Ben Schornack’s Post

View profile for Ben Schornack, graphic

Director of Sport for Good Chicago, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation

Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA (Laureus USA) has been recognized by the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago White Sox through their Chicago Sports Alliance initiative to reduce gun violence. Funding will support Sport for Good Chicago, a coalition of more than 100 organizations working towards a Chicago where every young person has access to high quality, youth-centered sport programming in their neighborhood.   In a city where perpetrators and victims of violence are getting younger and younger, we need additional investment into innovative violence prevention efforts that reach kids before it's too late. Sports-based youth development is perfectly positioned to interrupt this cycle of trauma and violence. Through sport, young people have the opportunity to make connections with friends and caring adults who help them build skills in support of their overall physical and mental well-being. Sport creates space for young people to experience empowerment, healing, and collective joy in the face of overwhelming stress and trauma. I'm reminded of an insightful conversation that I had with LaVonte Stewart, MPA nearly a decade ago. He told me that every kid needs community and will find it somewhere. The question is whether they will find it through a positive team (such as his Lost Boyz Inc program), or a harmful team (such as a street organization). The problem -- too many kids don't have that positive option available to them. Through this investment, Chicago Sports Alliance has made sure that more young people will have the opportunity to choose the positive team.

Adam Fraser

CEO at Terraset | Climate | Carbon Removal | Social Impact | Nonprofit Leadership | Sport | YPO

2mo

Well done Ben Schornack - your servant leadership has been key to this.

YASSS! The power of sport to create change is unreal, and the power of a collaborative movement to engage more kids is how exponential change happens. Let's gooo, Ben Schornack!

Michelle Carlson, MScPH

Director, Young Men's Health - North America at Movember

2mo

Wonderful to hear this news! Congrats!!

See more comments

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics