I’ve been retired from professional baseball (Houston Astros) for 4 months now and I’ve been approached with a lot of different opportunities. It’s a blessing to have options when you’re talking about life and your career. I took my time deciding which way to go and making sure I made the right decision for my future.

Neiko Johnson preparing for a game with Houston Astros Minor League affiliate

After meeting with C.J. Stewart over the course of the past few months I’ve come to realize that my decision to join him and the L.E.A.D. organization was the best decision by far. This experience benefits me in a number of ways. I am learning how to understand myself, how to help others become successful, how to become a great mentor, coach and it helps me create the vision of my future. 

Without this opportunity, I honestly feel I wouldn’t be heading in the right direction as fast as I wanted to. L.E.A.D. helps me just as I am helping them. I realize we as mentors/coaches have an interdependent relationship with the LEADers (L.E.A.D. student/athletes) which is beneficial for both sides. The young men involved in L.E.A.D. benefit greatly and I am honored to be able to help them succeed.

L.E.A.D. stands for (Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct) which speaks directly to how the organization is structured. I love how the LEADers have to recite the mission statement, a bible memory verse, core values, and a precept daily. I feel that holds them accountable for the information that they are receiving and it helps them realize how great of an opportunity they have.

Being able to be involved in this is something I will remember forever. I will always be apart of this great organization and help out as long as I can. 

My goals can be accomplished from numerous places but this experience is different and extraordinary. Being able to surround myself with excellent people is the most important aspect. That alone was the biggest factor in my decision and so far it has paid off tremendously. The future is very bright within this organization and I show gratitude for this opportunity. ~Neiko Johnson

Neiko Johnson was a graduate of the University of Kentucky and played baseball for four years

Follow Neiko Johnson on Twitter @ThisIsNJJ.

L.E.A.D. has 6 core values that we govern ourselves by including excellence, humility, integrity, loyalty, stewardship and teamwork. We make decisions based on these core values. If we fail to fulfill our mission of empowering an at risk generation to lead and transform their city, it’s because we didn’t adhere to these values. By the grace of God, we continue to realize success because of theses values. 


September is a month that we focus on excellence. Our LEADers are required to blog weekly about what excellence means to them. They are asked to describe current and past experiences of excellence. This is important to L.E.A.D. because we want to make sure that we are serving our LEADers with excellence. 

The problem is that many of our LEADers can’t define or describe excellence. So even if we feel that we are serving them with excellence, they can’t receive it if they don’t know what it is or what it feels like. It is a mystery to many of them.

I define excellence as simple as doing what is expected of you. Attending school everyday on time and prepared to learn is excellent. Even if you have a troubled home life, attending school where you can be supported by several teachers is crucial. There are good and bad teachers but rest to assure that there are a lot of good ones in the building that can serve you but not if you aren’t in school.

Martin Luther King Middle School (Atlanta Public Schools) LEADer Octavious Bradley with The Lovett School Headmaster Billy Peebles at Lovett Spring 2013

It’s great to lead the way, providing you bring the followers along and engage them in the process. ~Kevin Daum

Engagement is to occupy the attention or efforts of a person or persons. This question is for adults age 25 and older. Name three things that you were fully engaged in when you were in middle school? In case you forgot, that was around ages 11 though 13. While you are thinking, I recall being most engaged in baseball, girls, and the youth choir at church in that order. 

I loved playing baseball as a kid. I fell in love with it around the age of 8 while watching Chicago Cubs games in the daytime with my grandfather. I always felt that I could play professional baseball if I continued to love it and have the right people on my side. 

Girls became less “yucky” for lack of a better word when I entered middle school. They dressed different and looked different and had me confused daily on how to approach them. 

Singing in the choir at Elizabeth Baptist Church was the thing to do back then because that’s where all of the really good looking and “good girls” hung out. I couldn’t help but feel the presence of God through songs but admittedly, I was most engaged because of the opportunity to socialize. 

I have daughters ages 6 and 12 and my wife and I serve over 300 middle school males (LEADers) within the Atlanta Public School System (APS) throughout the year since 2010. Our organization L.E.A.D. spends over 100 hours with them per month in the areas of academics, athletics, civic responsibility and commerce. We are fortunate to have the full support of the principals and our coaches are teachers in the school. 

The three things that I would like for middle school boys to be most engaged with is their spiritual relationship with Christ Jesus, academics and athletics in that respected order.

L.E.A.D.’s 2013 Middle School Character Development League Signing Day at Walter L. Parks Middle School

L.E.A.D. Ambassador Tabias Wimby (B.E.S.T. Academy, APS) shaking hands with Hall Of Fame Coach Vince Dooley