Taylor: Why companies should make community an element of their core values

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One of the best parts of working with a sports team is that sport brings people from all different backgrounds together to celebrate our collective communities and spread joy. When I walk into the building for game days, I am overcome by the incredible energy and passion that our fans–from all walks of life–bring to the Nassau Coliseum. For a few hours, everyone is on the same side, rooting for the same outcome and cheering for the same team.

We all know that the real world is more complicated than a basketball game–but there are business lessons to be learned and applied to life outside the game.

That’s why we bring the same commitment to the people of Long Island as we do to our most ardent fans. On the court we create meaningful and memorable experiences while off the court we have built a brand that places community at the center of all that we do. We like to think that we’re also cultivating Long Island’s future leaders.

As a proud Long Island native, I’ve always understood the values that unite our community, and I have sought to give back through serving on the Nassau County Youth Council to becoming a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island. My own personal journey of service has helped shape how we approach service as an organization. I am proud that we have developed comprehensive community programming to align with our key areas of focus: youth basketball, education, and support for the veteran community.

We created the Long Island Nets Basketball Academy in 2017 to provide a holistic approach to basketball training. Since launching, we have educated over 4,000 young athletes ages 6-14 and hosted over 15 clinics each year. We are providing young students with the space and freedom to engage in athletic and social development.

We’ve also made education a priority to enrich the minds that will shape the future of our community. Through our “Read-To-Achieve” initiative, we are reinforcing the importance of literacy to elementary-aged children. In the last five years, we have visited more than 35 schools, impacting 8,000 students.

Our relationship with Long Island schools played a key role in our partnering with Section VIII in Nassau County and Section XI in Suffolk County in 2021 to create our “Team Up for Unity” program to address and prevent racism and prejudice in high school sports on Long Island. We facilitated student-led conversations as a way for student-athletes to have conversations with local business leaders on how businesses can help combat social injustices and systemic racism.

Finally, we recognize the incredible sacrifices made by our large and significant Veteran community across the Island. Our Veteran of the Game recognition and our collaboration with several local nonprofits such as VetTix affords us the opportunity to give back to a community that has given so much to us.

Community involvement has been ingrained in our company’s culture since our first game in 2017. Therefore, we are committed to using our unique position on Long Island to raise awareness about causes that can directly enhance the lives of those throughout the region. We hope our efforts will inspire other businesses to recognize the value of giving back to the communities in which they live, work, and play and join us in continuing to build a legacy of service.

Together, we can be catalysts of positive change and leave an indelible mark on the very communities that form the essence of our existence.

Morgan Taylor is the vice president of business operations at the Long Island Nets. She lives on Long Island with her son, Devin.