By Bill Koch
Enquirer staff reporter

Maybe it shouldn't be this way. Maybe athletes and coaches shouldn't hold such sway over the minds of our young. But they do.

"When coaches and athletes speak, I think young people hear it and listen better," said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.

GOOD SPORTS

• Making a difference • Cris Collinsworth • Danny Graves • Bob Huggins • Marvin Lewis • Anthony Muñoz • Tim Naehring • Doug Pelfrey • Sean Casey • Willie Anderson

Lewis made great strides last year during his first season as the Bengals head coach toward turning the franchise in the right direction.

He received lofty praise for what he did on the field, but not so much has been said about what he does off the field.

Because he believes so strongly in the impact that athletes and coaches can have on the lives of children, he established the Marvin Lewis Community Fund last October.

The Fund has raised approximately $800,000 since its inception, according to Sharon Thomas, its director of development, beginning with a $10,000 check from the Bengals. Its mission is to "empower, educate and inspire children while enriching inner-city communities."

"It also helps our players," Lewis said. "Some of the groups we've targeted we've been able to get our players immersed in. It helps them grow as people."

Tight end Tony Stewart is one of many players who has followed Lewis' lead.

"I try to give kids a little bit of encouragement," Stewart said. "I tell them a little bit about my story, about my success and failures in life, give them some words of advice."

The Lewis Fund raises money through such events as the Marvin Lewis Golf Classic; Football 101, a women's seminar on football; and the Marvin Lewis Coaching Academy, which features the Bengals coaching staff instructing nearly 300 youth, middle school and high school coaches.

One of the beneficiaries of the Lewis fund is the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Lewis also partnered with the Anthony Muñoz Foundation to launch the Quarterback Club, which seeks financial resources and services from area CEOs and their corporations.

And he joined with Muñoz and former Bengal Cris Collinsworth to put together the first Cincinnati Prep Classic, a Sept. 5 high school football triple-header that raised money for an inner-city women's health center.

Lewis said he has been pleasantly surprised by the willingness of local corporations to respond to his calls for help and says those corporations don't get enough credit for the work they do in the community.

"I was unaware of how many corporations with their headquarters are here," Lewis said. "It's just amazing the group of people that are here. They've been huge supporters of everything I've done. Now my job is to just win football games."