Baseball isn't dead in the inner city of Atlanta

Spring is the time of year when things come alive. For a long time, baseball has been considered "dead" in the inner city of Atlanta. Thanks to L.E.A.D. in 2007, baseball is alive as a year round sport in the inner city of Atlanta. 

Our four pillars of excellence for L.E.A.D. is athletics, academics, service/civic engagement and exposure and we measure each of them. We currently serve families in the Dekalb County, South Fulton and Atlanta Public School System. 

We have three programs that serve middle and high school age boys that strive to use baseball to access college. They are the Legacy League Fall Instructional League (August-November), Middle School Development League (March-May) and the Ambassadors (November-August). 

Our families have faith in L.E.A.D. to help make their dreams a reality. To date, 100% of our Ambassadors have graduated from high school an enrolled in college. 87% of our Ambassadors have enrolled in college with athletic scholarships. 

On Saturday, April 23rd, L.E.A.D. will host its Opening Day Ceremony for our Middle School Development League as well as our 1st Annual Inner City Youth Baseball March. This march will show the world that baseball is alive in the inner city of Atlanta. It also gives L.E.A.D. an opportunity to welcome Major League Baseball and the Civil Rights game to the home of the Civil Rights Movement. 

The Civil Rights game is Major League Baseball's effort to honor the role that the Civil Rights Movement had on the advancement of African American's being allowed to play America's game at the highest level. 

Spring is here as well as youth baseball in Atlanta. Please join L.E.A.D. as we celebrate youth development in the name of baseball on Saturday, April 23rd at Perkerson Park. Our youth in the inner city of Atlanta are our assets. As they win on and off the baseball field, Atlanta wins!

Get 100 in 10

Thirty four years ago, I was born into the world destined to be successful – according to my mom.  Her expectations were high even though funds were low.  My parents needed a strong support system to help with raising me.  That support system was the Atlanta community.

On April 10th, I will be celebrating my 35th birthday. My mom's formula for success – prayer, hard work, education and respecting others – has gotten me to a place where I can use baseball to serve others and I love every bit of it. This year for my birthday, I’m asking you to join a support system that will impact hundreds of young men in Atlanta.  In 10 days, I’ll celebrate my birthday with family, friends and youth baseball players at Perkerson Park.  I want to make the announcement then that 100 people have pledged to donate at least $10 a month for the next year.  Will you be a part of that pledge and help support your community?

As a kid, I wanted to be a professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs.  I also wanted to be a successful entrepreneur.  Thanks to the support of my community, my reality has surpassed those dreams.  Today, I am one of the top baseball instructors in the country and owner of Diamond Directors (www.DiamondDirectors.com). I am also the founder of L.E.A.D., Inc., an Atlanta-based non-profit that uses baseball to help inner city middle and high school males access college.  To date, 100% of our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors have graduated from high school and enrolled in college.  87% of our Ambassadors have received baseball scholarships.  We achieve excellence in areas of academics, athletics, service/civic engagement and exposure.

L.E.A.D. offers year-round programs and I need your help in order for us to serve more student-athletes in the Atlanta Public School System.  By donating at least $10 per month for a year, you can help fund the addition of two teams in our 2011 Legacy League, America's first fall instructional league that focuses on the development and exposure of inner city baseball talent.  And our goal is not just to help these young men develop baseball skills; we want to address the fact that Georgia’s statewide high school graduation rate for African American males is only 43% and help more young men graduate and succeed.

Be a part of our winning team like countless others did for me when I was younger.  You can visit www.Lead2Legacy.org to set up a recurring donation.   Make your pledge and join me on April 10 at Perkerson Park and help me make the announcement that in 10 days, 100 people pledged to donate $10! This is the Atlanta Way!

Your name

L.E.A.D. shared the stage with some powerful and influential names this week such as Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Jean Childs Young and Walter L. Parks. This week, L.E.A.D. hosted Signing Day at six of our partner middle schools within the Atlanta Public School System. The LEADers at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, John F. Kennedy, Jean Childs Young, Walter L. Parks, B.E.S.T. Academy and Sylvan Hills signed L.E.A.D. scholarships.


Each LEADer's signature and date on the scholarship was an acceptance of L.E.A.D.'s mission to use baseball to access college. They also agreed to honor our pillars of excellence which include academics, athletics, service/civic engagement and exposure.

D'Anthony Morrow, Cameron Giles, Ryan Martin and Lolon Lemons are among the names of LEADers in our Middle School Development League that are destined for greatness. They will achieve greatness because of the support of people like you.

This was an emotional week for me as well as I looked into the eyes of parents that are grateful for the mentorship that we provide throughout the year to their sons. I spoke to school administrators that are thankful for the added incentive that can be provided to their students. L.E.A.D. charges our young men to make a difference in their school and in their community.  We hold our LEADers accountable by measuring their commitment throughout the year.

I want to say a special thank you for your attendance to Elanor Gotell who was in the first graduating class from Martin Luther King Middle School. Ms. Gotell's son Octavious Bradley Sr. currently serves as a coach for the Martin Luther King Cobras and Octavious Bradley Jr. is a member of the King baseball team. This is also Octavious Jr.'s first time playing organized baseball and he is loving it. Ms. Gotell's class was responsible for selecting the school mascot Cobras as well as the school colors royal blue and gold.

Great things are happening in Atlanta through L.E.A.D. and we invite you to join. My name is C.J. Stewart and I am the proud founder/CEO of L.E.A.D. What's your name?

Wise souls

Spending time with my grandmother today gave me a boost of energy. Like most grandmothers, mine is the foundation of our family.  She is filled with so much wisdom and positive energy.

She never saw me play in a baseball game but she was always my biggest fan. We have a large family and grandma couldn't be everywhere at once.   I knew that I could always go to her for money to buy Nike cleats when my mom wouldn't buy them.  Lol!  She always found something for me to do around the house to earn the money though.

I'm older now and she was there to watch me be ordained as a deacon.  Her being there on that occassion meant more to me than seeing me hit a homerun.  She has also been present at several L.E.A.D. functions.  I remind her that I serve others now because I was inspired by her as a child.

A kiss on the cheek and a "job well done" from grandma is what I needed today.  L.E.A.D. will continue to move in the right direction with the prayers of wise souls like my grandmother.

Disney Magic in Atlanta!

Good old fashion hospitality is the secret sauce behind the Disney magic. There is an amazing culture created here. The best part? It can be duplicated.

It starts with having people involved that want to be involved. Disney employees seem more like investors in the Disney Corporation than just employees.

The second of many ingredients is good leadership. Someone is taking the time to make sure that all i's are dotted and t's crossed. Careful planning and execution is critical to providing a memorable experience.

I realize that Disney wasn't created over night. It started with a mission and vision a long, long time ago. That mission and vision was so clear and that is why millions of people throughout the world can leave Orlando, Florida with a smile on their face compliments of Mickey.

I'm having more fun here recognizing the people that are delivering the experience than riding the rides. Maybe I'm alone on this one but I'm a fan of serving others. Sanitation jobs are revered out here. The parking attendants could sign autographs if they wanted to.

We are mixing up the L.E.A.D. sauce and glad that you are willing to try it. We aren't perfect but we strive to provide a wonderful, memorable experience for everyone that is involved with our year round program; from the student-athletes on the diamond to the spectators in the stand.

L.E.A.D. is providing Disney Magic in Atlanta!

Career Day the Grove Park Way!

I heard the word entrepreneur for the first time when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade at Grove Park Elementary. Of course there were doctors, lawyers and engineers in the building but that wasn't what I wanted to do when I "grew up". I am so thankful that our school principal Mrs. Jones made sure that we had a large variety of careers represented that day.

Fast forward over 25 years and today I was able to have several of my dear friends share their careers with students at Grove Park. Exposure still means so much to me as an adult as I strive for excellence. That same exposure is what is needed to mold our students in APS. Like the old saying goes "you know what you know and you don't know what you don't know". Our students are capable of being great but it is our responsibility to expose them to tomorrow's positive realities today!

Special thanks to Grove Park's Principal Caitlin Sims and school counselor Ramia Cook for organizing the successful event. Thank you to my wonderful friends for pouring yourselves into the Grove Park students. L.E.A.D. Today...Change Tomorrow!

Jeff Johnson-Peachtree TV

Kristi Dosh-www.ItsASwingAndAMiss.com Chadd Scott-Sports Radio Personality Kevin Donovan-Helios Partners (Marketing)

Patty Rasmussen-Freelance writer

Darrin Woley-Ignition (Marketing)

I will be updating this list with others guest presenters that were at Grove Park today.

Time for a good time

This has been a great vacation and much needed for the Stewart family.

My time in Orlando has allowed me to hear the laughter of my daughters as they swim in pool.  We go throughout the day without a set schedule and I use my iPhone mostly for photo taking.  We haven't seen Mickey at Disney yet but he looks good in our Braves gear.

Being here makes me realize that I needed a timeout.  When you love what you do, the last thing that you want is a break from it. I love baseball and I love L.E.A.D. and it has been good to charge the batteries back up under the hot Florida sun.

Time down here will be used to appreciate one another in the Stewart house.  The girls can scream as loud as they want to and stay up really late.  They deserve it.  Kelli has been able to get some good rest and that makes me happy because she wears her cape everyday back home.  I'm simply enjoying the ability to wear sandals and my Ambassadors visor.

It's Friday and our time is almost up.  Headed back to the ATL on Sunday and ready to work on Monday. In the meantime, my batteries aren't fully charged yet.  We miss y'all and we are having a good time.