Life After Sports Community Center

The goal of this community center is to meet the academic and social needs of young people by providing an educational sports-oriented environment.  My dream center is called “Life After Sports”.  The center will be comprised of the following main areas: 
  
1 Tutoring 
Tutoring will be provided daily to students who require help in specific subjects, such as Math, Science, Spelling, History, English, or a foreign language. 

2 Life Skills Classes 
These classes will address a child’s social interactions. They will be taught skills including, but not limited to, communication, conflict management, speech, relationship building, good sportsmanship, etc.  These skills are essential to ensure that children become productive social citizens of society. 
 

3 Computers
The internet has definitely flattened the world.  We are no longer competing nationally, but rather, internationally.  The fact is that it is necessary to ensure that the future leaders of our country are not only computer literate, but also computer savvy.  These courses will teach children how to use various software programs and how to effectively navigate on the internet. 
 

4 Guest Speakers
We will feature guest speakers from diverse backgrounds.  The speaker bureau will be comprised of professional sports talent and corporate professionals.  In addition, the bureau will include those people who started out in sports, but became successful in other industries as well.  After each presentation, the children will participate in a review session to gauge how well they were actively listening to the speaker.   Those who successfully pass the review will participate in a rewards system.

5 Indoor Basketball & Football Facility 
An indoor, interchangeable sports facility will allow us the flexibility to create effective training programs for the children.  This facility will enable us to train these children to be competitive in their sport of choice.  In addition to sports skills, specific drills will be taught. 

6 Arcade / Game Room 
Children need to have leisure time for play. This area will reinforce their creative side while giving them the opportunity to play off stress. These focal points will require separate rooms/facilities in order to be executed in an effective manner. 
 
7 Field Trips 
During this program, your child will have the opportunity to see and experience many different places they may have never seen before. These field trips will be rewarding because it will allow for children to visit different college campuses along the east coast.

I know for a fact that middle & high school kids would "LOVE" to see & visit a major university.  This would give them a "GOAL" to want to attend their favorite university at a young age, instead of when they are seniors in high schools. 
 
Academic Accountability  
As a means of regulating and gauging students’ academic progress, they will be required to show their progress reports/report cards to their assigned counselor periodically throughout the quarter. If their grades drop below the required 2.0 grade point average, they will be put on academic probation until they bring the grades up.  Probation meaning, they cannot participate in any sports or leisure activities until their grades meet or exceed the minimum 2.0 grade point average that schools require to play sports.  The children who make honor roll will receive rewards for their hard work and great effort.  These rewards will range from gift certificates to local retail/restaurant outlets to trophies.

 
In closing, I truly believe that “Life After Sports” will save many young people from the hardships 2 of street life.  These hardships range from selling drugs, stealing, gangs, and teenage pregnancy to other crimes that influence undisciplined and misguided kids.  I dream of giving every child who has the desire to play sports or become a professional business person the opportunity to learn from some of the best professional athletes and successful professionals in this country. 

This community center will be located in urban areas where the need is greatly expressed.  Is there any reason why you will not be a part of such a life changing opportunity?  If you have any questions, please call me at (757)328-7162.  Your contribution to the success of this program is not only appreciated, it is highly valued. Thank you for your time and effort in helping me give back to the community. Looking forward to future endeavors. 
 
Keith Burnell, Founder and Coordinator of “Life After Sports Community Development Center”