Written by Thomas Scott
Leadership is something that comes natural to Trevond Barnes. If you look into his life, you’ll see evidence of this trait appearing over and over again. In 2015, the 6’9 forward led Lafayette High School to the Alabama 2A State Championship. His excellence both in the classroom and on the court propelled Barnes to a scholarship at Hampton University.
Finding a Home at Hampton
As a member of the Hampton Pirates, Barnes won a MEAC Tournament Championship and a regular season MEAC title. Ultimately, his experience at Hampton helped him redefine his idea of what it means to be a successful athlete.
Trevond described his tenure at Hampton to the LaFayette Times-News:
“It showed me that there are different ways to build a legacy…we played in the postseason each year. The NCAA Tournament, NIT, CIT, CBI, we played in every tournament…. It was just so many good things that happened there and I grew so much as person, not just a player.“
By his senior season, Barnes blossomed into a key contributor on Hampton’s basketball team. He played a major role in the 2019 team’s success starting 34 of 35 games, scoring in double figures 11 times, and earning MVP honors at the John McLendon Classic.
Pro Debut
All of his hard work would eventually pay off. After graduating with a degree in finance, Barnes signed a professional contract with BC Belroe to play overseas. BC Belroe is located in Bulgaria and is one of the premier teams in the Balkan league. Sadly, just 8 days into his professional career Barnes tore his ACL in practice and was forced to return home.
New Mission
Injury temporarily cut short his career, but couldn’t diminish his calling. Due to his solid education and understanding of finance, Trevond was able to pivot from his initial plan. While rehabbing his knee at the Hampton University facilities, Barnes came up with the brilliant idea to create the “More to the Game” platform.
The three main goals of More To The Game are:
- Showing athletes that they can have a life and passion outside of sports.
- Creating business and personal related finance content for athletes to help them with their branding.
- Provide a platform for under appreciated athletes.
You can hear about Trevond’s journey in full by watching the first “More to the Game” video below.