Meet Dr. Richard Myles Sr.

We recently connected with Dr. Richard Myles Sr. and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Richard, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

The resilience I carry comes from being surrounded by strong black-educated leaders growing up and residing in Washington, D.C. As a native Washingtonian, seeing Black leaders in power has never been unusual for me. This has been the norm for African Americans in positions of power in the nation’s capital. These leaders have also been great educators in regards to setting a great example for young people coming behind them. I was inspired early on by sports greats in D.C. who I wanted to be like. They didn’t let their circumstances growing up in the city interfere with chasing their dreams.

My resilience comes from the fact that I have always been an underdog. As the third child of Eddie and Bernice Myles, I grew up with brothers who were very competitive along with my two sisters.

Growing up in a family of eight boys and two girls, my siblings always brought out the best in me through our family competitions. And I brought out the best in them. As a middle child the resiliency competing against my older brothers, taught me to never back down as I had a big dog inside of me. As a former athlete, I always had to compete against guys who were bigger, stronger and faster, deemed to be the best. I learned if you play against the best, you’ll be the best. My resilience comes from knowing that no matter who I compete against, I would always perform to the top of my ability, giving my all, and soon realizing I could compete against the best and come out on top.

My resilience carries me forward every day as an entrepreneur, business leader, chaplain and radio host.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I lead the Minor Football League (MFL), the nation’s only professional minor developmental football league. This year the league celebrates 32 years as “the laboratory of change,” and is in the midst of the 2025 league season, holding combine and dance team tryouts throughout the country. The MFL is guided by the principles of “integrity, commitment and excellence in all we do.” Headquartered in the nation’s capital, the league aims to bring communities closer together by providing affordable entertainment and expanding economic development in regions across the country. The league is home to the eight-time MFL champions, the Washington Chiefs Inc. This year the league is also doing a complete rebrand of our website to celebrate an anniversary year.

Through the league’s signature developmental internship program, the league provides internships in the following areas: Video Production, Graphic Design, Administrative, Football Operations, Public Relations/Communications, Editorial, Sales and Community Relations. Each year, 10–20 interns are competitively selected for the opportunity from across the country. In addition to interning with the MFL, interns also work with the league’s nonprofit arm, the Minor Football League Foundation. Interns have gone on to secure jobs in the professional and collegiate sports industries as well as the corporate and nonprofit sectors. The league also partners with colleges and universities to host student-athlete interns throughout the academic school year and summer.

The league also hosts the Bobby Wilson Coach Diversity Fellowship Program, helping to create a pipeline of players from the field to the front office. The league prioritizes having the best candidates from diverse backgrounds, seeking to ensure a leveled playing field for all.

The MFL provides an opportunity for young men over the age of 18 to play competitive football for the chance and opportunity to be crowned an MFL champion at the end of the season.

In the future, the league looks to implement a world bowl as the league continues having deep conversations with leaders from African countries. Currently, the league is expanding franchise opportunities throughout the U.S.

The MFL Foundation has been awarded the presidential Lifetime Achievement award and I myself am a two-time recipient. The MFL Foundation is dedicated to providing outreach, education, and prevention programs for youth across the country. All league players also volunteer with the foundation contributing at least 100 hours of community service each league season.

Outside of leading the league, I also am a talent for the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment and DC Radio, where I host the league’s official radio show “Inside the MFL” and “Game Time,” a weekly sports radio show highlighting athletics in the city. “Inside the MFL” continually highlights guests who have experienced the MFL and help to expand the league’s mission and vision.

When not doing radio, I serve as a chaplain where I commonly speak to seniors in assisted living facilities and senior homes.

I am a long time businessman and entrepreneur who looks to lead by example.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The key qualities or skills I have relied on in my 70 years of life are patience, determination and flexibility.

With patience, comes being willing to actively listen to what young people are telling us. This is why I spend a great deal of time mentoring local DMV area young boys through the MFL Foundation I lead. It’s also why I have previously served on the Montgomery County Police Chief Advisory Board and the County Executive Mentorship program.

I have learned to be flexible because everyone is on a different schedule, and you might have to pivot priorities while working to reach your goal/s.

Determination is needed because with reaching a goal, comes adversity that you will have to face, but you must persevere on.

With all these qualities, continually working hard and aligning yourself with the right individuals that truly support and care about you will make a difference in helping you to succeed.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

The biggest obstacle or challenge I have currently is finding true and real support. Many people say they want to help but very few follow-up and put action behind their words. The Minor Football League is looking for long-term collaboration and partnership opportunities in communities across the United States to aid in what the league has built.

The league looks to partner with boards of trade and municipalities to place league franchises in various cities across the country and to collaborate with community businesses as sponsors. The league has been around for over three decades and is looking for support from the private business sector to help bolster league efforts in the community and to build awareness of the league and foundation as a whole.

The MFL Foundation is also looking for support for our key programs: No Thugs, No Drugs; Early Youth Offenders Program; Conflict Resolution; Away for A Day; Just Like Me; Beyond the Field and the Young Entrepreneur Program. The MFL Foundation also seeks to secure in-kind donations from local area businesses.

The league openly welcomes serious inquiries from business leaders and community members who want to help bring quality affordable family entertainment to cities and rural areas around the country.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Some photos are by photographers Joy Washington of En-Joy-Media and Qu Nmashie.

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