WHO IS VERDELL H. SANDERS?

---

Verdell H. Sanders is a Charlotte native and a humble man of service who utilized his trailblazing athletic skills to become a coach, teacher, trainer, protector and parental figure to many.  Traits that he no doubt picked up from his beloved mother, Ms. Girlie Sanders.    His natural sports ability allowed him an opportunity to attend college and his natural ability to care for and help others allowed him to become a leader and role model for many young men and women.  

As a student at Harding High School, Verdell was a member of the marching band and concert band.  He was also on Harding’s wrestling football and track teams where they won the Southern Division Championship and he was a national champion on the winning relay team.  He received an athletic scholarship to Winston-Salem State University where he organized their very first wrestling team.  In 2006 he was inducted into the Winston Salem State University Hall of Fame for Wrestling.  Verdell is a proud WSSU alum and anyone who knows Verdell knows this. He graduated with a degree in Health and Physical Education and a minor in Biology and began his coaching career as coach for Charlotte Catholic High School wrestling team.     

After two years there, Verdell began his work as Recreation Center Director at Enderly Park Recreation Center.  A role that would last almost 30 years and span up to three generations of families.   It was at Enderly Park, or EP… as it is affectionately known, where he began working with kids of all ages and young adults, being the best role model he could be and implementing programs and events for youth of all ages.   Although Verdell was a young man himself during this time, he began interacting with young people who saw him as someone to aspire to in terms of being a successful young man in his career, being a college graduate and being an athlete.   Verdell created sports programs and mentorship opportunities for ages as young as 4 to adults in their twenties.  Under his direction, EP offered more than a hang-out spot, his programs kept young girls and boys out of trouble and offered them a place to go that was safe and productive.   Parents knew that when they sent their children to the Enderly Park Center, that their child would be taken care of in addition to learning a team sport.      

Verdell coached and won several city and county track championships, even leading his girls track team to the Hershey Nationals qualifications in Hershey Va. He also coached and won the county flag football championship. He also leading his 15-16 year olds to an undefeated final season where they won the state championship.   He ended his coaching career by coaching his men’s adult basketball team to an undefeated season and winning the County Championship.    

When Verdell became a young sports director, we’re pretty sure that he never thought that would include over 30 years of also being a counselor, surrogate father, big brother, chef, doctor, lawyer, chauffeur, consoler, protector, drug counselor, psychiatrist, care-taker and more… as well as sometimes clothe and feed hundreds of children in need, that were not biologically his.  But he was all of that to many people for many years.   Verdell continues to be a man of service in his church as a sound technician, teaching children to play the bass guitar and simply doing whatever  he can to make a difference.  He is married to his lovely, devoted wife Cassandra and he and his wife attend New Bethel Church of God in Christ and Grace Tabernacle of Prayer.  

For his work in the community he was awarded the Outstanding Community Service Award by North Carolina Central University.    Verdell was also awarded the  2021 My Brother's Keeper Award by The Lucy V. Williams Foundation.   Verdell feels that serving others is a gift from God and you should do it unselfishly. Yes, there will be long hours, unpaid time and sacrifice of your time with family but sometimes, that's simply what you must do, from your heart,  to make a difference in someone’s life.    The Verdell H. Sanders Scholarship continues his long history of service by helping a deserving young person attend college with a $1000 scholarship.