Leadership Award | NeXT Basketball Foundation

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The influence we as individuals can have on one another is powerful. The significant role one individual can play in the life of another human being can be positive, leading to change, improvement and progress. The impact we have on people can also be negative; leading to destruction, despair and defeat. There are moments the impact can be felt immediately, and other times the impression isn’t fully realized until years later.

Niccolo Machiavelli said these words: “A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.” John Maxwell put it another way; Leadership is influence.

Great leadership is about being a great example, about humility. Leadership is about influence.

Influence is defined as the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.

The Latin root word for influence is “flu”, which means, “flow.” The English word “fluid” also finds its origin in the same Latin root word, defined as a state of matter, which, if not contained, “flows.” Influence represents the wonderful opportunity every human being has to “flow into, in, on, and upon” another human being directly, indirectly.

The NeXT Basketball Foundation Awards are about how far reaching an individual’s influence can be upon another human being.

NeXT Awards

Jamie Charlton Leadership Award

Tracy Austin Heisman Award

The NeXT Heisman Award

Glenn “Tracy” Austin

MBA, MS, RCC & Professor | Franklin University

On every NeXT uniform are the initials “GTA.” The reason why is important.

Tracy spent over 25 years experience in higher education. He has worked in the Franklin University Student Services Department as an Academic Advisor, Director of Training and Leadership, Director of Professional Development and Quality Coaching and led the Personal Development Coaching Program. He currently serves as the Student and Faculty Coach at Ohio National University.

Tracy has taught leadership and professional foundations courses for over 20 years. He is certified in administering the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, 6 Seconds Emotional Intelligence assessment, and is a Registered Corporate Coach through the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches. Tracy earned a Master of Science in Business Psychology, MBA with a focus in Executive Coaching, and Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources and Business Management.

His personal aim is to create and maintain relationships with students so they feel valued, trusted, and understood. Tracy believes the creation of this positive environment helps students make effective use of their own skills, talents, and knowledge.

Four months after Tracy retired from Franklin University he receive news that he had cancer. His journey from that point was nothing short of remarkable. His spirt and attitude touched everyone he came in contact. Tracy is a personal hero to me. Please watch the video below. Please

Tracy Austin

Below is Tracy’s beautiful obituary:

Tracy Austin left his body early Tuesday morning, June 27, 2017, shortly before 5 a.m., while Karen, his wife of 19 years and 10 months, held his hand and stroked his bald, beloved head. They were alone together in the night one last time, as they had been so many other nights during Tracy’s illness with pancreatic cancer. But Karen knew that this time, he wasn’t really there.

Because, you see, while Tracy’s body labored with the work of launching him into his next adventure, Tracy’s spirit was busy doing what it has always done-making rainbows and changing lives. On Tuesday morning, a virtual lava flow of Tracy stories wound its way through his communities, and many of them included the rainbows that decorated the skies of Columbus Monday night. “Tracy sent me a rainbow,” they said. Or, “I saw that rainbow and I knew it was Tracy sending me a message.” And of course, that’s exactly what it was.

As usual, he was handing out rainbows. Tracy’s gift was making you feel that you were the most important person in the world to him. You knew that right there, during that conversation, in that moment, there was nothing he’d rather be doing than talking to you, coaching you, expertly and deftly shifting your perspective. He’d use all of his tools-his big, infectious laugh, those sparkling wise eyes, a quiver of pointed, targeted questions-until suddenly, you began to see yourself as Tracy saw you. “No good or bad, no right or wrong,” he’d say, and with a hug and an “I love you,” send you back to your life. Somehow changed. Somehow more ‘you’ than before.

Tracy also is admired for his many, many accomplishments. He is famous locally for wearing a nametag each day on which he chose his attitude and for using his cancer as a tool “for giving” to others and sharing that journey globally on social media.

He was a graduate of Chillicothe High School (1979), a veteran of the United States Airforce, a long-time employee of the Kroger Company and a 24-year legend at Franklin University. During his time at Franklin, Tracy served in numerous roles including Chief Student Officer; Director of Student Coaching Services and Student Life and Development; Director of Professional Development and Quality Coaching; and most recently, Student and Faculty Coach for Ohio National University. He was named Franklin University Employee of the Year and received the Franklin University Commitment to Excellence Award. This spring, the University created the Tracy Austin Red Carpet Service Award. He was the first recipient and through the annual award, his legacy of service will live on through all those who carry on his mission.

Tracy was passionate about basketball (well, really, any sport with a ball, except soccer) and was dedicated to helping others through serving as a head coach for the Franklin County Flyers Special Olympics team, on the board of Next Basketball Foundation, and playing and coaching other local rec teams. He was also a Big Brother for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Tracy spent his last week at Kobacker House, surrounded by friends, family and the amazing staff there. He is survived by his wife and best friend Karen; son Matthew Mitchell of Columbus; beloved Mom Wilmetta Austin, of Chillicothe; brother Eric (Toni) of Chillicothe; sisters Denise Lisath (Mark) of New Albany and Monica Austin of Trotwood; nephew Clint Austin of Columbus; niece Monique Austin and grand-niece Journi (of Trotwood).

Tracy also leaves behind thousands of friends who followed his candid, transparent and vulnerable experience with cancer on social media.

Tracy’s direct request of you is that you take whatever you learned from him and pay it forward. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Hope Hollow <www.hopehollow.com>; (P.O. Box 141423, Columbus, OH 43214), Franklin County Special Olympics (send checks payable to Franklin County Special Olympics, 2879 Johnstown Rd., Columbus, OH 43219) and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio <http://www.bbbscentralohio.org>;. If you’re short on cash, please perform a random act of kindness in Tracy’s honor.
Tracy’s family will receive friends from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, June 30, 2017, at Schoedinger Chapel in Worthington, 6699 High Street, Columbus, OH 43085. Funeral services and a celebration of Tracy’s life will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at the Worthington United Methodist Church, 600 High Street, Worthington, OH 43085.

Professional Bio

Chuck Hill Community Service Award