C.J. Stewart – Page 119

Fork in the road

April 25, 2011 by C.J. Stewart

The L.E.A.D. Middle School Baseball Development League is going well. So well that our Leaders from our six partner APS middle schools are asking us to form a summer exposure team. The thought of a Junior Ambassadors team sounds so good.

Our middle school Leaders are faced with a very important week as they take the CRCT test. When this week is over, there are only a few more weeks until school is out for the summer. “What is there to look forward to” is the question that some of our Leaders have asked me.

Without summer baseball programs being offered at their neighborhood recreation center, they are left to be creative with their time this summer. I’m shaking my head as I type.

With the help of our L.E.A.D. Tailgate Club, we may be able to provide 15 scholarship opportunities to Junior Ambassadors for the summer. Making the selections from our current 90 league participants will be difficult but the reward will be sweet to Atlanta! They will have a unique opportunity to experience the L.E.A.D. Way which is excellence in Academics, Athletics, Service/Civic Engagement and Exposure. The things that they will learn this summer will truly allow them to be Ambassadors and be better prepared for school in the fall.

Recurring financial donations of any amount can be made at www.Lead2Legacy.org. I also encourage you to meet some of our Leaders and high school Ambassadors for our L.E.A.D. Tailgate party before the Sunday, May 15th Braves vs. Phillies game at Turner Field. Check out our website so that you can get in on the action. Here is your opportunity to help a young man who is at that fork in the road. Your support will help him go in the right direction. L.E.A.D. him Today and Change his Tomorrow!

Winning is everything to L.E.A.D.’s Tailgate Club

April 20, 2011 by C.J. Stewart

Everyone has some type of connection to America’s game whether you know it or not. Baseball has been with our country through the good times and bad times. Some of us cheer for the hometown Braves and some of us are just simply fans of baseball all the way down to the little leagues.

L.E.A.D. uses baseball in the inner city of Atlanta to help middle and high school students access college through baseball. We currently offer up to 60 scholarships to middle and high school student/athletes in our fall Legacy League as well as up to 90 scholarships to six APS middle schools during our spring Middle School Development League. We choose 18 high school Ambassadors from the Legacy League to represent the elite level of L.E.A.D. from the spring through the summer.

To date, 100% of our Ambassadors have graduated from high school and entered college while 87% of them have received athletic scholarships. We could do so much more with more student-athletes if YOU join our Tailgate Club.

The L.E.A.D. Tailgate Club consists of individuals within the Atlanta community and beyond that:

Attend games and cheer on our awesome Leaders and Ambassadors!
Donate money and time on a recurring basis
Participate in community service activities
Share your expertise by donating your professional services or holding seminars for our Leaders and/or families
Spread the word about L.E.A.D. to all your friends
Watch for emails about activities you can attend or ways you can get involved

Be a part of a winning team as we help our young men win at the game of life. Join the Tailgate Club today at www.Lead2Legacy.org where you can also view blogs from our Ambassadors as well as our 2011 event schedule. Spread the word!

Baseball isn’t dead in the inner city of Atlanta

April 16, 2011 by C.J. Stewart

Spring is the time of year when things come alive. For a long time, baseball has been considered “dead” in the inner city of Atlanta. Thanks to L.E.A.D. in 2007, baseball is alive as a year round sport in the inner city of Atlanta.

Our four pillars of excellence for L.E.A.D. is athletics, academics, service/civic engagement and exposure and we measure each of them. We currently serve families in the Dekalb County, South Fulton and Atlanta Public School System.

We have three programs that serve middle and high school age boys that strive to use baseball to access college. They are the Legacy League Fall Instructional League (August-November), Middle School Development League (March-May) and the Ambassadors (November-August).

Our families have faith in L.E.A.D. to help make their dreams a reality. To date, 100% of our Ambassadors have graduated from high school an enrolled in college. 87% of our Ambassadors have enrolled in college with athletic scholarships.

On Saturday, April 23rd, L.E.A.D. will host its Opening Day Ceremony for our Middle School Development League as well as our 1st Annual Inner City Youth Baseball March. This march will show the world that baseball is alive in the inner city of Atlanta. It also gives L.E.A.D. an opportunity to welcome Major League Baseball and the Civil Rights game to the home of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Civil Rights game is Major League Baseball’s effort to honor the role that the Civil Rights Movement had on the advancement of African American’s being allowed to play America’s game at the highest level.

Spring is here as well as youth baseball in Atlanta. Please join L.E.A.D. as we celebrate youth development in the name of baseball on Saturday, April 23rd at Perkerson Park. Our youth in the inner city of Atlanta are our assets. As they win on and off the baseball field, Atlanta wins!

Get 100 in 10

March 31, 2011 by C.J. Stewart

Thirty four years ago, I was born into the world destined to be successful – according to my mom. Her expectations were high even though funds were low. My parents needed a strong support system to help with raising me. That support system was the Atlanta community.

On April 10th, I will be celebrating my 35th birthday. My mom’s formula for success – prayer, hard work, education and respecting others – has gotten me to a place where I can use baseball to serve others and I love every bit of it. This year for my birthday, I’m asking you to join a support system that will impact hundreds of young men in Atlanta. In 10 days, I’ll celebrate my birthday with family, friends and youth baseball players at Perkerson Park. I want to make the announcement then that 100 people have pledged to donate at least $10 a month for the next year. Will you be a part of that pledge and help support your community?

As a kid, I wanted to be a professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs. I also wanted to be a successful entrepreneur. Thanks to the support of my community, my reality has surpassed those dreams. Today, I am one of the top baseball instructors in the country and owner of Diamond Directors (www.DiamondDirectors.com). I am also the founder of L.E.A.D., Inc., an Atlanta-based non-profit that uses baseball to help inner city middle and high school males access college. To date, 100% of our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors have graduated from high school and enrolled in college. 87% of our Ambassadors have received baseball scholarships. We achieve excellence in areas of academics, athletics, service/civic engagement and exposure.

L.E.A.D. offers year-round programs and I need your help in order for us to serve more student-athletes in the Atlanta Public School System. By donating at least $10 per month for a year, you can help fund the addition of two teams in our 2011 Legacy League, America‘s first fall instructional league that focuses on the development and exposure of inner city baseball talent. And our goal is not just to help these young men develop baseball skills; we want to address the fact that Georgia’s statewide high school graduation rate for African American males is only 43% and help more young men graduate and succeed.

Be a part of our winning team like countless others did for me when I was younger. You can visit www.Lead2Legacy.org to set up a recurring donation. Make your pledge and join me on April 10 at Perkerson Park and help me make the announcement that in 10 days, 100 people pledged to donate $10! This is the Atlanta Way!

Your name

March 24, 2011 by C.J. Stewart

L.E.A.D. shared the stage with some powerful and influential names this week such as Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Jean Childs Young and Walter L. Parks. This week, L.E.A.D. hosted Signing Day at six of our partner middle schools within the Atlanta Public School System. The LEADers at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, John F. Kennedy, Jean Childs Young, Walter L. Parks, B.E.S.T. Academy and Sylvan Hills signed L.E.A.D. scholarships.

Each LEADer’s signature and date on the scholarship was an acceptance of L.E.A.D.’s mission to use baseball to access college. They also agreed to honor our pillars of excellence which include academics, athletics, service/civic engagement and exposure.

D’Anthony Morrow, Cameron Giles, Ryan Martin and Lolon Lemons are among the names of LEADers in our Middle School Development League that are destined for greatness. They will achieve greatness because of the support of people like you.

This was an emotional week for me as well as I looked into the eyes of parents that are grateful for the mentorship that we provide throughout the year to their sons. I spoke to school administrators that are thankful for the added incentive that can be provided to their students. L.E.A.D. charges our young men to make a difference in their school and in their community. We hold our LEADers accountable by measuring their commitment throughout the year.

I want to say a special thank you for your attendance to Elanor Gotell who was in the first graduating class from Martin Luther King Middle School. Ms. Gotell’s son Octavious Bradley Sr. currently serves as a coach for the Martin Luther King Cobras and Octavious Bradley Jr. is a member of the King baseball team. This is also Octavious Jr.’s first time playing organized baseball and he is loving it. Ms. Gotell’s class was responsible for selecting the school mascot Cobras as well as the school colors royal blue and gold.

Great things are happening in Atlanta through L.E.A.D. and we invite you to join. My name is C.J. Stewart and I am the proud founder/CEO of L.E.A.D. What’s your name?

L.E.A.D., Inc. | L.E.A.D. Center For Youth