NU Grad Spreads Sport in Society Message in Baltimore, Maryland
Graduate of the Class of 1997 and former Captain of the Northeastern University football team, Antwaine Smith returns to his roots in Baltimore, Md. to spread the important mission of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society.
It has been ten years since Smith was a student at Northeastern University, but he caries the values he learned at NU to end violence on the streets of his former neighborhood in East Baltimore. For little more than two years, Smith has worked with leaders in his community to provide the youth of Baltimore with violence prevention and diversity training. He has also been a voice of diversity in the local newspapers frequently commenting in the Baltimore Sun.
�When I was growing up, East Baltimore was the headquarters for the drug trade in Baltimore,� said Smith. �In a lot of ways, I think things have worsened. The drug dealers are reaching kids at a younger age and younger kids are involved in crime. Twenty years ago kids 17 years old were committing the bulk of crimes today with the rise of gang culture the kids are 12 and 13 years old.�
Charged with finding a way into the schools and community centers that Smith once called his own, he has made tremendous progress reaching the kids that need violence prevention education the most. In less than three years he has trained more than 400 Baltimore youth in violence prevention and diversity issues.
There is even more opportunity for impact in the future. Smith recently formed a partnership with the Baltimore Housing Authority. The partnership will enable him to reach an even larger constituency and help build community and understanding in some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baltimore.
�It is important for me to play an active role in the future of Baltimore,� said Smith. �I am a part of its past. My children, my cousins, my cousin�s children, all deserve a better Baltimore, where they can live a full life, literally.�
He is a seven year veteran at Sport in Society. Prior to being named the Baltimore Regional Manager, he was a Manager of Outreach for Violence Prevention and Diversity (VPD) at Sport in Society. He primarily worked with Sport in Society�s flagship program, Project TEAMWORK. Working with the center and his life experience have enabled him to utilize his skills and influence to deliver outreach programming to students, school administrators, and other community organizations. He facilitated trainings for nearly 2,000 students regionally and nationally. He was also instrumental in writing and developing additional curriculum for Project TEAMWORK. He was later named Acting Director of Project Teamwork and is a certified trainer for Mentors in Violence Prevention.
The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University is the world�s leading social justice organization that uses sport to create social change both nationally and internationally. The flagship organization located in the heart of Boston, Mass. was founded in 1984 by Dr. Richard Lapchick and touts a branch in Baltimore, Md. Through research, education, and advocacy the center promotes physical activity, health, violence prevention, and diversity among young people and college and professional athletes. Sport in Society�s innovative programs are all staffed by former college or professional athletes and have been awarded America�s most successful violence prevention program by Lou Harris, the Peter F. Ducker Award as the most innovative non-profit program in the social sector, and have been cited as the National Crime Prevention Council�s 50 Best Strategies to Prevent Violent Domestic Crimes. For more information please visit http://www.sportinsociety.org.