Our Mission and Vision
RI5E Leadership & Sports Academy empowers youth and young adults through leadership development, academic support, financial literacy, workforce preparation, mentorship, athletics, and exposure to educational and career opportunities.
Our mission is to equip students with the knowledge, confidence, relationships, resources, and real-world experiences they need to successfully transition from adolescence into college, careers, entrepreneurship, athletics, and adulthood.
Adrian McPherson,
Founder & President
RI5E Leadership Sports Academy was founded by Adrian McPherson. A Manatee County native, Adrian is a former Florida State University quarterback and professional football player. McPherson was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Why the “5” in RI5E? It has personal meaning to our founder, representing his jersey number, his immediate family, and the foundation that helped shape his life.
RI5E was built on the belief that young people need more than talent or opportunity, they need access, preparation, mentorship, exposure, resources, accountability, and people willing to invest in their future.
Our Programs
THE LAUNCHPAD
College. Career. Business. Life. Your Future Starts Here.
The Launchpad is RI5E’s college, career and workforce-readiness initiative designed to expose high school students and young adults to the people, information, and opportunities that can help them make informed decisions about their future.
At no cost to them, students participate in interactive experiences covering financial literacy, career exploration, entrepreneurship, leadership, workforce readiness and personal development.
Students Build: Financial literacy, communication, career awareness, leadership, networking and professional skills
Activities include: workshops, speakers, employer engagement, mentorship, job fairs, financial education and career exploration.
COLLEGE ACCESS & EXPOSURE
For many students, college becomes more realistic when they can actually see themselves there.
RI5E provides college exposure experiences designed to introduce students to campuses, admissions processes, financial aid, scholarships and college life.
Perfect for high-school students, this programs offers in and out-of-stage college tours, meet campus representatives, learn about admissions, and explore educational pathways
Cost: Varies; RI5E seeks sponsorships and funding to reduce barriers for participating students
RI5E’s developing college-access model also includes assistance with college applications, application fees, laptops, meal-plan support, college essentials and scholarships, based on eligibility and available funding.
WEEKLY MENTORSHIP
RI5E believes meaningful change is built through relationships, not one-time events and meetings.
Students are paired or connected with positive mentors and participate in structured discussions and activities around goals, accountability, leadership, education, careers and life.
The focus of Mentorship are goal-setting, confidence, communication, accountability, leadership and life skills.
Frequency: Weekly
Location: Partner/community locations and designated RI5E programming sites
No Cost
FINANCIAL LITERACY
Students learn practical financial concepts they can begin using now and not years from now.
During these workshops and interactive activities, students learn about budgeting, saving, banking, credit, responsible borrowing, investing, entrepreneurship, financial decision-making and preparing financially for adulthood.
RI5E has already incorporated financial-literacy programming with banking partners into The Launchpad experience.
Financial Literacy is perfect for middle and high-school students and young adults.
Cost: Typically free for designated RI5E community programming
STUDENT - ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT
Student - Athlete Development training emphasizes more than athletic performance. Students learn discipline, accountability, teamwork, communication, preparation and leadership while receiving guidance designed to help them understand opportunities beyond the playing field.
Activities include athletic development, team training, mentoring, leadership and exposure opportunities Skills student-athletes learn are athletic fundamentals, discipline, teamwork, resilience and leadership
RI5E’s athletic history is rooted in Adrian McPherson’s work developing student-athletes. Earlier reporting on his Air 5 program described an approach combining football development, academics, recruiting resources, scholarships and community service.
Cost: Varies by program
7 vs 7 Football
RI5E’s 7-on-7 program provides student-athletes with competitive football development while emphasizing character, discipline, academics and team building. Students will practice, compete, travel when applicable and participate in mentoring/team-building
Who: Eligible student-athletes by age/division
Skills learned: Position development, football IQ, communication, teamwork, leadership and discipline
Schedule: Seasonal — schedule announced before registration
Location: Practices in the Manatee/Sarasota area; competitions may require travel
Cost: Published with each season’s registration
Also included in RI5E Programs:
Technology & Digital Readiness:
RI5E Leadership & Sports Academy recognizes that preparing young people for the future means preparing them to confidently navigate an increasingly technology-driven world. Technology will be integrated throughout the RI5E experience to help students build practical digital skills, explore emerging career opportunities, and use technology as a tool for education, entrepreneurship, leadership, and career advancement.
Students can receive hands-on exposure to areas such as AI and responsible AI use, digital literacy, cybersecurity awareness, coding and app development, content creation, graphic design, website development, data and analytics, digital marketing, financial technology, and emerging technologies.
This technology component also includes a RI5E Digital Lab where students participate in workshops and project-based learning. Rather than only learning concepts, students could create real-world projects such as websites, digital portfolios, business concepts, presentations, marketing campaigns, resumes, and technology-based solutions to community challenges through a cohort-style based program.
Attitude is Everything:
This proposed personal-development experience focuses on helping young people understand how attitude, mindset, communication, choices and personal responsibility can affect their future.
The program is intended to complement RI5E’s mentoring and leadership programming.
Making a Champion:
This developing program is intended to help student-athletes understand what it means to become a champion on and off the field.
Programming can address mindset, character, discipline, accountability, communication, leadership, goal-setting and personal responsibility.
Why Choose RI5E?
Leadership
Education
Mentorship
Financial Literacy
Workforce Development
College Readiness
Athletics
Life Skills
Community Exposure
What sets us apart.
Every student’s path will not look the same.
Some students dream of college. Some want to enter the workforce. Some want to become entrepreneurs. Some are student-athletes pursuing scholarships. Others simply need someone to help them discover what they are capable of becoming.
Students don’t simply attend an event and leave. Our goal is to create continuity—giving young people opportunities to build relationships with mentors, employers, colleges, financial institutions, community leaders, coaches and professionals who can remain part of their journey.
That approach also reflects Adrian McPherson’s earlier youth-development work. His Air 5 program combined athletic development with classroom performance, recruiting assistance, community service and scholarship opportunities.
