“Mr. Magic” visits MASD
Red Raiders enjoyed an afternoon of “magic” on January 11 courtesy of renowned speaker and professional athlete Buffy “Mr. Magic” Coleman. Coleman shared stories about his own journey from a small-town to joining the roster of the World Famous Harlem Wizards, while encouraging all students to be kind and set goals for themselves.
Buffy “Mr. Magic” Coleman shared his story with students at MASD on January 11.
Coleman was discovered by and attended the 1993 Harlem Globetrotters training camp. He went on to earn a spot on the roster of the World Famous Harlem Wizards. As a young man from a small town in Louisiana, Coleman knew he had a passion for basketball and a vision to take that passion and parlay it into a future. With those incredible skills combined with the values instilled in him by his parents, Buffy went on to have a very successful career as a basketball trickster and realized he had a true passion for speaking to and inspiring others, particularly children.
He created a motivational speaker program that has impacted the lives of more than 8,000,000 adults and youth across North America while visiting over 5,000 schools. He uses his basketball-handling skills to engage and challenge students while encouraging them to be the very best versions of themselves while “shooting for the stars” and setting goals for themselves.
“I came from a little itty bitty town but I had dreams and I knew I had a gift. I want each of you to find your gift, believe in yourself and don’t ever let anyone tell you can’t,” Coleman explained. “Find your vision and go for it. Figure out what you like and what gets you going each day and go after it.”
Coleman said he faced many obstacles throughout his life, but he learned that each of those challenges presented opportunities for growth and progress.
“Expect disappointments in life, adversity, but if you stick with it and don’t accept no for an answer, you will find the solution and succeed.”
Coleman said the root of much of his success is persistence and a desire to show kindness in every situation.
“Be kind. Your happiness comes from how you treat others, that’s what makes a difference in life. You never know what that other person is going through or facing and your kindness could be the difference. Smile, give people a compliment, if you see someone sitting alone, ask them to join you. You can be the one person that turns that person’s day around,” Coleman explained. “If you see someone not getting the love, reach out and say a kind word, be a good person.”
Following a series of entertaining demonstrations and some challenging audience-participation games, Coleman concluded his presentation with the following advice, “The USA is the best country in the world when it comes to opportunity. Go out and make good in your life, be kind, be the best and set goals for yourself.”