GameTime Prep teaches the game of life to student athletes in need

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – When life gets tough, student-athletes may need to know more than just football.

That’s why the nonprofit GameTime Prep in Tallahassee gives players the tools to win on and off the court.

Since 2016, GameTime Prep has impacted the Tallahassee community by empowering student-athletes through financial literacy, educational support and reducing health and economic disparities.

The nonprofit helps students like Deborah Perez, a first-generation college student enrolled at Tallahassee State College.

Ed Hill is the CEO and founder of GameTime Prep. He originally founded the organization to help kids like his own two sons reach the next level in football. But Hill said he soon realized there was a greater need in the community and the organization expanded its reach.

“Today we help kids with mental health, the college process and financial literacy,” Hill said.

The program is for both girls and boys from age 6 through 12th grade. Hill said participants come from all over surrounding counties and states.

“We had young ladies who wanted to be in the program and those young ladies didn’t play football, so we introduced them to the production side. They would take pictures and statistics. We started helping them through the process of going to college and figuring out what their goals and dreams were,” Hill said.

Alexus Hill is the daughter of Ed Hill. She is a 7th grade teacher and volunteer who teaches financial literacy at the nonprofit.

She said with student-athletes going to college and receiving credit cards and scholarships, there is a great need for financial literacy training.

“The kids got all this money that they had never seen before and it was really helpful to show them what they can do to set themselves up for success. College is a good time to start, not after college,” she said.

The highlight of the nonprofit organization is their annual “Marvin’s Magical Christmas.” The event is named after Marvin Wilson, who played at Florida State University. GameTime Prep works with counselors at several Leon County schools to choose children in need. Hill said about 100 of them will be shopping at Target.

“Just to see the tears in the parents’ eyes because they don’t know what they are coming for. They are just told that they have been selected. You have children who may have recently lost a parent or parents who say, ‘I had no idea how I was going to celebrate Christmas this year,'” Hill said.

Ed Hill’s vision to help children become the best versions of themselves continues to grow.

And as it expands, so does student-athlete success far beyond the grid.

“To really create change in this community, you have to start by changing the mindset of what these kids are doing,” he said.

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