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Syracuse University athletics will host the second Youth Impact Program (YIP) in July at the Lampe Athletics Complex. The camp made up of sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys in the local middle schools of Syracuse will be drawing these "at-risk" young men from the Ed Smith School, Clary Middle School, H.W. Smith School and Frazer Middle School, among others, and will be held July 5 to 29, 2011. The athletics department held its first YIP program in July 2010.
Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Youth Impact Program and three time Super Bowl Winner with the San Francisco 49ers, along with Syracuse Director of Athletics
Dr. Daryl Gross, Syracuse Head Football Coach
Doug Marrone and Congresswoman
Ann Marie Buerkle made the announcement Wednesday that one of the nation’s most innovative summer mentoring initiatives for disadvantaged youth will again be held at Syracuse University.
“One of the things Chancellor Cantor talks about is the Connective Corridor and linking the University with the community and breaking down all those barriers,” Gross said. "The Youth Impact Program is a cross section of how we’re going to make this happen.”
Syracuse University athletics academic coordinator
Joe Fields will direct the program which includes classroom work in mathematics, language and writing each morning followed by a life skills sessions, a football chalk talk and concludes with a full contact practice session.
“We teach our players that it’s a privilege to play the sport of football, and as we excel in the sport of football we make sure that our players understand that it doesn’t bring us any more entitlement, but what it does is bring us a greater sense of responsibility to give back,” Marrone said. “We talk to our players about being leaders in the classroom and leaders in the community. We are doing that here at Syracuse University and we need to pass that along to the younger kids. It’s difficult for these young men today.”
“We believe that taking disadvantaged youth, inner city youth and at risk youth, attacking the alpha male in that age group, and using Syracuse University and its football program to get them in here for the complete NCAA student-athlete experience will help them,” Ellison said. “This is an academic-driven program. We use the football to lure them in and to create the relationships.”
With support from the NFL, Syracuse University, SMART Technologies, Say Yes to Education, 100 Black Men, Syracuse University’s Bird Library, Syracuse City School District Building Men, Lockheed Martin, and local and state government officials, the program provides a month-long academic curriculum that incorporates mentoring by Syracuse football players and public school teachers to achieve an authentic NCAA student athlete experience for more than 100 at-risk inner city boys.
“This is not just about academics or just about sports it’s about being determined, being responsible and being a leader and understanding that regardless of where you started, you can succeed, you can achieve anything. That, to me, is the best message in this whole program,” Buerkle said.
Syracuse University football student-athlete
Ollie Haney will be the assistant to the director and his teammates,
Lewellyn Coker,
Dyshawn Davis,
Jaston George,
Deon Goggins,
Prince-Tyson Gulley,
Sean Hickey,
Chandler Jones,
Nick Lepak,
Keon Lyn,
Phillip Thomas,
Shamarko Thomas and
Jeremi Wilkes, will assist with the program.
“As program director I understand the task, and as a former inner-city kid I understand the importance of this program,” Field said. “Like coach Marrone said, this program is directly in line with what the Syracuse University football program stands for in the classroom, on the field and in the community.”
For more information on the Youth Impact Program, contact Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder at 703-299-0060 or consult the
Youth Impact Program website.