Executive Leadership Team
Grandmaster freddie mcneil
FOUNDER & Executive Director
Grandmaster Freddie R. McNeil was raised in Durham, North Carolina by Douglass and Alice McNeil, and is an ordained AME Zion Church elder. Master McNeil is a proud graduate of North Carolina Central University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Pre-Law and, later, a Master’s Degree in Education.
Master McNeil currently resides in Mebane, North Carolina where he is the husband of Tammy McNeil, father to son Tyler, and daughter Morgan, who is currently a student at North Carolina Central University in Durham. Master McNeil retired from working in Durham Public Schools in October 2019, after serving as its Executive Director of Human Resource Services after serving 32 total years in Public Education.
Master McNeil has a deep passion for shaping Triangle-area youth around the pillars of focus, discipline, and community service. He presently works as CEO, Founder, and Senior Master Instructor of Master Freddie McNeil’s Academy of Champions in addition to his leadership of SIDEKICKS Academy, Inc.
Master McNeil firmly believes that only what you do for Christ will last, and he remains grateful for the opportunity each day to serve the students of Durham, Triangle-area residents at-large, and partner with people and places across North Carolina to bring about lasting change centered on compassion, courage, and a commitment to justice.
Greear A. Webb
Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor
Greear A. Webb is a dedicated warrior for justice who cares deeply about bridging North Carolina’s racial divide. A native of Raleigh, NC, Greear is currently a third year student at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta. At age 17, Greear co-founded the NC Town Hall and Young Americans Protest (YAP!)—two youth-centered nonprofits. He is a committed student and fierce advocate, striving for progress in gun violence prevention and police accountability legislation. Greear has been recognized state- and nation-wide for his social justice efforts because Greear knows that our diversity as people is our strength and that reflective representation matters.
Greear was a leader of his peers while an undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill, having served in executive roles within the Black Student Movement and student government, notably as a Senior Advisor to UNC’s 100th Student Body President, Lamar Richards. Greear is firmly devoted to service, currently serving as Senior Advisor to the SIDEKICKS Academy Executive Leadership Team. Greear is a passionate leader always eager to collaborate and dedicated to making change.
Dr. Kimberly Ferrell
SIDEKICKS Academy Principal Emeritus
MSHINDA MIDDLETON-BROWN (MURRAY-MASSENBURG ELEMENTARY); CATHERINE LUCAS (R.N. HARRIS ELEMENTARY); DR. VANESSA ALFORD (C.C. SPAULDING ELEMENTARY)
PARTNER SCHOOL PRINCIPALS
Adley Prager
Senior Instructor, Sidekicks Academy
Master Adley Prager embodies decades of disciplined training, strategic insight, and a relentless commitment to mentorship. Hailing from New Jersey, Adley brings a blend of time-honored techniques and modern practice, guiding students through both the physical and mental facets of mastery. Master Prager has 30+ years of training in the martial arts. Emphasizes solid fundamentals before advancing to complex techniques. Encourages ongoing growth, reflection, and teaching others. Close-quarters combat and self-discipline. Tactical decision making under stress, Mentorship and leadership development.
David Washington
Master Instructor
Martial Arts styles: Shotokan Karate, Ketsugen Karate, Taekwondo and Goju-Ryu. Instructors Master Washington has trained under: Grandmaster Erskine Matthews, Grandmaster Freddie McNeil. Years Started Studying martial arts: 1974- Present. Professional Organizations: Taekwondo Union, Kukkiwon Association, Sidekicks Academy Inc., International Combat Martial Arts Unions Association (ICMAUA) and ITF Taekwondo. Personal Achievements: Family, Community College Graduate, Hard worker, Supervisor for the City of Durham, Retired 2022, Senior Instructor at Sidekicks Academy Inc.
morgan mcneil
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY and Digital Media, Taekwondo curriculum manager for sidekicks' lady warriors
Morgan McNeil was born in Durham, North Carolina but was raised in Mebane, North Carolina. Morgan graduated in May 2023 from Durham School of Technology, and currently attends North Carolina Central University. Morgan is a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo and is responsible for SIDEKICKS Academy's Lady Warriors division. Morgan started and operates a successful company called Surreal Customs. In her free time, Morgan loves to dance, listen to music, and eat Chick-Fil-A.
