Andrew Kraus, left, and Jermine Batan have begun a public-speaking business in Toronto to address youth basketball players in helping them make better life decisions. They will host one of their seminars next week in Winnipeg as part of an annual cancer fundraising basketball tournament held here.
Andrew Kraus has seen firsthand the way poor decisions can derail the promise of youth in his community, and he’s bringing his message to Winnipeg.
The former Brandon University basketball player, who now lives and works near his hometown of Markham, Ont., said he and business partner Jermine Batan got their idea to focus on helping young athletes while working security jobs in a Toronto-area mall. The two said they often would run into teens wearing clothing of local schools and basketball clubs, getting into trouble, and they recognized they had a message that could resonate.