What prompted Jay Urich to start non-profit
Coaches always preach finding silver linings in the midst of adversity, and Jay Urich seems to have found his during the Coronavirus pandemic.
With quarantine going on and Urich not able to do much outside of working out and studying for school, he’s been able to start a passion project of his and develop a non-profit designed to promote health and wellness to children called Original Design.
“If it wasn’t for quarantine, I don’t know honestly how far I would be in on this. I know certain things are designed that is for good during bad circumstances. Original Design would not be there without hardship and adversity. We had three months of quarantine. I’m working out and studying but had nothing else to do. The time frame was perfect to get things launched up here.”
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Urich started a non-profit recently called Original Design, which is designed to “provide resources, opportunities and supportive relationships necessary for children to lead healthy and honorable lives.”
The goal is to try and positively affect primarily kids aged 10-12, Urich said, through public health and faith through different football camps and outreach programs.
He said he and the people helping him with the camps will be emphasizing living a healthy life and building faith through identity and character.
“I want to be able to show them and teach them with our staff that their life matters, they are a child of God and their worth does not come from their situation—whether good or bad—or anything they do,” Urich said.
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This idea started for Urich in February and is five months in the making as he gets ready to start on this adventure with the help of his teammates and his board.
His first call was to Marcus Lattimore, who immediately hopped on board and offered his support and Director of Football Student-Athlete Development Connor Shaw wasn’t far behind.
They offered guidance for Urich and the two are now on Original Design’s executive board with Urich and Dan Lian, who is the pastor at NewSpring, Urich’s hometown church in Greenville.
“Marcus and Connor, I could not do it without them. They have played a huge role. Marcus specifically, he was one of the first people I called. I feel like I could have said anything and he would have jumped on it,” Urich said. “That’s shows the type of guys they are, their influence and their knowledge. They’re able to tell me, ‘Hey, Jay, you might be doing this wrong, let’s change this,’ or ‘You’re doing a great job with this, let’s keep doing it.’ That’s been the biggest help.”
Urich’s teammates have also been as on board as they can possibly be, helping in any way they can and joining Urich for a photoshoot announcing the non-profit.
“They hopped on board too. They’re excited to help me get the message out,” he said. “Not only is original design’s message important, but Matter is the Minimum. Pushing for social equality as well played a big piece of that as well.”
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Original Designs is able to operate under NCAA guidelines because it’s a 501(c)3 non-profit, which allows Urich to sell “Matter is the Minimum” shirts and take in money to put toward camps and other outreach programs.
Right now he’s shooting to have his first camp in the spring of 2021 not in his hometown of Seneca or Greenville but in Columbia with the hope to expand over the next few years.
“I don’t have this opportunity if I’m not at the University of South Carolina. I have the opportunity and resources given to me and the trust where if I say something Connor, Marcus and all these people jump on it,” Urich said. “I’m extremely grateful to be here and pursue my passion outside of football but with football and using all of my passions to create change and make a difference.”
