Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer and Vietnam War Veteran Rocky Bleier visited SCI Mercer on Feb. 9 to kick off the latest of the Beating the Odds Foundation’s Quarterbacks of Life program. The program highlights individuals who overcame setbacks and fought through adversity to achieve success, and it’s part of a six-month motivational course available to the incarcerated population.
Beating the Odds Founder Rocco Scalzi also attended the kick-off event, and he will return weekly to conduct the program.
The Beating the Odds Foundation teamed up with the PA Department of Corrections from June 2017-June 2018 and August 2019 – August 2020.
Beating the Odds is a motivational program that shares real experiences from people who have overcome significant challenges in their lives and offers practical methods for setting goals and achieving success. The program provides guidance and shares the stories of role models, called Quarterbacks of Life, who encourage others to pursue their goals and offer hope for a better future. The Five Stepping Stones to Success serve as the foundation of the course curriculum, focusing on: dreams and goals; self-awareness; team support; decide and plan; and positive mental attitude.
As individuals participate in the Beating the Odds Program, they experience personal success and team success, and learn how Quarterbacks of Life achieved success in meeting their challenges. They learn about the importance of setting goals and how to achieve personal, academic, and career success using the Five Stepping Stones.
Introducing initiatives that offer encouragement and support to incarcerated young people may bring about positive outcomes in behaviors while motivating these individuals to realize their potential and instill confidence for rehabilitation before release.