U of A Graduate Helping Expand Opportunities for Caribbean Youth

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Simeon Hinsey is pictured with a milk crate hoop like the one he played on as a kid.

Simeon Hinsey learned to shoot hoops on a milk crate nailed to a coconut tree in the backyard of his home in the Bahamas.

That passion opened doors for him — both athletic and academic — and now Hinsey wants to give back.

The 36-year-old recently left his job as director of student-athlete development for women's basketball at the University of Arkansas to run the nonprofit organization he founded in May.

The International Youth Education and Sports Foundation, or iYES, mission is to help young people in the Bahamas and the greater Caribbean area develop social capital and prepare for post-secondary education through recreation and sports.

Young people may have the desire to play college sports but no idea how to navigate the eligibility requirements, Hinsey said. Similarly, they may have raw athletic talent but lack the training needed to develop their skills.

He aims to help youth ages 5 to 17 maximize their athletic potential while building character traits that will last a lifetime.

"Not all those kids will make it to college, but participation in sports teaches teamwork, responsibility, leadership, discipline — all those abilities kids need to be contributing members of society."

Hinsey envisions cross-cultural exchange between youth teams in the Bahamas and the U.S., leadership development programs for high school students and an initiative to equip children with athletic shoes.

"My heart is in the Bahamas," he said. "I want to help these kids have brighter futures — whether through sports, education or some other means."

Hinsey moved to the U.S. at age 15, living with a host family and attending Fayetteville Christian School while improving his basketball skills. That led to an athletic scholarship to John Brown University in Siloam Springs, where Hinsey earned bachelor's degrees in digital media and broadcasting in 2002.

He went on to work at KSFM-TV, John Brown University and the U of A in a variety of communication, teaching and athletic roles. He earned a master's degree in sport management from the California University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and a Doctor of Education degree in recreation and sport management from the U of A in 2015.

Friends tell him he's crazy for leaving the "dream world" of NCAA athletics, but Hinsey feels drawn toward helping children in his homeland. He will continue living in Northwest Arkansas, where his wife, Stephanie Hinsey, is assistant principal of Elmdale Elementary School in Springdale.

The example of the Razorback student-athletes he's worked with helped convince him to follow his dreams, he said.

"To see them go out there and give their all, to see them push, fight, work every single day, that gives me the confidence to push and fight and try to achieve something in my life.