The Coach "A" Foundation exists to help mentor youth and strengthen families. The Coach "A" Foundation will seek out, research and partner with those who support the development of young people to their full potential by focusing on healthy self-esteem, goal setting, hard work, sacrifice, and discipline.
Coach "A" Foundation
6338 Snider Road
Unit 173
Mason, OH 45040
We have a scholarship program for two high school graduating seniors who exhibit the qualities that Coach "A" inspired in all his players and other youth in the community. These scholarships will be for $2,000 each and be awarded in May.
One of the most important things to know about Charles Larry Abernathy is in the fact that he was born in Alabama. This meant he did not go by his first name (which is only used for legal matters in the south) but by his middle name, Larry. He openly embraced his Alabama heritage - "Sweet Home," "Roll Tide," and even the term "hillbilly." Larry constantly demonstrated that "hillbilly" meant respect for others, hard work, and a living faith in Jesus Christ.
Larry played tennis, softball, baseball, basketball, and flag football for many years; then he coached softball, baseball, soccer, football, and basketball for several more years. He led a group of young men from boyhood into adulthood at Center Pointe Christian Church, where he was an Elder for more than twenty years.
In the fall of 2017, at the age of 64, Larry was looking forward to retiring from his 41-year career as an Aeronautical Engineer at GE Aviation and spending more time as a volunteer. He was excited about continuing to teach and mentor youth and being even more active in leadership roles at Center Pointe Christian Church.
But Larry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on November 16 and died four weeks later. More than 500 friends, family, coworkers, and former team members attended the two-hour memorial service on December 19, 2017. Larry's family decided to use the memorial fund to establish the "Coach 'A' Foundation" - a non-profit organization – to continue Larry's Legacy of developing character and self-esteem in today's young people, as well as educating and encouraging others to do the same.
Chairman
Diane founded the Pregnancy Crisis Center of Cincinnati in 1984 where she served as Chairman of the Board until 1987. She went back to serve as Business Administrator from 1992 to 1997. This great organization has expanded to include three locations and still exists today as Life Forward. She has also worked with the University of Cincinnati Foundation and has served in numerous volunteer roles in her church and the public-school system. Diane was married for 43 years to the Coach "A" Foundation's namesake, Larry Abernathy.
Secretary
William has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech. He has been employed at GE Aviation from 1977 until his retirement in 2014. His area of expertise there was Performance Engineering on both military and commercial products. He also served as Performance Program Leader for a commercial engine model. He worked with Larry Abernathy both at GE, and as his Assistant Coach for the Cincinnati Slammers Baseball Team for five years.
Board Member
Caleb has a Bachelor of Science in Sports Administration with a minor in Business. He also has a master's degree in Coaching Education and Athlete Development. He is currently on staff of Big Ten Champion Maryland Women's basketball as the assistant video coordinator. He has worked as the Video Coordinator for Xavier Women's Basketball, as a Women's Club Basketball Coach at University of Cincinnati, and a PGC (Point Guard College) Instructor. He has attended Center Pointe Christian Church for 11 years and was involved in a group of young men Larry Abernathy mentored during their high school years. Caleb has also been on several mission trips to multiple countries.
Board Member
Bill has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. Following graduation from NC State, he was employed by Sverdrup Technology in Tullahoma, TN for eight years. In 1989 he moved to Cincinnati and joined GE Aviation where he continues to work. His areas of expertise are in Test/Evaluation, Systems Engineering and Services Engineering. He worked with Larry Abernathy at GE during the last 15+ years of Larry's career.
Board Member
Sam received his Bachelors of Science in Education from Ohio State University and a Masters Degree in Education from Mount St. Joseph University. He is currently a Physical Education teacher at Middletown Middle School and has been since the 2016-2017 school year. He is also a Varsity Baseball coach for Lakota West High School and is still actively involved in summer baseball as he coaches for the Midland organization. Sam was a member of the Cincinnati Slammers baseball team led by Coach A for 5 years.