, with a shared vision, mission and provision with community public private partnerships for the betterment of others who are less fortunate, Pay it Forward for our next generation for a long-term sustainable economic development and security growth model that works for the family and community, especially our children, the next generation; the holistic approach.

Where did your vision begin? How has it grown?

Sitting with my dad, during his last moments on earth in 2009-2010.  10 years later, here in 2020, we are finally ready to develop and build out the CIESAM Campus for which we have worked toward over the years. We have now identified Asheville, Buncombe County as the first prototype build for the proprietary, first of its kind children & family campus for safe, living, learning and earning for multicultural families and children, includes first of its kind eco-friendly housing for homes and businesses, to be franchised in other rural communities throughout our nation and internationally.

What made you choose the Asheville area?

Asheville is home for me I was born and and raised in Valdese and Morganton at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My grandmother and family members extend to Asheville for many years. In addition to being home, it’s also been the place that my career has developed. I taught school at AB Tech and worked at the Van Winkle Law Firm. It is so refreshing to be home during a time such as this, and build a “Bridge over these Troubled Waters” today for our tomorrow. [Our vision] brings together local, regional, state, national and international partners with a shared mission and purpose. Asheville is the perfect place for restoration, rejuvenation, and creating, developing, building, education, multicultural environments from many nations. I believe this campus will prove to be a sustainable economic development, security and growth model for many generations to come.

What has been your greatest challenge? Your greatest victory? 

Networking and connecting with the right people is always challenging. What is rewarding? Being a part of other’s success and good life here on earth, particularly the children, students and young leaders our next generation.

 

If you had to give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in the nonprofit realm, what would it be?

The vision, mission, purpose and provision must be bigger than you! You must decrease as the vision increases for the greater good, and always seek to not be self-serving. Relationships, the right ones, are key. Some key qualities I look for are in partners are trusworthiness, reliability, loyalty, commitment, dedication, purpose, and passion. All those qualities make the greater good possible. 

What does the word “community” mean to you? Has that changed during COVID-19?

A person, place and thing manifesting growth and prosperity for all in people. COVID has changed parts of the world and how we physically interact, but the spirit of community is alive. In times like these, the cream always rises to the top, which is a phrase I take as inspiration oto be the pioneers and leaders by example today, for our tomorrow.

Do you have anything else you’d like to share?

We are so excited to build this campus in Asheville! Our key partners, public and private partners will help us ensure we create a highly productive economic builder of growth in our local community with 24-7, 365 good paying jobs and benefit. That’s one of our biggest goals as we build out Phase 1 of this project over the next 1-3 years. 

Visit  www.coachtatefoundation.com for more information.