C.J. Stewart – Page 77

Tim Hudson is loyal. Are you?

June 13, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

L.E.A.D. Ambassador Vernard Kennedy: How do you define loyalty?

Tim Hudson: Loyalty is when you have faith in someone that you believe in. You should show your loyalty to people who are good role models and people who you believe in such as coaches, parents, teachers, family members and even teammates. Faith and commitment to one another are key components of loyalty.

Ambassador Vernard Kennedy reading to a young man at Sheltering Arms Early Learning and Resource Center

L.E.A.D. Ambassador Vernard Kennedy: Give an example when you had to show loyalty?

Tim Hudson: I show loyalty towards my children and wife regardless of the situations. I also show loyalty towards our family foundation because people are counting on us to help them.

L.E.A.D. Ambassador Vernard Kennedy: Why is loyalty important to you?

Tim Hudson: Loyalty is a must have in any relationship. Loyalty is the foundation to relationships with coaches, teammates and family members. If you don’t have loyalty and trust between one another then you don’t have a good relationship.

L.E.A.D. Ambassador Vernard Kennedy: How do you respond when someone isn’t being loyal to you?

Tim Hudson: One thing to do is just pull that person aside and tell him what’s he’s doing wrong in relation to loyalty and do not embarrass him; talk to him with respect. True friends talk to and help one another, even when it’s difficult.

Tim Hudson was attendance for our 2011 L.E.A.D. Celebrity Clinic at Turner Field

5-Star Experience for L.E.A.D. at LakePoint Sports Complex

June 11, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

The L.E.A.D. Jr. Ambassadors team played at LakePoint Sports Complex for the first time today and it was a memorable experience. Four turf fields with great baseball being played on them.

There are three things that you must have when you enter their gates.

Confidence

LakePoint Sports Complex is the home of Perfect Game and they attract more than your neighborhood rival teams. The start to a successful college and/or professional baseball career begins at Perfect Game tournaments for several players. This complex is the best in the world and the talent on the field compliments it. We played Miami Select today and they were impressive. We only gave up 9 runs on 2 errors and 3 walks today. The experience was well worth the financial investment for over 18 young men from Atlanta Public Schools that are using baseball as a “ticket out.”

Click here for Jr. Ambassadors action at LakePoint

Cash

I view any money spent here as an investment. It feels like home to me. Perfect Game has helped L.E.A.D. graduate inner city Atlanta black males from high school while launching them into college opportunities since 2007. This isn’t your standard $200 weekend tournament. The old saying is that “you get what you pay for.” We received 5-star treatment today.

Class

The design of this place was well thought out. I particular like the scout towers allowing all of the fields to be visible for hundreds of MLB and college scouts. Baseball isn’t played for recreation here at all. Parking was great. The location off the exit is so convenient. We were also a relatively short drive from our Booker T. Washington High School home field near the Georgia Dome. We experienced a 30 minute rain delay and literally got on the field within 15 minutes after the rain stopped. That’s crazy!

Now I want our baseball field turfed at Booker T. Washington High School. It can happen.

I’m more like a master chef

June 5, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

The first pitch is at noon and 2:30PM on Tuesday’s and Thursday each week for our Jr. Ambassadors (grades 6th-8th) this summer at Booker T. Washington High School (Atlanta Public Schools) but the next game actually starts after each game played.

Developing the raw baseball talent of inner city Atlanta African-American males requires vision, intuition, patience and persistence to name a few.

To be clear, I view “raw” as a good thing. Take a raw potato for instance. A master chef can do a lot with a raw potato. He can’t do much with potatoes that are already mashed except to serve them.

I’ve never been afraid of raw talent because I am a master chef. That doesn’t mean that I don’t shake my head in disbelief after they do some things on the baseball field that I have never seen before.

My vision is simple. L.E.A.D. is empowering an at risk generation to lead and transform their city of Atlanta so that our Ambassadors can lead their city to lead the world. Our Ambassadors don’t have to play in the majors. However I do expect one of them to be a U.S. Senator by 2040. One of our current U.S. Senators representing the state of Georgia is Johnny Isakson who is an Atlanta Public School alum.

Intuition is a must have skill while developing raw baseball talent. I plan for the best each day while expecting the worst until I can get them further along with necessary things like arriving on time and being engaged while at practice. These are the skills that matter the most for their lives beyond baseball. They love baseball and I use the game 12 months per year to help them develop these skills.

L.E.A.D. has helped me develop so much patience. I avoided working with raw talent for years prior to L.E.A.D. because I didn’t have the patience for it. This is hard stuff. It seems like I’m coaching everything from picking up trash to respecting others to wearing your uniform the right way to not using profanity on the field. Constant reminders to make eye contact and on and on. If I don’t do it, it doesn’t get done. I’m blessed to have several of our college Ambassador alums here this summer help me coach the Jr. Ambassadors along with the help of our high school Ambassadors.

When the going gets tough, I have to keep going. The year 2040 is coming quick and the fertile ground has to be tilled now. I’m not crazy and I’m not wrong for pouring into these precious young men. As we carry out our programming at Booker T. Washington High School, I’m reminded of the selfless work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who is a Washington High School alum.

I know why a lot people quit on children in the inner city of Atlanta. Because we don’t know where to begin with them. That’s another blog but now it is 12:30AM and I must say good night because we have another game in less than 12 hours and I’m
coaching coaches to coach the Ambassadors to coach the Jr. Ambassadors. Gotta love it!

What we did in January and why we did it

May 23, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

I woke up this morning feeling so blessed and inspired to do more for Atlanta through our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors. L.E.A.D.’s mission is to empower an at risk generation to lead and transform their city of Atlanta. Here is a glance at L.E.A.D. from January 2014.

L.E.A.D.’s Core Value for January was Stewardship

Several Ambassadors and I attended Mayor Kasim Reed’s Service Day Community Cleanup at the historic Washington Park followed by his inauguration at the Atlanta Civic Center. This was important for our Ambassadors to experience so that they are empowered to lead and transform their city of Atlanta.

Major League Baseball scout Lincoln Martin provided detailed scouting information to the Ambassadors so that they understand how they are being evaluated. They were also exposed to career opportunities as a professional scouts. This was important for our Ambassadors to experience so that they are empowered to lead and transform their city of Atlanta.

We served as Grand Marshals for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March on Peachtree Street to Ebenezer Baptist Church. This was important for our Ambassadors to experience so that they are empowered to lead and transform their city of Atlanta.

The Ambassadors did a collaborative cleanup with cadets from the United States Military Academy on L.E.A.D.’s portion of the Atlanta Beltline. This was important for our Ambassadors to experience so that they are empowered to lead and transform their city of Atlanta.

L.E.A.D. took it to L.A. and brought it back to the A

May 12, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

Guest Blogger L.E.A.D. Ambassador Emanuel Wilson, Drew Charter High School, Atlanta Public Schools

Describe the trip destination.

The trip destination was wonderful and the flight was fantastic.

What was the purpose of the trip?

The purpose of this trip was to do a documentary on how we use the app called Dartfish Express and also to show how we as black males are making a difference for our Atlanta community.

What did you discover about yourself while on this trip?

I discovered how life is viewed in so many different ways and how sometimes things that are overwhelming can impact you at any time.

Describe the people that you interacted with while on the trip?

The people I interacted with were so much fun because they made me laugh and smile and showed me how I should relax and just be myself through anything.

What surprised you the most while on the trip?

I would have to say the thing that surprised me the most was the weather. I was prepared to work in hot dry weather but it ways cold and windy but it did not stop me from working good and doing well at it.

What was your most memorable moment on the trip?

My most memorable moment on the trip would have to be when I was hitting and they were filming me. That made all eyes on me and it felt good to see what I was doing while I was hitting. Having all eyes on me helps me in school because it makes sure that I stay focus and on task at the work at hand.

Who was the most memorable person from the trip?

The most memorable person from the trip would have to be the Oscar Award producer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki because we both share the same first name. He was very serious about what he does and made sure he had the perfect shot for everything. He was extremely professional and he is a good new friend.

Left to right: Ambassador Ryan Martin (B.E. Mays HS, Atlanta Public Schools), CJ Stewart, Oscar Producer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki, Ambassador D’Anthony Morrow (B.E. Mays HS, Atlanta Public Schools), Ambassador Carlos Twine (New Schools at Carver, Atlanta Public Schools), and Ambassador Emanuel Wilson (Drew Charter HS, Atlanta Public Schools)

What did you learn from the trip that you can use to help L.E.A.D. carry out its mission to empower an at risk generation to lead and transform their city?

When big opportunities come up like this you have to stay on your toes. If you slip up, you can be sent home in the matter of seconds. Big opportunities like this can open up more doors for you and others and soon you will be able to do things like this on a consistent basis.

What are the top 3 skills that you have learned since becoming an Ambassador that helped you represent L.E.A.D. with excellence on this trip?

The first skill that I have learned since becoming a L.E.A.D. Ambassador is to listen more. If you listen more, things will become easier to do. The second skill is to ask questions. It’s better to ask questions and get it wrong before making the mistake. The third skill is to be patient because things don’t always come fast. It’s good to wait and get all the details before starting something new.

What 3 core values did you have to use each day while on the trip?

The three core values I had to use on the trip was excellence, teamwork and stewardship.

Describe the trip in 3 words?

My description of the trip in three words would have to be wonderful, great and a blessing. It was wonderful and great because I was able to work and still have a good time and enjoy myself. It was a blessing because times like this is not a everyday thing. Many people don’t get opportunities like this and I thank God that I was the one to have a chance to be in something great and share it with thousands of youth in Atlanta.

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