Friday, January 13, 2012

The legacy of a King

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died at the age of 39 but his legacy lives on through so many of us.  I remember as a child watching countless documentary’s about Dr. King.  You couldn’t live in Atlanta and attend an Atlanta Public School without knowing who Dr. King was. There were photos throughout the schools to serve as a reminder of his servant leadership.

How fascinating it is that God would choose a man and use him to empower millions.  Dr. King was here on Earth for a purpose.  He was on a tour of duty led by God the Father.

What’s your purpose in life? What will be your legacy?

What a friend we have in Jesus.  Jesus gave his life so that we may live life abundantly.  I’m living life abundantly.  Through baseball, I help shape the lives of young men and women.  Not all of my mentees will be major league baseball players like Dexter Fowler.  Some are attorneys.  Some will be entrepreneurs.  One may be the President of the United States.



God has a calling on my life to lead.  I accept the responsibility with humility.  I am willing to learn from others and be an Ambassador.  I’m not living my life for me.  I’m living my life for God and it is a pleasure to serve you.  Continue to pray for me.

If your presence on this Earth doesn’t make an impact, your absence won’t make a difference.  Thank you Dr. King for accepting the calling on your life from God.  Thank you for leaving a legacy that continues to empower me and millions of others.

I will continue to L.E.A.D. and Direct!


Monday, January 9, 2012

Like the things that you love

I've loved baseball every since I was a kid. It started with me watching games on television. I remember my dad buying me a wooden bat from Kmart and I would hit rocks outside all day.

Those of us that love baseball have so many stories to tell about getting your first glove, playing catch with your best friend or going to your first major league game.

When I was a kid, playing competitive baseball cost less than $200 per year. Today, you can't even buy a glove with that. If you don't invest at least $5,000 per year for year round baseball, you have no chance to compete for a college baseball scholarship.  There are currently less than 7% of African-Americans competing in baseball at the college level.  Click here to learn more.

L.E.A.D. uses baseball to help inner city Atlanta males access college. Our success rate has never been achieved in America prior to L.E.A.D. To date, 100% of our Ambassadors have graduated from high school and enrolled on college while 89% of them have have enrolled in college with a baseball scholarship. The state of Georgia currently graduates 45% of it's African American males from high school.

What L.E.A.D. needs now more than ever is support from communities across Atlanta and throughout America. If you love baseball, "Like" L.E.A.D.  Please share with your friends and network!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Meet The Ambassadors

Being an Ambassador is all about making the sacrifice to learn and then being willing to share what you learned with others for the sake of empowering them.

We began the process of selecting our 2012 L.E.A.D. Ambassadors in the fall of 2011 during our Legacy League fall instructional play program. Forty high school males competed for 18 L.E.A.D. Ambassador spots.

The Ambassadors represent the best of L.E.A.D. in four areas of excellence: academics, athletics, service and exposure. Since November 2011, our Ambassadors have raised funds for families in need, toured the CDC and the Jimmy Carter Center and learned the same skills of hitting like Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward at Diamond Directors.

Today, the Ambassadors are sharing what they have learned with the Atlanta community during our annual Meet The Ambassadors event. Through L.E.A.D., we are truly transforming communities by connecting communities.



The Ambassadors are truly celebrities. These are our change agents that are invested in Atlanta and are willing to learn how to lead the way.

We all offer tremendous value to the world. We all have a story to tell that can empower others. Follow the story of L.E.A.D. in 2012 as we continue to L.E.A.D. Today and Change Tomorrow!



Meet The Ambassadors
*Elder, Mendez (Grady)
Jackson, Rhandal (Mays)
Morgan, Jerald (Mays)
Ratliff, Quinton (Washington)
Martin, Miles (North Atlanta)
Reed, Cedric (Carver)
Reed, Cornelius (Carver)
Booker, Antwain (Tri-Cities)
Booker, Darvell (Tri-Cities)
Hodge, Marcus (SW Dekalb)
Sinkfield, Marquese (Grady)
Muhummad, Earl (Grady)
Key, Santoine (Redan)
Phiffer, Julian (Mays)
Willingham, Jamarcus (Therrell)
Thompson, Dexwin (Therrell)
Mackenzie, Russell (Therrell)
Cornell (Hughes)
Hyde, Max (Hughes)

*Honorary Ambassador