LEAD Center For Youth

Thank you to all the players from both teams who made this year’s Safe at Home Game a success. In a first for the event, we switched things up Barnstorming style—no more Law Enforcement vs. Ambassadors. Instead, the teams were mixed, playing as Safe Team vs. Home Team. While the Safe Team took home the trophy, Atlanta won the day. We’re proud to have brought together L.E.A.D. Ambassador Alumni and local Law Enforcement Officers, building trust, respect, and open lines of communication.

To our LEAD Alumni and community, this year’s Safe at Home Game marked an incredible milestone—10 years of building bridges through baseball in Atlanta. We have been building bridges by connecting you and all of our program participants, Rookies, Jr. Ambassadors and high school Ambassadors, with law enforcement professionals from local, state, regional and national jurisdictions. The ongoing support from all of you makes this game truly special. Whether you traveled from near or far, your dedication means the world to us. Watching our Ambassador Alums grow into fathers, husbands, and community leaders fills us with pride. Seeing the community come out time and time again to support this communty work continues to inspire us! Thank you for your continued support, trust, and hard work!

For the first time, the Safe at Home Game will be streaming live! Please share with your friends, family and colleagues who aren’t able to attend.

https://www.youtube.com/live/RDspTei9Z5A?si=8unskHlYJk_Kzd6h

In addition to C.J. Stewart playing in this year’s game, we also have another surprise that you can only find out when you show up or watch live! Each year the relationship between L.E.A.D. 's Ambassadors and local law enforcement has grown stronger due to their participation in this initiative.

Regardless of who wins the game, Atlanta will win the day! ⚾️

L.E.A.D.'s 10th Annual Safe At Home Game - Building Bridges Through Baseball In Atlanta Atlanta Inner-City Kids Compete Against Inner-City Cops On the Diamond And Build Bridges Off ItNow in its 10th year, the annual Safe At Home Game brings toge...

A huge thank you to our amazing Barnstorming & Safe At Home sponsors, Kroger, Mercedes-Benz USA and Tanner Tees, for their generous support and ongoing commitment.

We were on the air with Samuel Crenshaw this past weekend talking about the Safe at Home Game! Check out our interview and join us this Saturday at Georgia Tech's Russ Chandler Stadium!

https://www.audacy.com/podcast/crenshaw-clarkson-748e9/episodes/theres-a-really-cool-baseball-game-that-you-should-know-about-ed624

This year, Christian Foreman and Demetrius Smith of the FBI - Atlanta will be honored with Courage Awards at the Safe at Home Game for their commitment and dedication to community!

Learn more at www.safeathomegame.com and join us on Saturday, August 17th at Russ Chandler Stadium.

We're inviting kids out to run the bases with our Ambassadors! Join in the fun at 10:30am on Saturday, August 17 at Russ Chandler Stadium right before the Safe at Home Game. ⚾👟

Our 10th Annual Safe at Home Game is on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at Russ Chandler Stadium at Georgia Tech! Watch our Ambassador Alums team up with local law enforcement officers in a unique 7-inning, self-officiated baseball game. This special event is all about fostering competition, trust, and respect while building stronger community connections. Don't miss out on this incredible day of unity and fun! ⚾

Register for free at www.safeathomegame.com

We had an incredible experience during the L.E.A.D. Barnstorming Tour in Gainesville, Newnan, and Rome. From thought-provoking discussions to engaging with the local community, the energy and passion were exceptional. Our boys gained invaluable lessons about the game and life, creating new connections with other youth players across Georgia. Thank you to our host city captains, their teams, and everyone who attended and contributed to making these events unforgettable.

The last stop on the tour is the Safe at Home Game here in Atlanta on August 17! Come out to Russ Chandler Stadium at GA Tech to enjoy a game between our Ambassador Alum and local law enforcement. Visit SafeAtHomeGame.com for more details and registration. See you soon!

https://youtu.be/jZvz_bYUSJg?si=H9xTmqIYJra3uhmd

Barnstorming 2024

Safe at Home Game brings together L.E.A.D. Ambassador Alumni and local Law Enforcement Officers creating an environment of competition, trust and respect between two communities who often struggle to find common ground and to open lines of communication. We are excited to welcome officers from the Atlanta Police Police Department, Atlanta Public Schools Police Department, Georgia Tech Police Department, and Deputies from the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. For the first time, we’re also welcoming officers from FBI - Atlanta!

Learn more at SafeAtHomeGame.com

Bob Rathbun is back as the announcer for the Safe at Home Game, and we're excited to have host & MC Ronnel Blackmon joining again as an announcer too!
Register to attend for free!

www.safeathomegame.com

We have some exciting guests joining the Safe at Home Game roster! Former Falcons Quarterback Matt Ryan will be back and serving as our Game Commissioner! He will officiate the bat toss between Honorary Team Captains Dr. Bryan Johnson and Ryan Buchanan. Chairwoman Erika Mitchell, Broadcaster Jeff Francoeur, and Team Captain Dr. Johnson will all be throwing out the first pitch!

SafeAtHomeGame.com

Gates open at 10am on August 17, at Russ Chandler Stadium.

Congratulations to four of our LEAD Ambassadors for earning All Tourney Pitching Honors in the 2024 WWBA 15U National Championship! Nick Edwards, Jr., Ezra Gandy, Chance Thomas, and Brian Ward, keep up the great work!

Perfect Game USA

Good vibes with good folks at the 2024 Hank Aaron Invitational💫

The Lady Ambassadors have made their TV debut! Congratulations to Coach Mackenzi Stewart for leading the way. We're so incredibly proud of this inspiring feature on 11Alive. This program is made possible through our partnership with Atlanta Public Schools Office of Athletics. Thank you Mr. Jackson, Joi Hunter and our inaugural partners and parents at Scott & Usher-Collier Elementary Schools for making this transformational program available to our amazing student-athletes! And to our Lady Ambassadors- keep shining baby girls💎🎾 Thank you and 11 Alive for sharing your platform to tell our story in such an empowering way👊🏿 Watch the full story here:

https://www.11alive.com/video/sports/olympics/practice-to-podium-atlantas-lead-center-inspires-next-generation-of-tennis-stars/85-90d784cc-afc7-41f3-af6c-e2e5d0404ecc

Practice to Podium: Atlanta's L.E.A.D. Center inspires next generation of tennis stars The LEAD Center is training the next gen of young Black female tennis stars, inspired by Atlanta native Coco Gauff and the Williams sisters, icons in the sport.

Join us for our Annual Community Champions Celebration sponsored by the Atlanta Braves Foundation on July 30 at Truist Park! This event is a part of the Braves' Hank Aaron Week and it celebrates L.E.A.D.'s student-athletes, alumni, and community ambassadors who make L.E.A.D. possible. Get your tickets to support our mission and honor our student-athletes and community leaders.

Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/LEADChampions

“The racism when I played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled, fortunately I had a manager and players on the team that helped me go through it,” said Jackson. “But I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”

As we honor and celebrate the triump and resiliance of those who paved the way, let's not forget how much they endured! Reggie Jackson spoke candidly about his experiences as a Black Baseball player in the south during a FOX Pregame show at Rickwood Field. His life was literally dependent on the support of his friends and his ability to control of his temper while being racially attacked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5BNPO_cvaE

Reggie Jackson discusses racism at Rickwood Field, Brock Purdy top tier NFL QB? | First Things First Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Danny Parkins discuss the latest news in sports including Reggie Jackson discussing racism at Rickwood Field and the FTF cre...

Huge congratulations to Joseph Smith on being named a 2024 Lutzie 43 Prepared for Life Scholarship Winner! His dedication to safe driving and inspiring others is truly making a difference. We're honored to have you represent L.E.A.D.

Congratulations to Coach Mackenzi for being named a 2024 Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award Honoree! We're so proud of your work with the Lady Ambassadors! The Sports Humanitarian Awards sponsored by PENN Entertainment is a celebration of the impact made by athletes, teams and sports industry professionals who are using sports to make a difference in their communities and throughout the world.

Mark your calendars for the 10th Annual Safe at Home Game on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at Russ Chandler Stadium at Georgia Tech! Watch our Ambassador Alums team up with local law enforcement officers in a unique 7-inning, self-officiated baseball game. This special event is all about fostering competition, trust, and respect while building stronger community connections. Don't miss out on this incredible day of unity and fun! ⚾

Register at https://bit.ly/SafeAtHomeGame2024

The world has changed, but injustices remain. At L.E.A.D., we're dedicated to fostering positive identity in our student-athletes while educating them on their cultural impact and the power they hold to make a difference. We empower them with the awareness of the injustices they may face, and provide them with the tools they need to use their voices for positive change.

Read these articles and more at https://linktr.ee/lead2legacy_atl

.insight

Through our program component, , our youth explore, discuss and embrace the truth about their existence as African-Americans. One of the resources we use to teach about American citizenship is a series called . Our Ancestor was a brave, courageous warrior for Black American Independence and this series does a great job of outlining his efforts along with the efforts of other leaders like . I encourage those who read this post to go on this journey of learning and truth-telling with our youth and watch the citizenship part of this series this weekend in honor of .

Thank you Coxe Curry & Associates for helping us impact and empower our youth, so they can win at the game of life 👊🏿

Sports: they’re beloved pastimes, lively competitive events, and a way to change young lives.

In Atlanta, C.J. and Kelli Stewart founded the LEAD Center For Youth in 2007 to empower an at-risk generation to lead and transform our city. Through baseball and tennis, L.E.A.D. teaches Black youth how to overcome three curveballs that threaten their success: crime, poverty, and racism.

“Atlanta’s vulnerable youth need to have the right social, emotional, and mental capacity to handle all the things being thrown at them,” said Kelli, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, “and that’s what L.E.A.D. offers: a solution where sports are a fun, active, effective means to a life built on integrity, character, service, leadership, and promise.”

Read more about this game-changing nonprofit in our series: https://www.coxecurry.com/stories-of-impact/lead-center-for-youth

We're almost there! C.J. and select Ambassadors are running in this year's Peachtree Road Race, aiming to raise $5,500 for L.E.A.D. programs. We're so close to our goal! Please click the link to help us cross the finish line.
Every dollar helps!🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾💪🏾

Donate here: https://www.givengain.com/campaign/lead-peachtree-road-race

C.J. Stewart wants ‘to show that these streets belong to black runners, too’ For C.J. Stewart, co-founder of L.E.A.D., running the virtual 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race opened up more than his own horizons – it opened up a new path to positively influence the city’s black youth.