In past few weeks I've posted several articles calling on sports figures to adopt some of the strategies of the Tutor/Mentor Connection/Institute, LLC and lead them in the cities where they play and/or where they grew up.
I'm encouraged by videos I've been seeing, like this one from the Houston Texans
View the video and look at the list of demands. Since I'm seeing a growing number of these I'm building a concept map where I'll aggregate links to as many as I can find. In the comments below send me links to videos by other teams in any sport.Change is necessary and it needs to happen now. pic.twitter.com/dSeiPisL5Z
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 3, 2020
This graphic shows the potential outcome of on-going leadership from people who have a large following.
Athletes can fill the blue box in the middle of this graphic every day, through their Tweets, videos, media interviews and speaking engagements. They can influence the flow of dollars, volunteers, tech support and more directly into every high poverty area.
1/28/2021 update - Here's a press release from LISC about how "OneTeam Partners and LISC Join Forces to Connect Athletes with Community Initiatives and Impact Investing". Athletes from almost every sport have stepped forward in many ways to support youth programs and community initiatives. I'd like to find someone who is aggregating links to as many of these initiatives as can be found. I'd point to that from my library and blogs with the goal that each initiative begins to learn from all others and they all constantly improve their impact. Does anyone have such a library?
They can inspire people from diverse backgrounds, with a wide range of talents, who work in various industries, to become teams who help bring mentor-rich youth tutor, mentor and jobs programs, and other needed investment, to every high poverty area shown on maps like mine.
Here's another graphic that visualizes their role in a different way.
The key word is EVERY. With a map you see all the places within a geographic area, such as Chicago, where help is needed. It's not enough for a few good programs in a few places. Every neighborhood needs a full Birth-to-Work range of great out-of-school-time programs, schools and services.
Along with the map athletes can provide visualizations showing the long-term commitment needed to solve the problems facing this country and the world. Kids need access to great school and non-school programs, but just like great sports teams, these don't magically show up. They need to be built through constant investment. Then they need to remain in place as kids move through school into adult lives.
By being in the public eye on a regular basis athletes can also encourage deeper learning. My blog has more than 1500 articles and the Tutor/Mentor web library has more than 2000 links. This can't all be learned in a day, or a year. It requires on-going visits, continuous learning and reflection with others.
That requires constant encouragement. View ENOUGH posts and make a commitment.
Athletes can do this. Will they?
Athletes can do this. Will they?
1/28/2021 update - Here's a press release from LISC about how "OneTeam Partners and LISC Join Forces to Connect Athletes with Community Initiatives and Impact Investing". Athletes from almost every sport have stepped forward in many ways to support youth programs and community initiatives. I'd like to find someone who is aggregating links to as many of these initiatives as can be found. I'd point to that from my library and blogs with the goal that each initiative begins to learn from all others and they all constantly improve their impact. Does anyone have such a library?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment