YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COACH

Mission Statement

Lĭv To Grō mission is to implement comprehensive services to make a positive difference in the lives of our young men. This calling is designed to counter the negative influences and cultural dynamics that our young men experience daily. Lĭv To Grō was founded to create inspirational programming, strong mentorship, and networking services that support our young men as they navigate responsibilities while they Live a Life that implements Growth: Lĭv To Grō.

VISION Statement

As we Lĭv To Grō, life experiences are sometimes our best teacher. As a Youth Development Coach, our style of vision coaching will inspire, encourage, and empower our young men (middle & high school) by giving them clear direction and strategies for achieving success.

PURPOSE Statement

The purpose of Lĭv To Grō is to promote a growth mindset that maintain and enhance the quality of life for young men. This is done by developing and implementing programs, services, and systems to help them determine their purpose in this world of uncertainty while retooling the mindset for personal growth to maximize all phases of life.

Principles Of Youth Development

Middle School

High School

College

INSPIRE

To INSPIRE young men to live everyday with the mindset of not staying the same

GRŌWTH

In order for GRŌWTH to take place for young men, change must happen within the thought process

EMPOWER

The ultimate goal is to EMPOWER young men by giving them clear direction and strategies for achieving success

OUR PROGRAMS

♦ The Jus BLOOM Summit

Imagination is everything. You can be whomever you want to be with a dream, a belief system, and a work ethic to match. The Jus BLOOM Summit will be a 4-day summer camp that exposes 100 middle & high school students to 4 key areas to assist them with defining their purpose & understanding their why. Each day will consist of different speakers, and/or activities to target these 4 areas. Day 1 will focus on mental health, Day 2 will focus on physical health/nutrition, Day 3 will involve exposure to colleges/ military options, and Day 4 will provide a career fair that highlights trades that one can learn if they decide that the college scenery is not for them.

Learn How To Become A Sponsor

♦ Get Fresh To Go Back

Everyone does a Back-to-School Bookbag giveaway. Lĭv To Grō aims to provide different and unique opportunities with our Back To Skool Kickz & Socks Drive. This initiative will allow families to take advantage of their child being able to get a pair of free shoes & socks to start the school year. This will come with an application process and a select amount of students will receive a pair of shoes with socks.

The Get Fresh To Go Back day will also provide an opportunity to give back to the community by providing 500 toiletry bags for young men in need. These items will include but not limited to hair products, deodorant, combs, picks, sponges, brushes, shampoo, soap, body wash, hand sanitizer, & suitcase/toiletry bag.

Within this same event, Lĭv To Grō will provide Klean Kutz a select number of young men as we know everyone feels better about themselves when they have a fresh haircut! This plan of action partners with a local barber lounge to assist families who may not have the funds to provide haircuts to their child. The idea behind this plan is to identify a select amount of families to get FREE haircuts. The goal is to donate 100 FREE haircuts.

Learn How To Become A Sponsor

♦ Lĭv To Grō Scholarship & Awards Gala

The Lĭv To Grō Scholarship & Awards Gala will be paying homage to all those who supported the mission. “Jazz For A Kause” will allow us to reward scholarships as well as recognize individuals and/or companies for their contribution to the success of Lĭv To Grō. This event will also allow us to conduct our main fundraiser of a catered dinner, with a keynote speaker, while listening to some jazz as well as host a silent auction along with a raffle for Lĭv To Grō as a whole.

Learn How To Become A Sponsor

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Championship Results

“As a parent of 2 former Stallion football players who were part of the team, I feel doubly blessed to have had them to be influenced by such an awesome man.

The boys can relate to “Coach Simp” and find his experience and expertise to be helpful in their interactions on and off of the field.”

Tammy Potter,
Parent of Clemson University
Student Athlete (Football)

“Lĭv To Grō is beneficial to not only building the player but the person under the helmet as well. It opens players eyes to some real life scenarios and makes them answer questions about themselves. I highly recommend Lĭv To Grō to middle and high school students.”

DeVonte Holloman, Former Gamecock, Former Dallas Cowboy, South Pointe Head Football Coach

“I’m excited about expanding the duties of our wide receiver coach to include the position of Life Skills Coach. Coach Welvin Simpkins is the perfect man for this endeavor because of his character, faith, and the respect he receives from our players.”

Strait Herron, Former South Pointe & Current Legion Collegiate Academy Head Football Coach

“It is my pleasure to share my insight in regards to the Lĭv To Grō program. My son, Derion Kendrick, attended this program when he was a student at South Pointe. As a parent, I can do nothing but praise this program for helping to steer young men, especially the inner city youth and athletes, into the right direction, by not only empowering them but also helping them to realize their own strengths and abilities, and teaching them to apply the word of God to every situation in life. I’ve watched this program connect so many young men (athletes in particular) with God, which is an absolute blessing. For these reasons, I give this program so much credit for being one of the positive influences in not only DK’s path to greatness and close relationship with God, but also his classmates and those who came after him. I have found no other program like this one.”

Shenekia McClinton, Parent of Derion (DK) Kendrick

NFL (L.A. Rams); Former Collegiate Athlete (Clemson & UGA)

“South Pointe High School Football team has been blessed to have Coach Simpkins as their Life Skills Coach. As a parent of 2 former Stallion football players who were part of the team, I feel doubly blessed to have had them to be influenced by such an awesome man. The boys can relate to “Coach Simp” and find his experience and expertise to be helpful in their interactions on and off of the field. Knowing Coach’s background and being so close to the football players, I believe Coach Simpkins was a positive role model for my boys and I am proud to know that they learned some very important life skills through their friendship with Coach Simp.”

Tammy Potter, Parent of BT Potter, Clemson University Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“Coach Simp life skills sessions were awesome! My sons would express how beneficial they felt the classes were for them. Coach Simp has utilized his community resources to help better the young men around him, promoting physical, emotional, and financial well-being.”

Nakia McCloud, Parent of Nick McCloud, NFL (Buffalo Bills)

Former Notre Dame Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“His passion for working with children, particularly males, and helping to groom them into productive citizens is evident in all his actions.”

Jacqueline Jones, Principal, Mt. Holly Elementary School

“His passion for working with children, particularly males, and helping to groom them into productive citizens is evident in all his actions.”

Jacqueline Jones, Principal, Mt. Holly Elementary School

“Coach Simp impacted my life tremendously in that he was hard on me and pushed me to the max to become the player I am today. Thank you Coach for everything, but most of all, thanks for being you and helping us guys along the way.”

Montay Crockett, Former NFL Player

“I appreciate the Lĭv To Grō program for helping me with life skills that are very relevant to where I am in life.”

BT Potter, Clemson University Grad, Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“I have always appreciated how Coach Simpkins challenged me to focus on the small details of the game. I have taken the focus on the details with me from his high school position group to life obstacles and the game of football at the collegiate level.”

Nick McCloud, NFL (Buffalo Bills), N.C. State Grad, Former Collegiate Athlete (Notre Dame)

“The life skills portion of our practice was beneficial to me because it showed me that you have to work hard every day to get the outcome you want to achieve.”

Steven Gilmore, Marshall University Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“The Lĭv To Grō program that Coach Simp has started is life changing! The amount of knowledge that he’s given me individually has helped me grow mentally and spiritually. I personal feel as if he helped me mature far quicker than my peers.”

Scott Robinson, Jr., Former S.C. State Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“Although Coach Simp was not my position coach, he always displayed a genuine concern about my success off the field as well as on the field.”

Greg Ruff, Newberry College Grad, Former Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“The life skills program definitely was helpful for that team. The things we discussed helped a lot of us just realize a purpose and gave us ways to help achieve what we felt that purpose was.”

Jamari Currence, James Madison University Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“Coach Simp Lĭv To Grō program was very beneficial for me on and off the field. One example is that it helped me the most in making the most out of your opportunity & having confidence while doing so. In life, you might get a lot of opportunities or you might only get a few, but once you get a chance make the most of it.”

Deshawn Davis, Tusculum University Grad, Former Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“The sky is the limit…go accomplish your goals…never give up on yourself.”

Josh Wilkes, Univ. of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Grad, Former Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“Coach Simp has taught me a lot about the game and about how to adapt to life outside of the game. The biggest thing I take from him and still use today is being ready at all times so when it’s my time to handle a responsibility, I’m able to do just that to continue to have success for myself and others.”

Qua Brown Limestone University Grad, Former Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“The life skills portion of practice was the time I take to reflect on myself and the way I act and live while gaining great information about life. Lĭv To Grō gave me good information on how to be successful, a good person, a better man, and ways to overcome adversity.”

Ty Good, College of Charleston Collegiate Athlete (Baseball)

“Coach Simp impacted my life way back in elementary school. He was always someone my friends and I could look up to for good advice and he was always very generous with his time.”

Paul Michael Potter, Clemson University Grad

“Coach Simp life skills has helped me as well as the whole team to become better people. It helped us to build morals and realize there is a bigger purpose in life than what we think and to always stay humble.”

Jackson Chappell, Newberry College Collegiate Athlete (Football)

“I really appreciate the belief Coach Simp had in me. I became a playmaker because of his words of encouragement. That motivation still lives within me even beyond football.”

Trey Mackey, Owner of A. K Concrete

About

Don’t Ask Me Why…Ask Me How…

Welvin Simpkins is a Youth Development Coach, Founder & CEO of Lĭv To Grō, a style of visionary coaching that will encourage and empower all involved by giving them clear direction and strategies for achieving success.

Simpkins is a Teacher of the Year recipient innovative leader with 16 years developing the youth of America as a mastered level of education Professional School Counselor with Rock Hill Schools & 12 years of coaching high school football at Independence (NC) & South Pointe (SC). After 12 years of coaching and being a part of 8 State Championships, Simpkins constantly explore various opportunities to speak life into young adults. Over the course of his career, he has developed a passion to help develop student-athletes on and off the football field. His goal now is to help young adults determine their purpose in this world of uncertainty while retooling the mindset for personal growth to maximize all phases of life.

Simpkins is a native of Edgefield, SC, and is married to the former Kesha Bibbs and they have two sons, Braylen & Braxton, and he is the youngest son to the late Deacon Willie & Rev. Carmilla Simpkins. Simpkins is a 1996 graduate of Strom Thurmond High, a 1999 initiate into the Kappa Lambda Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., a 2001 graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor Degree in Marketing, and a 2014 graduate of Liberty University with a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling. Simpkins is currently working on his state licensure to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

Frederick Douglass said it best… “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

Lĭv To Grō, Inc. Partners:

List of Other Sponsors

Love. Teach. Serve. is an educative movement that is the personal growth entity of the parent company, Lĭv To Grō. This initiative is a plan of action that are formatted as workshops that cover up to 20 topics on how to Lĭv To Grō that will be offered as group sessions for athletic teams, youth group organizations, and/or at-risk middle or high school male students. If the efforts of developing young men at the middle and high school level is implemented thoroughly, it can change the trajectory of what these young men can accomplished.

Love. Teach. Serve. provided services to these Schools/Organizations:

Meet the team

Board of Directors

Trina Ricks

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Trina Ricks is a Small Business Owner/Operator of EZLabs which is a highly regarded Drug Testing Facility established in 2017. Ricks is an established professional recognized as a reliable, credible resource and a passionate champion for the growth and development of the community. Ricks has always been an exceptional communicator and insightful facilitator skilled at building and maintaining on-going relationships with diverse groups, including business leaders, community leaders, staff, volunteers and the general public.

Mrs. Ricks once held an Executive Director position for a Non-Profit organization called The Youth Source from 2013-2019. The goal was to invest in the youth and their families by giving them V.O.I.C.E.S to make positive decisions through Volunteerism, Outreach, Information, Character development, Education, and Support.

Currently, Ricks is a Board Director at Family Trust Federal Credit Union and Heart2Heart Foundation.

A fun fact about Mrs. Ricks is she served as a historic interpreter for over 13 years and showcased her talents at the MLK Prayer Breakfast for 8 Years in Rock Hill, SC.

James N. Sweeney, Jr.

Executive Board Member

Born in the All-American town of Cheraw, SC, James N. Sweeney Jr. is the son of James N. and the late Gladys L. S. Sweeney. Educated in the public schools of Chesterfield County, James graduated from the South Carolina Governor’s School of Science and Mathematics and subsequently from Clemson University with a B.S. in Economics. He furthered his education with a M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro, NC.

James and his wife Jennifer are the proud parents of two girls and currently reside in Greensboro, NC

He has been involved in several civic & professional organizations for over 20 years and is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

James has built his career by residing professionally in 3 countries and working in countless others. His travels have strengthened his understanding of global people and cultures, but more importantly they have made him keenly aware of the enormous opportunities which exist in his home country.

Dr. Dwella Moton Nelson

Executive Board Member

Dr. Dwella Moton Nelson grew up Edgefield, SC, a small town right outside of Augusta, GA. She graduated from Strom Thurmond High School. She attended Clemson University where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry with a Double Minor in Biological Sciences and Psychology.

She obtained a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Analytical Chemistry in 2006, then completed two fellowships at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2012). She became an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2012.

Dr. Moton Nelson has authored and coauthored 15 peer reviewed journal articles on topics in the physical sciences and cancer therapeutics. She has presented her research at numerous national and international scientific conferences.

Dr. Moton Nelson creates K-12 S.T.E.A.M. curriculum for S.TE.M. educators and S.T.E.M. programs.

Dr. Moton Nelson owns a nonprofit organization, Kids Can Help 2, that focuses on teaching financial literacy to K-12 youth while offering opportunities for kid-driven philanthropy.

Dr. Moton Nelson enjoys writing, real estate investments, and traveling.

Dr. Charles Randle

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Edward Charles Randle is an Assistant Professor of Accounting. He received his Ph.D. in Accounting from Jackson State University, and his dissertation focused on the decision usefulness of auditor communication to external stakeholders. He specifically looked at whether adding specified audit information to the auditor’s report modified a lending decision. Also, Dr. Randle received his MBA from Jackson State University and his bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University.

Dr. Randle’s research interests include stakeholder responses to auditor communication and exploration of demographic differences among institutions in higher ed. His research has been published in the Journal of Accounting and Finance, Research in Higher Education, with works in progress that will be submitted to accounting, education, and auditing journals.

Dr. Randle has taught both undergraduate and graduate accounting courses for a number of years. He is a CPA licensed in the state of Mississippi. He is a member of the American Accounting Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and a host of other organizations. He currently serves as the Treasurer for the South Carolina Association of Accounting Educators. He also serves on the Academic Relations Committee of the National Society of Black Certified Public Accountants.

Dr. Randle is a native of Meridian, Mississippi. He and his wife have two sons, Edward Jr. and Benjamin. In his free time, he enjoys reading, exercising, and spending time with family.

Board of Advisors

Jimmy Leach

Board Advisor

Jimmy Leach, is an experienced evidence-based physical fitness expert who has a passion for helping people meet their fitness goals. Jimmy doesn’t just teach personal fitness, he lives it! He started his coaching leadership skills as a young star football player at North High School in North, SC.

In 1995 he earned the title of Mr. South Carolina. Over the years he has competed in numerous other body building shows and has obtained many other titles. Having competed in bodybuilding competitions local and nationally, Jimmy gathered an enormous amount of knowledge and certifications. He has Master Level Certification through Precision Nutrition, and currently studying for a Bachelors of Nutrition from Huntington University of Health Sciences. He has been a speaker for the diabetes program at Prisma Health of Columbia and McCloud Health in Florence SC. As a body transformation enthusiast for nearly thirty plus years, Jimmy lives his passion every day by training and educating his clients on healthy sustainable living.

Jimmy Leach is the owner and founder of New Body Fat loss & Fitness in both Columbia and Florence, SC. He is nationally certified and well respected in the fitness industry. He received the Registered Trademark name “The Fat Burning Coach” because that is precisely who he is for his clients. Jimmy would say: achieving personal fitness goals is certainly more attainable when we know exactly what our body is doing and how it is going to respond. You don’t want to lose just weight. You want to lose FAT! He is extremely knowledgeable about the process of fat loss and how eating healthy combined with the correct strength training exercises can reshape a body.

Dr. Russell McElveen

Board Advisor

Dr. McElveen is a native of Florence, SC but currently resides in Carbondale, IL with his wife Dr. Desma M. McElveen and their two children, Russell and Rylee. He received his B.S. in Biology from Clemson University and went on the pursue his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. McElveen is a board-certified General Surgeon and Cardiothoracic Surgeon.

He currently practices with Southern Illinois Health. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his
family and friends, staying active and mentoring future physicians.

Thai Randolph

Board Advisor

Thai is an award-winning marketer, business leader, storyteller and intra/entrepreneur who has built her career at the intersection of consumers, content and commerce. Randolph currently serves as the President & COO of Laugh Out Loud. She co-led the capital raise and partnership deal with NBCUniversal’s Peacock, structured the deal that brought LOL’s Comedy in Color franchise (featuring 300 diverse comedians from 30 different countries) to the Just for Laughs Festival, expanded LOL Audio’s offerings by partnering with Simon & Schuster to bring the franchise to audiobook format, and expanded LOL’s programming on SiriusXM/Pandora – delivering on the company’s promise to provide LOL’s audience with a platform to laugh whenever and wherever they want to. Randolph recently led LOL’s launch of Women Write Now — a first-of-its-kind screenwriting fellowship developed in partnership with the Sundance Institute to champion the next generation of black women in comedy through mentorship, advocacy, production, and exhibition.

Laugh Out Loud now reaches 100 million consumers through LOL Network, with a streaming ecosystem that includes NBCUniversal’s Peacock, PlutoTV, Roku Channel, Bell Media, Snap, YouTube, Facebook, and more – creating an opportunity for diverse, emerging comedians to bring their comedy to a massive, global audience. The company also hit a major milestone of 2.2 billion content views across its portfolio from 81 countries, which includes 22 original series, over 300 original stand-up specials and more.

Continuing her mission to carve out spaces for overlooked – yet influential – voices in the industry, Randolph and co-founder/actress Tika Sumpter launched Sugaberry in March 2020 – as the pandemic caused the world to shut down. Sugaberry is a multiplatform media company created for and by Black and Brown moms. The company gives spotlights to Black Moms and Women across the industry – entertainment figures like Kelly Roland, Dr. Jackie Walters, Kandi Burrus have all joined in on the conversation. Thai also co-hosts podcast ‘The Suga’ alongside Sumpter.

In addition to her roles with Laugh Out Loud and Sugaberry, Thai serves as COO for Hartbeat Productions, where she leads strategy, operations, and corporate development for the company. This past year, she also joined the board of LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells. Thai has been named to AdAge’s 40 Under 40 list, Variety’s Silicon Valleywood Impact Report, Cynopsis’ It List, Cynopsis’ Top Women in Media, and Multichannel News’ Wonder Women in Streaming “Women to Watch.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIV TO GRO

EVENTS & GALLERY

Recent Events

Derion Kendrick Youth Leadership Camp

Lĭv To Grō, Inc. in conjunction with NFL standout Derion Kendrick (South Pointe Alumni) held it’s Inaugural Derion Kendrick Youth Leadership Camp on June 21-22, 2024, at South Pointe High School located. This event was a 2 day camp & FREE to the campers. The camp provided a 1 on 1 conversation with DK, speakers who spoke LIFE into the young campers, food, vendors, jersey retirement, football skill challenges (led by NFL players), and swag bag giveaways. Thanks to all the sponsors who supported this event!

Get Fresh To Go Back

Lĭv To Grō, Inc. partnered with NFL standout Derion Kendrick (South Pointe Alumni) for the 3^rd Annual “Get Fresh To Go Back” movement where we gave away 100 free pair of socks & shoes, 100 free haircut coupons (serviced by Good Hair & Barber Lounge), and 300 toiletry bags. Thanks to all sponsors who supported this event!