I feel like sometimes our community focuses too much on saving athletes and not regular kids

[BrothaZay]

I was watching Iverson documentary and dude was talking about how they had a program in his hood where blak man got together and dedicated to saving young black man in the hood,with football

And im thinking like even where i stay at, its like sports is the only way nikkas act like they know how to help black youth in the hood but not every nikkawants to pay football or basketball after school. I think the lack of attention and devotion that goes into kids with other talents that dont involve a ball is overlooked imo

 

[How Sway?]

the truth and a half

 

[Another Man]

True. Our community is too worried bout being a form of entertainment rather than Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers, Architects, Entrepreneurs, Politicians, or hell, even having any sort of trade skills.

Nah, can lil Rayshawn run that ball or spit fire?

 

[homiedontplaydat]

I can cosign this. Our community tends to think the only way to "make it" is by becoming a professional athlete or an entertainer which is completely false.

We need doctors, scientists, electricians, accountants, IT support all kinds of things that we should be focused on more than entertaining white folks.

 

[Samori Toure]

That might be the only way that some adults know how to help kids. At least they want to help. I think about guys like my uncles. They were not eloquent speakers and many of them were not very educated. However, they were excellent human beings that taught me baseball. That was all that they knew other than Blues, bar-b-que and women; but it was the time that I spent with them that made the difference.

I volunteer with my nephews youth baseball league. Some of the kids in that league aren't very good and my coaching truly and completely flat out sucks, but I want to believe that by seeing regular guys like me trying to spend time with them; a young brother or two might see us as positive role models .

Also sports is a gateway to reach kids and let them know that other stuff is cool too; like reading and school. One kid on my team is a complete book worm nerd; even worse than me. However, me and the other coaches let him and the other kids know that reading is better than being able to hit a baseball. So whatever way an older brother can help young brother I wish that they would do it.

 

[feelosofer]

I was watching Iverson documentary and dude was talking about how they had a program in his hood where blak man got together and dedicated to saving young black man in the hood,with football

And im thinking like even where i stay at, its like sports is the only way nikkas act like they know how to help black youth in the hood but not every nikkawants to pay football or basketball after school. I think the lack of attention and devotion that goes into kids with other talents that dont involve a ball is overlooked imo

Dap and rep. This is a good point. I think that part of the reason why is because sports is something that we have been using a crutch in our community for years, and this is not a knock of that because I myself was a multisport athlete myself, but it wasn't until a few years ago that my old highschool started a Chess club which now has a waiting list. I think this is because sportd requires the least investment and has the most payoff, on paper. But yes we need to seek other avenues to help at risk youth in the hood.

 

[user1]

I think they are trying to relive their youth.