Fred Gibbons:  

After a great senior year of serving as the trainer for the Eagle football team I went to North Florida JC in Madison, FL. where I served as the manager and trainer for the basketball team for 2 years. After graduating I received a full scholarship for the same role at Valdosta State (Ga.). We won 3 conference championships, played for a national championship and I was voted co-captain by my teammates my last year. After Valdosta state I was recruited by Pepperdine University to help rebuild their athletic program in 1972 at their new campus in Malibu. By '76 we had won a couple of conference championships in basketball, water polo, volleyball and baseball. I earned a BS in Economics and Management, added another major later (Social Science), and started grad school in Clinical Psychology while at Pepperdine. While at Pepperdine I met and married Leslie Hale (Houston , Tx) in 1974. Leslie continues to be the center and joy of my life. After 1 year of clinical psych; as well as having worked in the NBA Summer League and spending time with the Dodgers, I decided I wanted to work with and coach kids. I spent 2 great years coaching basketball and teaching history in South Central LA (we lived in Santa Monica at the time, where Leslie taught elementary school. We decided we wanted to work in the youth and family ministry in 1978; moving to Artesia, N.M. then onto to Odessa, Tx. and finally Atlanta, Ga. over the next 12 years. Both boys were born in the 80's. I volunteered coached at every stop, while Leslie remained home raising t...Expand for more