Our spring middle school baseball season is almost over. A champion will be crowned on Saturday, May 12th at Booker T. Washington High School.

I have seen amazing development in the areas of fielding, pitching and hitting. I’m most impressed with the improved baseball IQ of our LEADers. Our coaches have worked really hard to teach the game of baseball away from the field.  Baseball requires so much patience and critical thinking.  It is the perfect sport to compliment academic excellence.

High school coaches in the Atlanta Public School System will soon inherit some talented young baseball players that are committed to being successful on and off the field.  Unfortunately, our playoffs this weekend will end the season of several schools. One season ends but another begins in June when the Junior Ambassadors compete and receive academic enrichment through August. Then comes our fall Legacy League.  L.E.A.D. is serious about providing inner city Atlanta middle and high school age males with access to higher education and civic engagement through baseball.

It has been a pleasure to watch the development of the LEADers and their coaches. With so much negative press surrounding APS, teachers and principals are able kick back and watch their students represent their schools with pride.  The scoreboard will dictate who wins the game on the field but our LEADers are winning at the game of life. Thank you gentlemen for your commitment and sacrifice during this 2012 L.E.A.D. Middle School Development League season.

Without the giants in my life, I don’t think that I will ever be successful. Giants prevent you from becoming complacent. They force you to be innovative. GIANTS force you to connect and depend on God.

When facing my GIANTS, I often times react with doubt and frustration until I realize that every problem also presents an opportunity.

God has a plan for us all and has promised that he will never forsake us. HE has also promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve HIM faithfully (Romans 8:28). With that, I can rest and be assured that we will be victorious.

When facing GIANTS, there are three things that we must do in order to win.

First, we must take our problems, concerns, doubts, etc. to God in prayer first. In order to hear a response, we must have a relationship with God. How do you feel when someone only comes around when they need something. God is our father and chastens us like our earthly father does and he wants us to call on and depend on HIM first.

Second, we must be patient and wait on God to do his will. This is especially difficult for me since I like to figure things out on my own. God knows what is best for us. We have to trust HIM. Trusting HIM is taking action based on our belief in HIM.

Third, we must remain positive. I have learned so much from negative experiences. Storms bring doubt and fear. A good friend of mine told me that rainbows always follow storms and that is a true statement.

If you aren’t facing a GIANT today it is only because he hasn’t exposed himself yet. They are all around us but what a blessing it is to be equipped to fight them. Live to today!

We had perfect weather yesterday in Atlanta. It’s spring break for public schools which means traffic was mild for a change. 

I drove into the city to get a workout in at the gym before my 10AM hitting clinic at Booker T. Washington High School.  I arrived at the field at 9:15AM to set up and some players beat me there. I knew then that we were going to have a great day.

Within 10 minutes, 15 more players showed up for the clinic. At 10AM sharp, I greeted each player with a good morning and a hand shake. Afterwards, I asked, “Why the hell are you all here this morning on a baseball field with a baseball uniform on in the heart of the inner city of Atlanta during spring break?”

The first player responded quickly by saying, “to get better coach!” Another said “because I respect the game.” Another said “because I don’t want to let my coach down.”

Coach Timothy Lott is the head baseball coach at Booker T. Washington High School managing a varsity baseball team with a $200 budget that needs uniforms and equipment. They haven’t won a game all season. He addresses players as gentlemen and has one of the firmest hand shakes in the city. 

Why haven’t the players at Washington High School quit on Coach Lott, because he hasn’t quit on them. Just that simple. I’m one of the top swing coaches in the country and there are several high school coaches in this state that wouldn’t dare allow me to speak to their players for fear that I might teach them something that they haven’t taught and in some way show them up or make them look bad. But Coach Lott’s shares the same mission as L.E.A.D. – to provide access to at risk inner city males access to higher education and civic engagement through baseball – so he’s intelligent enough to know that I’m here to be a resource and not THE source.

I was empowered and encouraged after yesterday’s clinic. Coach Lott is truly a change agent and capable of developing baseball players. This is great news for the student-athletes at John F. Kennedy Middle School that participate in our L.E.A.D. Middle School Development League because they will enroll into Washington High School. 

Baseball isn’t dead in the African-American community. It just went in hibernation. Within 10 years, you will notice an influx of African-Americans competing at the collegiate level. There are currently less than 6% of African-Americans competing at the NCAA level. Every problem creates an opportunity and L.E.A.D. will continue to be a solution in Atlanta. Check our stats at LEAD2Legacy.org. 

Did you know that it cost the state of Georgia $73,000 per year ($200 per day) to incarcerate one juvenile? Did you also know that youth from the 30310, 30315 and 30318 zip codes grow up to represent 80% of the prison population? With a 34% graduation of African-American males from the Atlanta Public School System, it is time to invest in organizations that are delivering change for our youth.

Since 2007, L.E.A.D. has graduated 100% of our Ambassadors from high school with 100% of them enrolling in college. 89% of the Ambassadors have enrolled with a baseball scholarship. For $3,000 per year, L.E.A.D. puts/keeps middle and high school age African-American males on track to enroll in college.

The problem is obvious and through L.E.A.D., the solution is now even more obvious.

On Tuesday, April 10th, I will turn 36 years of age. For my birthday, I would like for you to donate $6 to L.E.A.D. as well as 3 of your friends.  My goal is to raise $3,600.00 by April 10th.

Baseball has giving me purpose throughout my life and I have committed my life to serving youth through baseball. Without purpose and hope, you have nothing and graduating from high school becomes less important.

Your financial support of L.E.A.D.’s mission will allow us to effectively serve more youth in Atlanta.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW. 

I hope I can shake your hand in the near future at one of our upcoming baseball games or events. Click here to find a date that fits your schedule so that you can see your donation in action.

How do you change tomorrow…by LEADing today!

“To understand the road ahead, ask those coming back. Success leaves clues.” This is my favorite Chinese Proverb.

I had an amazing conversation this morning with Mr. Lyndon A. Wade who is a graduate of Booker T. Washington and Morehouse College.  He said that “today’s youth in Atlanta will never know what they need to become until they know where they have come from.” Mr. Lyndon Wade was a standout student and athlete representing the Atlanta Public School System.  He played during a time when it was said that “you weren’t a man if you didn’t play baseball.” Charles Easley Sr.

L.E.A.D. is an acronym that stands for Launch, Expose, Advise and Direct. L.E.A.D. directs young men towards their promise by using the historical journey of past legends in baseball and the community as the road map.

Baseball has been a strong part of the African-American culture since the beginning of time just as our belief in Jesus Christ.  To say that African-Americans don’t want to play baseball is blasphemy. Even during the days of slavery, African-Americans played baseball.