Alexis Yancy, Academic Coach Henry W, Grady HS, Atlanta, GA

Alexis Yancy,
Academic Coach,
Henry W. Grady High School
Atlanta, GA
playitsmartgradyknights@yahoo.com


As with anything that is new and unpaved, there is a sense of anxiety and a slight pressure to make the Play It Smart program at a new school the best that it can possibly be. As many know, the Southeast is known as football country and with roughly 95 football players comprising an Atlanta high school football team, I knew that this venture would require much time, sanity and patience. Along with patience, there must be a mental preparation and acceptance of the ups and downs that accompany an in-depth process such as implementing a program that will be tailored to the needs of a rather large group of student-athletes.

What I have learned thus far is that the strength of the program is directly linked to being innovative. Initially, I would hold study-hall for all of them from Monday through Thursday; however, with such a large team, this was becoming a situation in which there were not enough desks for homework to be done on and, not to mention, I was in need of another pair of eyes to watch the groups of students that just so happened to sit in the areas were it was difficult to watch what they were doing. Then I decided to divide study halls between the junior varsity and varsity team. This helped tremendously. I was able to thoroughly assess the personalities of each student-athlete that made up each team. I identified those gate keepers that could keep the team in line and at times were my strongest allies.

Furthermore, strategy and networking within the school is also important. Strategy differs with each program and the resources that the school may or may not have. This is also why it is important for the faculty and staff to understand what exactly the Play It Smart program is and how it functions to compliment the school and not hinder any initiatives that are already in place. Seeking out those individuals within the school who are familiar with resources that student-athletes will need is priceless. Who is the contact person for the NCAA Eligibility Center at the school? How does the school give out Free and Reduced Lunch forms? Does the school offer tutorial programs? How do you attain space for study hall? These are a few questions that led to accessing numerous people with abundant knowledge to help the program run efficiently.

Clearly there are other key ideas that must be invested into making any Play It Smart program effective but the ones I have noted are vital to the program at Grady. As time goes on, I learn more and have even started thinking about how next year will be the season of harvest for the program. The kinks are being worked out and I can approach the next year with insight I did not have when the program first began. I received my first confirmation that I am on the right path after the season ended for the junior varsity team and a player came in the following week to talk to me about how he has been doing in school and to just catch up on what was new and interesting in his life. Another confirmation came when some of the student-athletes chose to participate in our community service project, AIDS Walk for Atlanta, on a Sunday morning. It is in these instances, which have started to happen quite often, that I am sure that I am heading in the right direction.

With major financial support from a broad-coalition of corporations, communities, individuals and organizations, including the NFL and the NFL Players Association, the Play It Smart program has quickly become one of the most comprehensive and effective youth development programs in the country, achieving dramatic results that include:

• 95% of seniors graduating high school, compared to 85% of their peers;



• 80% of seniors enrolling in college compared to 62% of their peers;



• Participants taking the SAT or ACT at twice the rate of their peers;



• Participants completing more than 67,000 hours of community service annually;



• Rosters increasing by 35% for teams with fewer than 40 players;



• Participants earning more than $6 million a year in scholarships; and



• 200-plus graduates earning places among the elite collegiate ranks during the 2007 season on Football Bowl Subdivision rosters.

Play It Smart builds on the positive peer influences of team sports and a participant's interest in football. The program's academic coaches are trained in a set of guiding principles and a variety of tactics, which are designed to make academic achievement the norm. Working closely with the direct support of a team's head coach and others in the community, academic coaches hold one-on-one goal setting meetings, career and life skills sessions, mandatory study halls, SAT/ACT prep classes, community service projects and other team building events.

ABOUT PLAY IT SMART
Play It Smart is an educational program established in 1998 by The National Football Foundation. The program's mission is to help student-athletes take responsibility for their futures through lessons learned on the playing field, in the classroom, and in service to others. At the heart of the program is a year-round academic coach, an official member of a team's staff, who serves as a direct link to the classroom by helping players and the team set and achieve their academic and personal development goals during the entire school year. Learn more at www.PlayItSmart.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME:
With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

NFF