Local sportswriter driven by faith to help high school athletes reach their dreams
Zach Fleer covers high school basketball for 270 Hoops, a website that highlights rising stars in the local high school basketball ranks, but his work with central Ohio youth doesn't end at game coverage.
The Columbus native has used the relationships he's built with coaches and scouts to help hundreds of local students earn athletic scholarships from schools at all levels of college athletics.
"I understood basketball could be used as a platform for a lot of these kids to become the first person in their family to go to college, to get an education and use it as a tool to better their lives," said Fleer, 28.
Along with placing the city's most-talented players on the 270 Hoops website and social media accounts, Fleer has held showcases for players to gain additional exposure and helped several students pay for ACT tests to qualify for college enrollment.
Former Northland High School player Willy Mfum said that after Fleer covered one of his games, the 6-foot-2 guard received offers from Youngstown State University, Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris University and others before landing at South Dakota State University this season.
Mfum, 19, said Fleer advocated for him and other players to ensure they have a chance to reach their athletic aspirations.
"He's more about helping others than himself," Mfum said. "He doesn't worry about himself, he's just trying to help the kids from the city that's really in need."
Along with his athletic pursuits, Mfum has maintained a relationship with Fleer. Since moving to South Dakota, Mfum has reached out to him about his struggles with the transition.
"I had a couple of struggles through basketball and he told me to stay focused, like I got this," he said. "Zach is like a real big brother."
While Fleer hasn't maintained connections with as many current players this year as he has in years past because of the growing age gap, he said it's important to continue forging those relationships.
Like many of the athletes he covers, Fleer grew up poor on the city's west and southwest sides.
With his mom out of work due to a serious back injury, Fleer's father was forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. And after his family filed for bankruptcy, Fleer quit baseball his senior year at Central Crossing High School to work 30 hours a week as a host and busboy at O'Charleys.
Having had these experiences, Fleer said, he's driven to help young athletes become the first person in their families to receive a college degree — just as he was.
Jason Morrow, who founded 270 Hoops with Fleer in 2015, has been friends with his partner since high school. He said Fleer's passion genuinely is around fostering the kids' success.
Morrow said there are a lot of "bad actors" hanging around high school athletics, people who take credit when an athlete receives a scholarship. But Fleer isn't one of them, he said.
"For him, it's not so much about wearing a lapel saying, 'I've gotten so many kids to college,'" Morrow said. "It's just about the next person he can help."
Fleer said this desire to be of service has grown since finding God and connecting further with his Christian faith in April 2020 as he had more time to reflect at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Since I gave my life to Christ, I've really understood my identity," he said. "I'm a child of God that covers basketball, not just someone who covers basketball."
Fleer said this level of support takes a village, and there needs to be more people willing to do what he and Morrow do for young athletes.
Going forward, Fleer and Morrow are working to establish more events and showcases under 270 Hoops, with the goal to find more of the city's hidden gems.
On a personal level, Fleer said he will continue growing in his faith and push others to help fulfill the dreams of high school athletes in central Ohio.