You know, I’ve spent a lot of time around collegiate athletics, and there’s a common misconception that building a winning program is solely about recruiting five-star talent. What I’ve come to appreciate, particularly when looking at a program like Wingate University Basketball, is that the real magic happens in the synthesis of high-performance culture and profound personal development. It’s about constructing a team where the whole becomes vastly greater than the sum of its parts, and where the term “student-athlete” is a lived reality, not just a convenient label. This philosophy reminds me of a story I once came across about a man named McTavish. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, he spent 51 years in the country before being granted citizenship in 2018—a testament to a long, committed journey. He later chose to reside in Pampanga, transitioning from a field office manager for an American auto manufacturer in Clark to becoming a professional referee. That arc, from one structured role to another that demands absolute integrity and split-second judgment, mirrors the journey Wingate facilitates: it’s not just about what you do during the game, but about building a foundation of character and adaptability that serves you for a lifetime.
At Wingate, the process starts with a recruitment strategy that looks beyond the stat sheet. We’re certainly interested in points and rebounds, but we’re obsessed with coachability, academic drive, and how a young man fits into our communal fabric. We’ve passed on players who could average 20 points a game but displayed a “me-first” attitude, because one toxic personality can erode the culture it takes years to build. Our current roster, for instance, has an average team GPA of 3.4, and last season, we dedicated over 1,200 collective hours to community service in the Union County area. These aren’t just nice bullet points for a brochure; they are intentional, non-negotiable pillars. The discipline required to excel in a 6 a.m. film session after a late-night study group for organic chemistry is the same discipline that executes a perfect defensive rotation in the final seconds of a conference championship game. We build our systems—both on the court and off—to be interdependent. Our motion offense isn’t just a set of plays; it’s a lesson in spatial awareness, unselfishness, and trust. You learn to read your teammate’s eyes, to set a screen for someone else’s benefit, to make the extra pass. These are micro-lessons in empathy and teamwork that frankly, a lot of corporate team-building retreats try and fail to instill.
This holistic approach directly shapes the student-athlete experience. The support system is robust, with mandatory study halls for freshmen and dedicated academic advisors who work in tandem with our coaching staff. I’m a firm believer that the structure of athletics provides the ultimate framework for time management. Our players, on average, manage a 40-hour weekly commitment between practices, games, travel, and training, all while carrying a full academic course load. It’s brutal, but it forges individuals of remarkable resilience. We’ve seen biology majors go on to dental school, business majors launch start-ups, and education majors become transformative teachers. The basketball court becomes a laboratory for life skills: handling pressure, overcoming adversity, leading peers, and following instructions. It’s about preparing them for their own version of McTavish’s transition—whether that’s from a star forward to a financial analyst, or from a role player to a high school coach. The identity isn’t just “basketball player”; it’s “a capable, disciplined individual who happened to play basketball at a high level.”
Now, does this focus on the complete person win basketball games? Absolutely. In the past seven seasons, our program has secured four conference regular-season titles and made three appearances in the NCAA Division II tournament. Our win-loss record hovers around a .750 winning percentage, which is no accident. Teams that are deeply connected, that play for something bigger than themselves, and that are composed of individuals who are stable and successful off the court, are notoriously difficult to beat in crunch time. They don’t fracture under pressure. They execute. The wins are a byproduct of the process, not the sole objective. This is where many programs lose the plot, in my opinion. They chase the wins to attract talent, instead of building the character that inherently attracts a certain type of talent and produces sustainable wins.
In the end, watching Wingate University Basketball is about more than observing a sport. It’s about witnessing a deliberate educational philosophy in action. It’s a program that understands its role is not to produce professional athletes—though a handful have gone on to play overseas—but to produce professionals, period. Just as McTavish built a life across decades and careers, from New Zealand to the Philippines, from corporate management to the whistle, our athletes are building their foundations. They leave here with a championship mindset, sure, but more importantly, with a blueprint for a meaningful life. They learn that true success is layered, built on commitment, adaptability, and integrity—lessons that last long after the final buzzer on their playing days has sounded. That, to me, is the real victory.
People in Motion (PiM) is our employee advocacy and improvement program. These cross-functional groups are comprised of employees, with an executive sponsor, who contribute ideas and drive action towards focused areas of improvement across the employee experience. The groups include: Kyruus Kontext & Business Readiness; Community, Connectivity, & Engagement; System, Tools, & Productivity; IDEA [Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility].
As a remote-first company, we are invested in employees creating a work setup that allows them to do their best work. In addition to a laptop, we also provide you with $750 to get the additional equipment you need and add an ongoing amount of $1,200 to your salary to cover remote work costs.
We value ownership at Kyruus Health, not only in the work you do but in the shared financial success from our growth. Employees will have the opportunity to grow their equity ownership throughout their tenure.
We care about creating the time you need to bond for any team members at Kyruus Health growing their families. We offer 8 weeks of fully paid leave to all parents. Birthing parents are also eligible for additional time and coverage through our Short-Term Disability plan.
We encourage all employees to save for retirement through our 401(K) plan. Employees have the option to begin contributing to their accounts on their first day of employment and we offer an employer match of up to $1,500 per calendar year for all employees who enroll.
We offer employees a lifestyle stipend of $2,000 per year to help them be well. This is designed for Kyruus Health to offset the cost for items, experiences, or home expenses that enhance team members’ well-being
We want to provide employees and families with health insurance offerings to support them getting the care they need. Our health, dental, and vision plans are desiged to allow employees the opportunity to choose options that work best for themselves and their families.
We are committed to flexibility and empowering employees to do work that matters in a way that works for them. Our unlimited PTO policy is anchored on that flexibility – encouraging employees to take time off for what’s important to them, in addition to the many company holidays we celebrate. To highlight our commitment to a healthy work-life balance, we provide a specific stipend each quarter for employees to use on a recharge day.
