Words can’t express how proud I am to carry the Stewart last name.  Stewart means “household guardian”.  As far as I know, my Stewart family name goes back to my great grandmother Annie Mae Stewart who made Jackson, GA (Butts County) her home.  I remember all of the family reunions as a kid going to the “country”.  I was one of “city boy” Stewart’s.

My grandmother Elizabeth Dunn moved to Atlanta and raised the family with my grandfather Horace Dunn in the Pittsburgh Community of Atlanta near Turner Field.  My dad, uncles and aunts attended Atlanta Public Schools K-12.  They attended Gideons Elementary School, W.L. Parks Middle School and my dad graduated from Price High School.  My aunts and uncles graduated from J.E. Brown High School when the family moved to Beecher Street. Go Jaguars!

I was raised at Grove Park Elementary School (Atlanta Public Schools) grades 1-5 and was some of the best years of my life.  This was the school that my mother attended along with her brothers and sisters.  My success as a student was because of the constant involvement of my parents.  Grove Park always knew that they could count on my parents.  That legacy continues at Grove Park under the leadership of it’s current principal Caitlin Sims.

As an adult and a proud Grove Park Elementary School alum, I now serve as the founder and CEO of L.E.A.D., Inc.  Our mission is to provide at-risk inner city Atlanta youth males with access to higher education and civic engagement through baseball.  We currently serve over 250 youth in the Atlanta Public School System with year round baseball and youth development.  Click here to check out our IMPACT STATS!

On Friday, November 16th, my family was honored with dedication of the Stewart Family Center at Grove Park Elementary School.  This center is going to empower parents in the community.  With more parent involvement, students will continue to thrive.

I am so glad that my grandmother Elizabeth Dunn was able to see the dedication as she is beginning to have difficulties with her site.

My daughter Mackenna joined us with my niece Kortni who will be a third generation Stewart to attend Grove Park next year as a third grader.

Mackenna and Kortni Stewart with Grandma Dunn at Grove Park

Legacy is very important to me as well as having a good name.  A good name can bring about major change in communities.  Atlanta is my home and I am a guardian of this city!

Left to right: Mr. Dehussia-assistant principal; Marquez Jackson-cousin;  Nicole Stewart-sister; Kortni Stewart-niece; Mackenna Stewart-daughter; Kelli Stewart-wife; CJ Stewart; Caitlin Sims-Principal; Gail Stewart-mother; Willie Stewart-father; Elizabeth Dunn-grandmother (seated)

The 2013 class of L.E.A.D. Ambassadors were selected last week and this Saturday, they were all orientated by Ty Yokum who serves as the Training Manager for Chick-fil-A.  He is dynamic.  Our executive director Kelli Stewart completed the orientation and had everyone’s attention.

Excellence is one of L.E.A.D.’s core values so it only makes sense that we get the support of Ty Yokum to prepare our Ambassadors for another year of service to the City of Atlanta.  He started the orientation by giving the Ambassadors an opportunity to share their stories with each other.  Successful teams are built based on trust.  There is no way that I can trust you unless I know you.

Ty Yokum orientating the 2013 class of L.E.A.D. Ambassadors

Our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors precept is “I am proud to be a creation of God and I thankful for this opportunity to be a L.E.A.D. Ambassador.  I am my brothers keeper and together we will achieve greatness.”

There are only 25 L.E.A.D. Ambassadors but they are empowered to serve hundreds within their schools and that was the point of the orientation.  As we build our Ambassadors, they will build others and inner city Atlanta will change.

Coach Kelli shared an awesome illustration showing our Ambassadors how they are are a plant.  Unfortunately, their culture can influence them and cause them to wither.  L.E.A.D. is fortunate to partner with our families to replant our Ambassadors so that they can receive more sunlight and water so that they can grow.  L.E.A.D. is a culture of excellence, humility, teamwork, stewardship, loyalty, and integrity.  We are fortunate have amazing families on our side.  It truly takes a village to raise a child.

Coach Kelli orientating the 2013 class of L.E.A.D. Ambassadors

Make no mistake about it, you are a part of their growth as well.  You are the sunlight and the water that we need to feed the dreams of our Ambassadors.  Click here to join us for L.E.A.D. Weekend at Turner Field and be a part of helping our Ambassadors grow.

I have a story to tell and you have a story to tell.  We all matter and have a story to share.  When is the last time that you have had the opportunity  to tell your story?

My life hasn’t been perfect and there may be more negative moments than positive if I could press rewind.  Often times, I wouldn’t share my story for fear that I would be judged.

Many people across the country know about the great work that we are doing in the city of Atlanta through L.E.A.D.  Many of you have watched us grow from 2007 when our goal was to only offer free baseball clinics throughout the inner city of Atlanta to now offering year round programming serving over 250 young men in the Atlanta Public School System (APS).  Before L.E.A.D., baseball never existed at the middle school level in APS.  We have now graduated 33 Ambassadors from high school and they have all enrolled in college.  In 2014, we will have our first college graduating class.  Click here to check out our impact stats.

In order for us to make this type of impact, it requires support.  Many people ask me how I am able to get so many people to help us achieve our mission for L.E.A.D. such as Georgia’s Own Credit Union, Chick-fil-A, Belk, Atlanta Braves, Kim King Foundation, and many others. The answer is me being willing to share my story to people who care to listen.  In that lies God’s will being done.  Here is a snapshot of my story.

The youth living in the inner city Atlanta zip codes 30310, 30315 and 30318 grow up to represent 80% of the Georgia State Prison population.  The zip code 30314 is the 5th most dangerous community in America.  These statistics tell a story but each one of the youth living in these zip codes have a story to tell and often times don’t get to tell it to people that care to listen.  They all have dreams and I thank God that I am in a position to help them achieve them.

Yesterday, I got a chance to tell my story to 11 men and one woman at our Annual L.E.A.D. Coaches Workshop.  We weren’t discussing how to swing a bat.  We were discussing ways of creating memorable experiences for every young man that wears the L.E.A.D. emblem.

Ty Yokum (Chick-fil-A) facilitating our annual L.E.A.D. Coaches Workshop

We had coaches in attendance from our eight APS partner middle schools (King, Parks, Sylvan Hills, B.E.S.T., Harper-Archer, Brown, Young and Kennedy) and the workshop was facilitated by Ty Yokum who serves as the Training Manager of Chick-fil-A.  The workshop started with a video of people sharing their stories inside of a Chick-fil-A restaurant.  I was so moved by the video.  There was a lady sitting in a booth alone drinking coffee.  Her husband died a month prior and they would have shared their 50th anniversary that day.  There was a young and energetic girl bouncing around the story whose mother died when she was giving birth to her and now her father blames her for her mothers death.  With all of that, it is still the responsibility of the Chick-fil-A employees to treat each customer with respect because we all have a story.  I often go to Chick-fil-A just to feel good.  To be cheered up because they are one of the best in the business of providing memorable experiences.

I heard the stories of all of my coaches as well as my wife in the room and it was powerful.  I have been around many of them for years and never knew their story.  It is almost impossible to achieve a mission without knowing the stories of those that are fighting for change with you.

More than ever, our coaches will make the time to hear the stories of the young men that we serve.  Only 34% of African-American males graduate from high school within Atlanta Public Schools but they have a story to tell and L.E.A.D. is going to listen.  In order to make change, we have to spend less time talking and more time listening to our youth.

A movement was started yesterday.  Stay tuned.  Click here to join the L.E.A.D. team.

I walked the halls of Grove Park Elementary School as a student grades 1-5 between 1981 and 1986.  I had some of the most amazing teachers and the greatest principal on Earth.  I will never forget my principal Sylvia Jones.  I thought that she was the tallest woman in the world that gave the tightest hugs.  She always greeted me with a smile and spoke life into me.

My mother and father were awesome! On a regular basis, my mother would tell me that I would one day be a respected leader.  I had the privilege of watching a dedicated father go to work everyday to ensure that the dreams that he and my mother had for me could be fulfilled.

My mother Gail Stewart and I at her alma mater Booker T. Washington High School.

So in 2012, I am recognized as one of the top baseball swing coaches in America and Georgia Trend Magazines 2011 40 Brightest People Under the Age of 40.  I graduated with honors from Westlake High School and attended Georgia State University on a full academic/athletic scholarship.  My childhood dream of becoming a professional baseball player was realized in 1996 when I was drafted by the Chicago Cubs.  Now I am the owner of Diamond Directors Player Development, a business that I share with my wife that provides the blue print of success for amateur and professional baseball players across America.  How did all of this happen for me?

2011 GA Trend Magazine 40 Under 40. From left: Bill McLellan, Janet McLellan, Caitlin Sims (Grove Park Principal), Kelli Stewart, Mackenna and Mackenzi Stewart, CJ. Stewart, Steve White and Linda Rothermel.

I was born to amazing Christian parents that partnered with the Atlanta Public School System. A stranger at the time named T.J. Wilson pulled me to the side as a freshman at Westlake High School one day and said “you are going to play this game at the highest level.”  His words became action and before you know it, I was receiving professional baseball instruction, playing competitive baseball and being exposed to collegiate and professional scouts.  This is my story and an example of how Atlantans effectively serve each other to make this a great city.

The current principal at Grove Park Elementary School is Caitlin Sims and she is Mrs. Sylvia Jones all over again.  Mrs. Sims is more than a principal, she is a community leader.  I need your help to empower her parents with the creation of the Stewart Family Resource Center at Grove Park Elementary School.  Atlanta is an international city that has solved problems throughout the world.  Let’s make sure that we continue to take care of home.  Serving others is the Atlanta Way!

Hanging out with Caitlin Sims and her awesome husband at the Braves game 2012

Below is a wish list from the Grove Park Elementary School Parents.  Contact Leslie Meshad at LMeshad@Comcast.net by Monday, November 12th to make donations.  Please join the Stewart Family and the Grove Park families on Friday, November 16th as we bring the Stewart Family Resource Center to life at Grove Park Elementary School (20 Evelyn Way, NW, Atlanta, GA 30318).  Thank you in advance for your support!

There is a little more than two weeks remaining in our fall Legacy League.  Come check us out at Booker T. Washington High School.  Our final game is Saturday, November 17th.  Marcus Hodge continues to perform at a high level.  He recently returned from a recruiting visit at Grambling State University.  Wesley Clements has been accepted and received an academic scholarship from Young Harris College.  After the Legacy League, the 2013 L.E.A.D. Ambassadors class will be announced.  It won’t be just a regular announcement.  If you know L.E.A.D., you know that we do it big.

We are currently serving 70 (25 Middle School and 45 High School) Atlanta Public School students in the Legacy League.  The forty-five high school LEADers are competing for one of the 20 Ambassadors roster positions.  This is truly an honor and a privilege.  Ambassadors are considered based on our four pillars of excellence: academics, athletics, service/civic engagement and exposure.  Their involvement in these four pillars are measured with Civic Stats(tm).  Being a L.E.A.D. Ambassador is an earned opportunity.

Legacy League practice at Booker T. Washington High School

On Friday, November 30th, the Ambassadors will take part in a press conference at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School with over 500 students in attendance.  On Saturday, December 1st, we will host our 6th Annual Celebrity Baseball Clinic at Turner Field.  The Ambassadors will serve as clinicians along with Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward while serving over 100 students across metro Atlanta.  On Sunday, December 2nd, the Ambassadors will be officially announced to the city of Atlanta at Turner Field’s 755 Club at our 3rd Annual Dinner With Champions Awards Celebration.  There will be over 300 guest in attendance with Chuck Dowdle serving as our emcee and Vince Dooley as our keynote speaker.  Click here to get your tickets for L.E.A.D. Weekend.

L.E.A.D. Ambassadors at the Jimmy Carter Center in Atlanta