MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine men's basketball graduate student Javon Cooley represented the Waves at the Athletes in Action Men's Captains Academy in Ohio this summer, a national leadership conference designed to equip college athletes to lead with character and faith.

The week-long academy brought together student-athletes from across the country to learn from former NBA and professional players, as well as ministry leaders, on the principles of servant leadership and spiritual growth. Topics throughout the week included the leadership pyramid, team building and pro player panel.

"I learned a lot about leadership and faith," Cooley said. "We heard from pros who played in the NBA and overseas, and being around other guys walking the same journey made it easier to open up and learn from each other."

For Cooley, the experience built on his previous involvement at the 2023 Black Student-Athlete Summit at USC, where he saw the value and the impact of connecting with peers beyond athletics. "When Coach Ed reached out about Athletes in Action, I knew I had to go," he said. "It was an opportunity to grow as a leader and to share my story."

Cooley, now a veteran presence for the Waves, having played four seasons as an undergraduate at Marist, sees the lessons from the academy shaping the way he leads his team. "Any mistakes my teammates make, I've probably made ten times," he said. "I just try to pour my knowledge into them so that when their opportunity comes, they'll be ready to seize it."

The academy also left Cooley with words of wisdom from Coach Moe, one of the program's leaders: "Sing like you don't need the money, love like you'll never get hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and everything has to come from the heart for it to work."

"I'll carry that with me," Cooley said. "It reminded me that you have to do things when nobody's watching and make sure it all comes from the heart."

Cooley and the Waves will open the season on November 3rd with a home matchup against Life Pacific before traveling to UCLA on November 7th.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Pepperdine men's basketball has made 13 NCAA postseason appearances while earning 12 WCC Regular-Season Championships and three WCC Tournament Championships in its history. This success has spanned multiple decades, with the Waves most recently winning the 2021 CBI Tournament. The program has also seen 19 All-Americans along with 19 NBA players, which included a streak of 34 consecutive seasons with at least one alum on an NBA roster from 1976-2011.

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