On Nov. 16 the Wayne College athletics department will host Remembering Kimyata Cooper #22 Forever A Wayne Warrior. The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. when the Lady Warriors take on OSU Mansfield. At the conclusion of the game around 6:45 p.m., a memorial ceremony will take place. Members of the Wayne Warriors mens championship basketball team will share Coopers story, explain the patches worn on the teams uniforms remembering him and tell why they bring his framed jersey to each game.
It was hard not to notice Kimyata Cooper, Jr. at The University of Akron Wayne College. At six foot, five inches he played basketball for the Wayne Warriors mens basketball team and commanded attention both on and off the court, not just because of his size, but also because of his equally large personality, ear-to-ear smile and contagious laugh.
Cooper, as he was known, was not a traditional student. In fact there were many things unexpected about him, but none more so than his untimely passing on May 18 due to an unknown health issue, just days after graduating with honors with his bachelors degree in social work.
Brought up in the inner city of Akron, Coopers path was wrought with obstacles. A natural athlete, he played basketball and football at Kenmore High School. The father of three, it took until his early 30s to find his purpose in life, which was to help others through the field of social work. He specifically chose to come to the Wayne campus for its small class size and personal attention. Cooper drove the 50 miles round trip from Akron, eventually finding campus employment to help supplement the cost of the commute.
Cooper was drawn to the basketball courts in Boyer Gymnasium, playing four years of basketball, winning the 2013 Ohio Regional Campus Council Championship, leading the Warriors to a playoff bid in 2015 and being named to the ORCC all-tournament team.
More importantly Cooper was proud of where he came from, proud of what he accomplished academically and most proud to be an example to his children that circumstances should not determine your destiny.
An avid reader and philosopher, Cooper would surprise people by getting real quickly in his conversations with them. He valued others opinions and enjoyed engaging in meaningful discussions, never accepting self-depreciating talk from anyone. He was by his very nature an encourager, a life coach and was destined to be a great social worker.
Even after completing his internship requirements at the Salvation Army as part of his degree, he continued to volunteer to help with the community because he loved working with people.
According to his obituary, signing BSW after his name was something he was very proud of. He was accepted into the UA Social Work Masters program for fall 2016.
Our goal is to fill the gymnasium, said Dave Rubens, Wayne College athletic director. We know not everyone knew Cooper, but you didnt have to know him to be inspired by his story. We invite the community, especially young athletes, to come out and learn what it means to play like a champion and more importantly what it means to live like one.
Admission is free to both games and the ceremony. For questions or more information visit wayne.uakron.edu/athletics, email Dave Rubens at drubens@uakron.edu or call 330-684-8906.
