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L E a D, also called L.E.A.D. Center For Youth, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit in Atlanta that uses sports-based youth development through baseball and tennis to advance equity and well-being.

the Tailgate club

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Kelli Stewart

CJ Stewart

L.E.A.D. Facility

Ronnel Blackmon

The LEAD Young Professionals Tailgate Club is here. 🏆 Thursday, November 19th | 5:30–7:00 PM 📍 L.E.A.D. Center For Youth, 680 Murphy Ave SW, Suite 4128, Atlanta, GA 30310 The Tailgate Club is our quarterly gathering designed for Atlanta's next generation of leaders — young professionals who are passionate about leadership, service, and the future of this city. 👔 Business casual | 🚗 Free parking available And here's what makes The Tailgate Club more than just a mixer: members have an opportunity to directly support LEAD Center For Youth's mission while also investing in their own growth as leaders. This is a room full of people committed to learning, leading, and giving back. Come ready to connect, be inspired, and help shape the future of Atlanta. ➡️ Registration link in bio. We'll see you November 19th. #LEADCenterForYouth #LEAD2Legacy #NetworkingEvent #AtlantaNonprofit #SportsBasedYouthDevelopment #SBYD #AtlantaEvents #CommunityLeaders #MajorLeagueCitizens #YouthDevelopmentATL

This November, we invite you to join The Major League Monthly—a community of supporters helping young people develop character, confidence, and opportunity through sports. Your monthly gift helps L.E.A.D. Center for Youth continue creating spaces where student-athletes can grow on and off the field. Choose your commitment. Show up consistently. Join The Major League Monthly today. 🔗 Scan the QR code or visit the link in our bio to get started. #LEADCenterForYouth #MajorLeagueMonthly #YouthSports #Commitment #CommunityImpact #AtlantaYouth #PayToPlay #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #YouthOpportunity #SportsForGood #EquityInSports #AtlantaYouth

Thank you to everyone who joined L.E.A.D. Center for Youth and The Gathering Spot for an important conversation about access, affordability, and the future of youth sports. Together, we explored the growing cost of participation, the barriers families in our communities face, and what is at stake when the opportunity to play becomes out of reach for too many young people. Youth sports should help every child build confidence, character, connection, and opportunity—not become a privilege limited by a family’s ability to pay. We are grateful to every attendee, speaker, partner, and community member who showed up ready to listen, learn, and help create a better path forward. The conversation does not end here. Together, we can continue advocating for a future where every kid has a chance to play. #YouthSports #TheGatheringSpot #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #Affordability #PayToPlay #CommunityImpact #YouthLeadership #AtlantaNonprofit

The next generation of coaches is sitting in our classrooms today. 🏆 L.E.A.D. Center For Youth is helping lead the way in sports-based workforce development through our Youth Coach Initiative. In partnership with Atlanta Public Schools (APS), we’re elevating coaching as a career training pathway, giving students opportunities to learn how to teach, mentor, and lead through sports. Through training and hands-on experience, young people build communication, teamwork, and leadership skills while preparing to support the development of younger athletes. These are skills they can carry into coaching and careers across industries. Together, L.E.A.D. and APS are connecting a passion for sports to opportunities for work, service, and community leadership. Thanks to AD Allen and her team for their continued support and partnership🫡 #YouthCoachInitiative #WorkforceDevelopment #MVPofSBYD #SportsMatter #CoachesMatter 🎥 @glennabrowniii

It starts with a racket. It grows into confidence. 🎾📈 Some girls arrive at their first practice feeling nervous and unsure of what to expect. With encouragement, trusted coaches, and opportunities to keep trying, they begin to see what they can do. At L.E.A.D. Center For Youth, every serve, rally, and small breakthrough is an opportunity to build confidence that carries beyond the court. Watch as @coach.kenzi shares the growth she sees in our girls. Share this video to help us celebrate their progress. 🤎 #MBPofSBYD #GirlsInSports #YouthTennis #SportsMatter #SELinSports

Our youth already face enough challenges. They don’t need coaches and mentors who lower the bar—they need leaders who believe in their potential, challenge them to grow, and inspire them to become their best. 💯 At L.E.A.D., our trained coach-mentors EXPECT greatness from our student-athletes because we see the greatness within them! 🎾⚾ Through baseball and tennis, our youth learn more than how to compete. They learn resilience, discipline, confidence, and perseverance; skills that prepare them to face life’s challenges with courage and determination. When we raise expectations, provide support, and believe in our youth, we help them see what’s possible. The goal isn’t just to develop better athletes—it’s to develop stronger leaders for life. 🫡 🎥 @madebymoolou #YouthEmpowerment #LeadershipDevelopment #CoachMentors #SportsMatter #MVPofSBYD

On National Make a Difference Day, we are grateful for the people who choose to invest their time, resources, and leadership in young people. A mentor. A coach. A donor. A volunteer. A school partner. A neighbor who makes an introduction. Every act of support can help create a stronger path forward for a young person. #MakeADifferenceDay #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #CommunityImpact #MentorshipMatters #InvestInYouth #AtlantaCommunity

Community Champions was a powerful reminder of what is possible when a community chooses to invest in young people. We are grateful to our honorees, Fireside Chat Guest Derrick Stafford, sponsors, supporters, volunteers, student-athletes, and every guest who joined us to celebrate leadership in action. Thank you for affirming that Atlanta’s young people deserve opportunity, meaningful relationships, and a community that believes in their future. #CommunityChampions #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #AtlantaCommunity #YouthLeadership #CommunityImpact #ThankYouAtlanta

🎾Tennis + Community 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 = Fellowship, Food & Fun 🙃 Our 2nd Community Red Ball 🔴Mixer was a huge success! Our Lady Ambassadors continue to grow in their tennis and leadership skills as they shared the game they’ve grown to love with the community. So many community members came out to mix it up with us and we even had a special guest: NFL Pro Bowler Ovie Mughelli🏈 He spoke to the Lady Ambassadors about how sports has helped him become a leader in life, and he even shared a really cool fun fact: When he was in middle school, he and a good friend won their middle school tennis championship🏆 Shout out to @advancethelives for making this connection🫡 Thank you to our friends at @groveparkfoundation for partnering with us. Be on the lookout for our next mixer coming up soon🗓️ #Community #SportsMatter 🎥 @glennabrowniii

Wow! We’re so excited and honored to be A Best Of Georgia Nominee🍑 Please take a moment and vote for our team - our youth, our families, and our staff - who make L.E.A.D. Center For Youth one of the Best In Georgia🗳️ 🔗 in bio to vote

A mentor can make a difference by showing a young person what is possible—and by understanding the realities they are navigating. L.E.A.D. coaches bring more than technical knowledge to the field. They bring lived experience, consistency, accountability, and a commitment to building trust. That connection matters because young people are more likely to grow when they know someone truly sees them. #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #MentorshipMatters #RepresentationMatters #YouthDevelopment #AtlantaYouth #CoachingWithPurpose

Belonging in sports doesn’t happen by chance. It happens on purpose. 💙 This National Stop Bullying Month, we’re highlighting the impact of intentional coaching and the power of creating a team where every athlete feels valued, supported, and included. At L.E.A.D., our coaches are trained in Sports-Based Youth Development, because how we show up, how we train, and how we challenge our athletes is all intentional. That commitment makes a difference: Every athlete deserves to feel like they belong. Together, we can help stop bullying by building teams rooted in respect, connection, and support. Help us stop bullying. Invest in L.E.A.D. #NationalStopBullyingDay #StopBullying #SportsBasedYouthDevelopment #SBYD #LEADCenterForYouth #YouthSports

🏆Champions Live In Our Communities Every Day🏆 It was an honor to recognize student-athletes and community leaders as champions at our Annual Community Champions Awards Celebration sponsored by @bravesfdn and @georgiasowncu. Thank you to all of our supporters, donors and volunteers who help us make amazing experiences happen for our student-athletes. #Community #SportsMatter

On World Mental Health Day, we are reminded that young people need more than encouragement to thrive. They need environments where they feel safe, supported, respected, and connected. At L.E.A.D., belonging is not an extra. It is part of the foundation for confidence, growth, and leadership. We remain committed to creating spaces where young people are seen for who they are and supported in who they can become. #WorldMentalHealthDay #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #YouthWellBeing #BelongingMatters #MentorshipMatters #AtlantaYouth

On National Coaches Day, we celebrate the L.E.A.D. coaches who do far more than teach the game. They show up with consistency, hold young people accountable, create spaces where student-athletes feel seen, and help them build confidence on the field, in the classroom, and throughout life. Our coaches understand that sports are a vehicle for something bigger: mentorship, leadership, discipline, belonging, and opportunity. Thank you to every L.E.A.D. coach for investing your time, knowledge, and belief in Atlanta’s young people. Your impact reaches far beyond the final score. #NationalCoachesDay #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #MentorshipMatters #YouthCoaching #AtlantaYouth #YouthLeadership #SportsForGood #CoachesMatter #WinningAtTheGameOfLife

💰💰Somewhere between the registration fees, the travel tournaments, the showcases and the private trainers, youth sports quietly became a luxury. 💰💰 The Gathering Spot in partnership with L.E.A.D. Center For Youth explores the affordability and access of youth sports, who gets to play, who gets left on the sideline, and what our kids stand to lose when access comes with a price tag. ​Moderated by Rose Scott, host of WABE’s Closer Look. Featuring Taylor Stanley, Program Director of ATL: Advance The Lives, and L.E.A.D. Center for Youth and Diamond Directors Co-Founders Kelli and CJ Stewart. Limited seats available. 🔗 in bio #YouthSports #TravelYouthSports

🗣️‼️ Sports are co-curricular✅⚾️🎾🏈🏀🥎⚽️🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♂️ What #SBYD can do in the lives of youth is not a nice to have- it’s a must have💯 Our co-founder/CEO @kellistewart97 shares why sports are too important to disregard. #MVPofSBYD #SportsMatter #Atlanta #AtlantaSports

Good neighbors show up. They make introductions, open doors, share resources, lend their voices, and remind young people that they are surrounded by a community that believes in them. On National Good Neighbor Day, we are grateful for every Atlanta neighbor, partner, mentor, parent, coach, donor, and volunteer who helps L.E.A.D. student-athletes grow into leaders. #NationalGoodNeighborDay #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #AtlantaCommunity #CommunityFirst #MentorsMatter #YouthDevelopment

⚾ SHOW YOUR SKILLS. BUILD YOUR FUTURE. 💙 The 1st Annual Inner-City Baseball Combine is coming to Center Hill Park — and it’s FREE for Atlanta-area youth! This is more than a combine. It’s an opportunity to get seen, get evaluated, and keep growing alongside your community. Players will be evaluated by professional scouts, receive a scouting report, and have the opportunity to be selected for our Rookie summer team. 🔥 ROOKIE COMBINE | Grades 3rd–5th 📅 Saturday, October 24 ⏰ 12 PM–3 PM 🔥 JR. AMBASSADOR COMBINE | Grades 6th–8th 📅 Sunday, November 1 ⏰ 12 PM–3 PM 📍Booker T. Washington 45 Whitehouse Dr. SW Atl., GA 30314 FREE TO ATTEND. FREE TO PLAY. NO FEES. Spots are limited — register today! ⚾ #LEADCenterForYouth #InnerCityBaseball #BaseballCombine #AtlantaBaseball #AtlantaYouthSports #YouthBaseball #Bankhead #AtlantaYouth #RookieLeague #JrAmbassador #BaseballAtlanta #YouthSports #CommunityFirst #GetSeenGetNoticed #ShowYourSkills #BuildYourFuture #ForTheFuture #AtlantaGA #BaseballLife #FreeYouthSports

We’re proud to share that L.E.A.D. Center for Youth is a 2026 Nike Community Impact Fund #NCIF grantee! Through this funding we'll power the future of youth sports in Atlanta as we continue to advance equity and well-being through sports-based youth development. #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #NCIF #NikeCommunityImpactFund #NikeGrant #Nike #Atlanta #YouthDevelopment #SportsAndAcademics #ATLYouth #EmpowerYouth #CommunityFirst

Don’t miss out on joining us for this amazing event! Community Champions is more than a celebration. It is a gathering of people committed to creating real opportunity for Atlanta’s young people. Every ticket, sponsorship, partnership, and share helps strengthen the work that happens year-round—on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the community. Join us in celebrating the leaders who help young people win at the game of life. Join us on Sept. 27 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm! Scan QR Code to register today! #CommunityChampions #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #AtlantaEvents #YouthOpportunity #InvestInYouth #AtlantaNonprofit

Strong partnerships are the foundation of our work. 💯 Thank you @apsholliscrew for your commitment and support of our Rookie League and Junior Ambassador Programs. Together we made history by bringing elementary and middle school baseball to APS and to Hollis. Looking forward to another great year of providing empowering athletic experiences for our student-athletes. #SportsMatter #Teamwork

Coach Roberts’ connection to the Hollis community is rooted in shared experience, trust, and a deep understanding of the young people he serves. Because he has walked through many of the same realities, challenges, and hopes as the boys, he can meet them with authenticity—and help them see that their circumstances do not define their potential. His presence is a reminder of why relatable mentors and representation matter. When young people see someone who understands where they come from and believes in where they can go, meaningful connection becomes possible. #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #CoachRoberts #HollisCommunity #MentorshipMatters #RepresentationMatters #YouthLeadership #AtlantaYouth #BlackMaleMentorship #CommunityImpact #WinningAtTheGameOfLife

We’re proud to accept a Community Grant from the @TacoBell Foundation to ensure the next generation of Atlanta youth has the tools needed to succeed on and off the field! Every time you Round Up your total at a Taco Bell Restaurant, funds go to support youth scholarships and organizations like L.E.A.D. Center for Youth! #tacobellfoundation #communitygrants #nextgeneration #youtheducation #careerready #highereducation #financialliteracy #chasedreams

L.E.A.D. Hosted its first training session in collaboration with Laureus Sport For Good Atlanta entitled How To G.I.V.E. A. D.A.M.N. Participants were guided through an interactive and reflective experience that challenged how they viewed their capacity to care or be concerned and how they get other colleagues to uphold standards of excellence in their organization. We focus on the tactical aspects of coaching, not the technical. This makes our trainings perfect for coaches of all sports.⚾️🎾⚽️🏀🏈🥎🏐🏓🎳🏒🥊🚴‍♀️🏊🏾‍♂️🏃🏾‍♀️ #MVPofSBYD #CoachTraining #SBYD 🎥 @glennabrowniii

At first, there may be hesitation. A new field, a new sport, a new opportunity can feel unfamiliar. But once the students at Scott Elementary @scottramsaps stepped onto the field, Coach Moran saw something start to shift. Curiosity became confidence. Hesitation became enthusiasm. And teammates began to find their place, not just in the game, but within a community that believes in them. Through baseball, L.E.A.D. creates space for students to grow, build relationships, practice resilience, and discover that they belong. Because the goal is never just to teach the sport, it’s to win at the game of life. #MVPofSBYD #SelfConfidence #Teamwork #SELinSports

There’s something priceless in seeing the faces of our young people light up when they recognize everything they’ve been able to achieve through committment and hard work. We’d love to have you join us for our upcoming Community Champions Celebration on Sunday, September 27th from 2-4 to honor everyone who has acheived big things this past year and shown up as leaders in our community. Scan the QR Code to register today! #CommunityChampions #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #AtlantaEvents #YouthOpportunity #InvestInYouth #AtlantaNonprofit

⚾️And we’re back!!!⚾️ We play baseball in #TheA💯 We kicked off CVT (Core Value Training) this week and it was so good to see our Rookies from @centennialatl_athletics and @scottramsaps Coach Johnson, Coach Whitfield and CoachMoran are locked in and ready to lead their teams on a journey to becoming champions in the classroom and on the diamond.💎 Our LEAD Coach-mentors @tylrlamar and @glennabrowniii are excited to partner with our Rookie Teams and see how they rise to the challenge this year. Let’s go🔥🔥🔥 #Community #Teamwork #InnerCityBaseball

Coaching is a labor of love. 🫶🏿 For more than 28 years, our co-founders, Kelli and C.J. Stewart, have coached, mentored and poured into young people across Atlanta and around the world. For over 21 of those years, they have served as a proud son and daughter of Atlanta through L.E.A.D. Center For Youth. During the #SBYDDay Proclamation presentation, Atlanta City Council members, colleagues and friends who have labored alongside them in the community, shared powerful words of praise and encouragement in recognition of their coaching journey and community impact. Coaches are essential members of our communities and a vital part of the education and nonprofit workforce. Their influence extends far beyond practices and games—it shapes lives, strengthens families and develops future leaders. Tag, text or call a coach who has made a difference in your life today. Let them know their labor matters. 🫡💯 #Mentors #Coaches #LaborDay #SportsMatter

Whether professional or volunteer, youth coaches are an important part of our local, labor ecosystem. This Labor Day, we want to celebrate all the coaches who know that the most important lessons get carried from the field and from the court, and into every day life. Coaches teach that discipline, teamwork, service, and leadership, L.E.A.D. student-athletes are learning how to lead in their families, schools, neighborhoods, and future careers. Tag a coach in the comments and let them know what they meant to you! #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #StudentAthlete #YouthLeadership #AtlantaYouth #FutureLeaders #WinningAtTheGameOfLife

Young people do not need us to lower the bar. They need us to expand access to the support, relationships, and opportunities that help them reach it. That is why community investment matters. It helps create places where young people can learn, compete, build confidence, and discover the leader within. Thank you to every partner, donor, volunteer, mentor, and family member who makes this work possible. #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #StudentAthlete #YouthLeadership #AtlantaYouth #FutureLeaders #WinningAtTheGameOfLife

Have you registered yet? The Community Champions Celebration is where we get to show up as our student-athletes biggest fans to celebrate everything they’ve accomplished. We’ll be honoring their achievements as well as highlighting the leaders who’ve helped these young people succeed. This event is coming up this month on September 27th, so register soon to grab your spot! Scan the QR Code to register today! #CommunityChampions #LEAD2Legacy #LEADCenterForYouth #AtlantaEvents #YouthOpportunity #InvestInYouth #AtlantaNonprofit

Representation matters. 🎾✨ One of L.E.A.D.’s greatest superpowers is our coaches. Through shared experiences, shared heritage and shared promise, our young people see more than coaches—they see a blueprint for success they can follow, build upon and ultimately surpass. From @coach.kenzi’s award-winning collegiate career to the talented lineup of Black American players competing at the @usopen, our Lady Ambassadors are surrounded by inspiring coaches, professionals and athletes who look like them. When young people can see success, they can more easily imagine it for themselves. Representation makes their dreams feel real, their goals feel attainable and their possibilities feel limitless. #MVPofSBYD #SELinSports #GirlsInSports #Confidence #SportsMatter

Youth Sports is in crisis and is the solution. 💰Pay to play sports is a $40 BILLION industry that’s taking all the fun out of youth sports.💰 Our co-founder/CEO @kellistewart97 shared remarks on the need for #SBYD and how L.E.A.D. Center For Youth is leading the way. #MVPofSBYD #SportsMatter #HappySBYDDay

We can’t have fun without FUNding🤑 When our Lady Ambassadors’ summer camp experience was in jeopardy, @advancethelives stepped up to the service line and hit an ace💥 Thank you for supporting our Lady Ambassadors! They had so much fun and created some great memories this summer🫶🏿🎾 #SBYD #SportsMatter

Coaches are a vital part of #CommunityDevelopment Through our #YouthCoachInitiative, we’re making sure our future coaches are tactically trained to empower the next generation of athletes. #TraumaInformed #SBYDCertified Shout out to @apsathleticsnow @apsmayshigh @aps_fdhsastros for continuing to deepen our partnership- bringing transformative sports based experiences to our students. Thank you @adidas for sponsoring the first round of workshops🫡 #MVPofSBYD 🎥 @ismoooth

From Day 1, you’ve been true and committed to helping our youth feel seen, heard, enjoy meaningful experiences and over all #THRIVE. Even when football took you physically away from Atlanta your heart was still here in the bold, necessary mission you started. From your entire L.E.A.D. Center For Youth family- we are so excited for you and your family as you take on the role of President of Football for @atlantafalcons We’re proud of you and cheering you and the team on as we step into this bold new era under your leadership👊🏿 Let’s goooooooo🔥🔥🔥🏆🏆🏆🏈🏈🏈 #MattyIce