Uncategorized – Page 87

The Atlanta Braves…The Team With The Good Faces

February 12, 2013 by C.J. Stewart

The Atlanta Braves outfield is stacked with talent and they are young. I’m still on Cloud 9 with the decision that Frank Wren made to bring the Upton’s to Atlanta.

Why did he do it? I don’t know the exact answer but in my opinion, he did it because he felt that they were good enough to help the Braves win. That is a simple answer considering that every major league team wants to win championships and the general manager is charged to put a winning team on the field.

I have listened to so many people over the years say that African-American players never get a chance in Atlanta. Most of these conversations happen in the barber shop of course. The bottom line is that you have to be good enough to play this game regardless of your race. Jason Heyward, BJ and Justin Upton are all good enough to help the Braves win and that is why they have the privilege of wearing the “A” on their hat with Braves across their chest. The Atlanta Braves is more than a baseball team, it is a national brand.

The timing couldn’t be any better for a school age African-American male that has dreams of playing this game. For my Atlanta based non-profit organization L.E.A.D. Inc., the MLB isn’t the focus. Instead, we want to continue to increase the numbers of African-Americans that are competing at the collegiate level. According to the NCAA, in 2009-10, the participation of African-American baseball players was less than 6% on its Division 1 teams.

100% of L.E.A.D.’s Ambassadors graduate from high and enroll into college while 92% of them enroll in college with baseball scholarship opportunities. How would Atlanta operate if we used baseball to afford more African-American males to have the opportunity to attend and graduate from college and work for the Atlanta Braves, Coke, Delta, CDC, UPS, etc.?

L.E.A.D. serves over 500 Atlanta Public School males K-12 with year round programming and most if not all of them will be tuned in to watch several Braves games this season on television. Several of them that track well with our Civic Stats will cheer on the Braves live at Turner Field with my wife, my two daughters and I. It should be against the law to not watch Braves baseball if you live in Atlanta this season!

Thank you Atlanta Braves for continuing to add good faces to the roster.

On the front row eating hot dogs tonight at Price Middle School

February 4, 2013 by C.J. Stewart

The NFL season is finally over. My Falcons didn’t win it all this year but we will next year!

I have a great day planned for today. I have some conference calls that will benefit a lot of youth in Atlanta, visit some of our L.E.A.D. partner schools then train Dexter Fowler and Telvin Nash before they head to spring training.

Before I head home to spend time with my lovely ladies, I’m going to watch some middle school playoff basketball action at Luther Price Middle School at 5PM. Willis Sutton Middle School will match up against Price Middle School to determine who moves on for the basketball championship.

Click here to check out this photo of me with some of the students/athletes with Price Middle School after they won the 2012 football championship. Some really cool kids!

The shooting last week at Price Middle School still has people afraid. I look forward to being on the campus this evening. L.E.A.D. serves this community and other communities throughout inner city Atlanta every day throughout the year. I can’t explain why this incident happened but I feel that is my responsibility to be one of the first to respond and provide a sense of hope for the students.

L.E.A.D. currently serves eight of the Atlanta Public School 16 middle schools with year round programming including B.E.S.T. Academy, Sylvan Hills, Jean Childs Young, Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, Walter L. Parks, Charles Harper-Samuel Archer and Joseph Brown Middle Schools. Currently, Price Middle School isn’t one of our partner schools but this shooting incident is more reason for us to add them.

My father shares stories with me about his days as a student at Price when it was a high school. The legacy of this school in this community is rich.

I will have a front row seat this evening at Price Middle School watching some good basketball and fighting the desire to each three hot dogs and chips. I’m trying to lose some weight. I have to stay in shape to chase these kids around.

Continue the fight for excellence for students throughout this great state of Georgia. They all matter and they all need us!

“They” Will Love It At Lovett

January 28, 2013 by C.J. Stewart

For the second year, over 150 middle school baseball student/athletes from Atlanta Public Schools will receive a baseball clinic experience on the campus of The Lovett School on Sunday, February 10th.

They will be picked up at their respected schools and travel through parts of Buckhead and see a community that looks different than theirs. The houses may be bigger but that doesn’t make the Buckhead community “better” but it will allow them to see something “different”. A different way of life. A different perception of community.

When I traveled through Buckhead as a youth, I dreamed of having “that house” and “that car”. Good exposure is a good thing because it can cause you to focus on good things. The decisions that you make can now be based on getting the good things in life. It makes you think about what you feel that you should have. You can never know what you need until you know what you are missing.

Last night, the L.E.A.D. Ambassadors joined the Lovett Lions varsity baseball players at D-BAT Atlanta to plan for the Feb. 10th clinic. We have pitching, infield, outfield, and hitting stations on the development schedule. The normal stuff that you do at a baseball clinic except our middle school LEADers will be doing it with the use of a multi-million dollar baseball/ softball facility while receiving instruction from the L.E.A.D. Ambassadors and the Lovett baseball team. This experience is different. Good folks coming together to have a good time at the right place at the right time. Wanna join us?

L.E.A.D.’s Middle School Baseball Development League continues to grow since 2010 when it was established. We now partner with over 60% of Atlanta Public School middle schools. You will find a year round baseball presence at Jean Childs Young MS, B.E.S.T. Academy, Sylvan Hills MS, Harper-Archer MS, J. E. Brown MS, J. F. Kennedy MS, W. L. Parks MS and M. L. King MS. These LEADers earn their way to becoming a L.E.A.D. Ambassador. Click here to find out the impact that L.E.A.D. Ambassadors have on the city of Atlanta.

L.E.A.D. stands for Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct and we measure our success year round based on academics, athletics, service/civic engagement and exposure. I will go out on a limb to say that our collaboration with The Lovett School on Sunday, Feb. 10th will be a great day of exposure for our LEADers. They are going to love it at Lovett.

You can love it too! To volunteer, contact Volunteer@LEAD2Legacy.org.

Special thanks to Billy Peebles (The Lovett School Headmaster), Charlie Finch (The Lovett School Assistant Athletic Director), Lance Oubs (The Lovett School Head Varsity Baseball Coach), Jamie Palmer (The Lovett School Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach), Rendell Jackson (Atlanta Public Schools Middle School Athletics Program Manager), Kelli Stewart (L.E.A.D. Co-Founder/Executive Director), Kerwin Giles (L.E.A.D. Middle School Director), Bakari Moore (B.E.S.T. Academy), Kevin Young (M. L. King MS), D’Wayne Carter (W. L. Parks MS), Brandon Johnson (J. F. Kennedy MS), Sedrick Parker (Sylvan Hills MS), Harry Moss (J. E. Brown MS), and Malcolm Shell (Harper-Archer MS) for making this event possible.

More Than A Career Day At Grove Park Elementary…It’s A Networking Event

January 24, 2013 by C.J. Stewart

Every fall, over 52,000 Atlanta Public School (APS) students start a new school year eager to see their friends and teachers. They can count on a rigorous work load and two much needed breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They can also count on having “Career Day” every year.

There are a lot of great things to brag about Atlanta Public Schools but the students need more exposure to career opportunities to make the education process relevant. Every child may not know exactly what they want to be when they grow up but every child should have a “DREAM JOB!”

Professionals come to the school to empower students by sharing their careers every year. While I was a student at Grove Park Elementary in the early 80’s, I remember a career day speaker telling the class about his career as an entrepreneur. It intrigued me so much that it became my back up plan to becoming a Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs. Now I realize that entrepreneurs work hard every day so that we don’t have to get a job.

I have participated in several Career Day events and I always leave wondering if I made an impact or if the students were bored like I was sometimes as a student. Unless we meet the students “where they are”, we run the risk of having them feel that “I can’t do that.” If we don’t connect with them, we can’t empower them.

What if the students could request the career day speakers that they wanted to hear from? What if they could read the bio of the speaker before they arrived? What if the speaker received a comment card or blog from the students afterwards that would allow him/her to know what the students learned. And what if the speakers presentation was captured in a binder so that the students and parents could have access to it when he/she leaves?

A good career day speaker is going to capture the attention of students but in order for it to truly be impactful, that presentation must remain accessible to the students.

I’m excited about this years Career Day at Grove Park because the students were surveyed and here are the careers that they want to be exposed to.

Actress

Architect

Artist

Astronaut

Author

Baker

Baseball Player

Basketball Player

Boxer

Bus/Truck Driver

Cartoonist

Cosmetologist

Dancer

Day Care Owner

Dentist

Doctor

Dog Sitter

Engineer

Entrepreneur

FBI Agent

Fashion Designer

Fireman

Football Player

Hockey Player

Landlord

Lawyer

Librarian

Mechanic

Medical Assistant

Model

Music Producer

Nail Technician

News Reporter

Nurse

Pastry Chef

Pharmacist

Police Officer

Private Investigator

Professional Cheerleader

Radio Personality

Race Car Driver

Restaurant Owner/Caterer

Senator

Soldier

Song Writer

Sports Manager/Agent

Teacher

Veterinarian

Video Game Designer

Wrestler

Prior to your arrival, the students need a short bio as well as a guideline of your presentation. Be prepared for them to have some great questions because you have the career that they requested.

When you leave, the students will discuss their notes and follow up with a comment card or blog for you. And most of all, your presentation will remain in the school for the students and parents to view for the remainder of the school year. The careers of our speakers will be on display in the Parent Center to empower the parents. There are millions of jobs that will exist in 2023 that haven’t been created yet. I know for sure that my job as a professional baseball swing coach didn’t exist when I was in elementary school.

Grove Park’s Career Day is more than a Day. It is a networking opportunity for the students. We want the Career Day speakers to become possible employers for the Grove Park students. This is how you transform communities.

Careers don’t start when you are an adult. It starts during childhood. To have a rewarding career, you simply need something that you are passionate about, a quality education, a skill and a strong network.

I hope that you choose to join me on Friday, March 8th for Career Day at Grove Park Elementary School. For more information, contact Mrs. Ramia Cook, School Counselor at rhcook@atlanta.k12.ga.us or (404) 802-7750 office.

Grove Park Elementary School
20 Evelyn Way Northwest
Atlanta‎ GA‎ 30318

(404) 802-7750
www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/Domain/2148

Dr. King’s Dream Lives!

January 21, 2013 by C.J. Stewart

What an amazing day this is that God the Father has blessed us with once again!

On January 15, 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, GA and today we celebrate his birthday as well as his legacy.

Dr. King’s dream lives through my Pastor Craig L. Oliver of Elizabeth Baptist Church. At Elizabeth, our mission is “To lovingly lead the lost into a relationship with Jesus Christ and to develop mature believers. We believe in Glorifying Christ by fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment = GC3. It is a blessing to hear God’s Word at my church and have the opportunity to act on it by serving youth in Atlanta.

L.E.A.D. Ambassador Harold Grego and Minister Tim Sims of Elizabeth Baptist Church

Dr. King’s dream lives through the L.E.A.D. Ambassadors. L.E.A.D.’s mission is to provided at-risk youth males with access to higher education and civic engagement through baseball. Click here to check out our impact stats.

Dr. King’s dream lives through me. I believe in the youth of Atlanta. One day this city will awake to see the negative light removed from the face of inner city Atlanta African-American youth males. When the high school graduation rate of African-American males increase, my name will be mentioned. When the crime rate of African-American males decreases, my name will be mentioned. I am committed to the mission of L.E.A.D.

Today is Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day and it will be celebrated in over 100 countries across the world. This is a day on and not a day off. How will you serve others today? How will you serve others throughout 2013? When you leave this world, what will be your legacy?

Today, the L.E.A.D. Ambassadors will serve again as marshalls for the Martin Luther King Day March. This is an amazing honor. May God bless our country and our leaders!

Dr. King’s dream wants to live through you!

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