Volunteer Spotlight: Nick Phipps
This February, we’re honoring the trait of perseverance — the courage to keep showing up, keep growing, and keep believing, even when the path isn’t easy. Few people embody that spirit more fully than Nick Phipps.
For Nick Phipps, becoming a mentor with the Goal 13 Foundation was never a question — it was a calling.
The mission is deeply personal. Holden Trent was Nick’s best friend, and Holden’s mother, Annie B, was like a second mom to him. Stepping into a mentorship role felt like a natural way to honor Holden’s legacy while continuing the values they shared — belief in others, resilience, and leading with heart.
Nick currently mentors a young soccer player at Carolina Core FC, and their weekly conversations quickly became something he genuinely looked forward to. His mentee showed up prepared, focused, and ready to grow — not just as an athlete, but as a person.
Their conversations went far beyond soccer. They talked about mindset, confidence, and the importance of learning to be uncomfortable in order to grow. Nick emphasized that not everything in life has to feel so serious — sometimes laughter and personal connection are what make meaningful conversations possible.
Over time, he saw confidence build with each session.
Serving as a mentor also gave Nick a new perspective.
“Being able to guide my mentee through different challenges was really powerful for me,” he shared. “It brings joy — being able to help someone out when it might be so little means so much to them. It has really impacted me, being able to be that friend and mentor to someone.”
For Nick, mentorship is about shaping character just as much as performance.
He believes that when student-athletes grow emotionally and mentally — when they discover identity beyond their sport — they make better decisions and become stronger people.
That belief reflects the very spirit Holden embodied.
Nick remembers Holden as someone with unmatched drive and belief in himself — qualities that continue to ripple outward through Goal 13’s work today. The program helps young athletes develop that same self-belief, and as a mentor, Nick gets to witness that impact firsthand.
“The heart Holden had, the values he had, are still touching people today — just like what Goal 13 is doing,” he said.
Through mentorship, Holden’s legacy continues — not just remembered, but lived — in every conversation, every challenge faced, and every young athlete learning to believe in themselves.