Pete Carroll: Always Compete

How many times do we hear a sad story on the local news and wish there was something we could do about it?

?and then go back to our lives unchanged?

We?re all guilty of it. ?What can we do?? is the simple question we ask ourselves as we hop back into our routine.

Pete Carroll faced a similar situation in 2003 as head coach of University of Southern California when he heard a news broadcast about a local LA child who had been killed due to gang violence.

Something struck a chord in the football coach and he knew he had to change something. The man known for his catchphrase ?Always Compete? knew he had to compete for a better LA.

So twice a month, Pete Carroll left his home at night and drove to South L.A. where gang wars are prevalent and most see no hope of escape.

As Kurt Streeter of the LA Times noted, ?These are not recruiting visits. He?s trying to save lives.?

Carroll would walk the streets and talk to anyone who would stop, listening to their story, encouraging, and just learning about them.

?I don?t go to judge?just to show that someone cares. Just to give people here a little hope,? he says.

Carroll started A Better LA in the midst of his late night ventures. The organization is dedicated to ending inner-city violence and Carroll hopes that the self-improvement thinking he has long used with coaching will help the individuals trapped in poor and dangerous neighborhoods.

With the help of former gang member Bo Taylor, Carroll and his A Better LA team work to identify the charismatic gang leaders, befriend them, and help them change if needed.

The former head coach of USC ? one of the most well-known and well-liked personalities in Hollywood ? put himself in harm?s way consistently to save lives. How many of us can say that?

Despite his departure to the NFL?s Seattle Seahawks in 2010, the football coach continues to support the LA communities through A Better LA while creating a partner organization ? A Better Seattle ? in his new town.

?The more people who learn about it and spread the word, the better. We?ve learned that you can be so powerful as a force ? by helping others.?

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