Sports have the ability to change lives, a principle that Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott advocates whenever he speaks publicly or visits local recreation centers to engage with children.

When asked to elaborate on how sports influenced his own life, Scott, who grew up in Park Heights on the city’s northwest side, reflects on his high school experience where athletics opened doors for him beyond his home environment.

As a child in Baltimore, Scott vividly recalls the violence and poverty that affected his community. He experienced the tragedies of drug-related deaths and had to flee from gunfire during his youth.

In response to these challenges, local high school coaches formed a regional “super team,” as Scott puts it, allowing young athletes to compete nationally in the AAU Junior Olympics.

The hours he devoted to running track not only taught him essential life lessons but instilled qualities that have supported his political ascent.

Moreover, he believes, “Participating in track and field saved our lives,” as he shared in an interview with YSL News Sports last spring.

Sports not only provided a refuge from violence for Scott but also introduced him to his coach, Freddie Hendricks, who became a paternal figure in his life and motivated him to excel academically.

Scott transformed from a sophomore with a high SAT score to attending a small public honors college and eventually serving on Baltimore’s city council. In 2020, he became the youngest mayor in the city’s history, armed with the valuable lessons learned through his athletic endeavors.

“If I had not run track at Mervo High School, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Scott asserts. “Sports shaped my identity, instilling in me discipline, a fierce spirit of competition, and the ability to collaborate with diverse individuals.”

As Scott, a Democrat, prepares to face GOP candidate Shannon Wright for his second term in the upcoming election (he’s anticipated to secure re-election), it presents an opportunity to reflect on how our own athletic experiences—as well as those we create for our children—can profoundly influence our lives.

Scott’s path underscores the profound impact sports can have, emphasizing that they can be ‘transformative’ regardless of one’s background or future aspirations.

Sports Are More Than Just Goals; They Are ‘Transformative’ Experiences

Park Heights is recognized nationally once a year during the Preakness, part of horse racing’s triple crown.

“My neighborhood, outside of the Preakness, was often overlooked,” Scott remarked during a speech at the Project Play Summit held in his hometown last May.

However, Towanda Recreation Center was a pivotal location in Scott’s life, as it was where he began running track at the age of six.

Everyone finds their passion in sports through different avenues; the impact of that initial moment cannot be quantified. It can lead to achievements like speaking alongside Maryland Gov. Wes Moore at significant events, or navigating crises like the aftermath of the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge last spring.

Both Scott and Moore have long histories with sports. Reflecting on their experiences, they acknowledge how sports prepared them for vital moments in their lives.

“Some of my earliest, best, worst, and most insightful memories revolve around sports,” Moore shared at Project Play, an initiative aimed at creating sports access and opportunities for children, particularly those in need.

Moore, raised by a single mother who was an immigrant from Cuba and Jamaica, describes himself as “the most improbable governor in America.”

After losing his father at three, Moore and his two sisters were taken by their mom to live with their grandparents in the Bronx, New York.

The basketball courts became his refuge—a place of safety.

“There, I formed lifelong friendships. It was where I learned critical life lessons from team sports: honoring victories and defeats, the importance of trust among teammates, and the significance of diligent practice,” he noted. “Sports have greatly contributed to my understanding and acceptance in life.”

“I firmly believe in the unifying and transformative power of sports.”

Sometimes, simply having the chance to play can inspire children to envision their future possibilities.

Sports Reveal Your True Self and Transform Rivals into Friends

Moore continued his athletic journey by playing football at Johns Hopkins University, while Scott aimed to enroll at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, heavily influenced by his coach.

Mervo High School did not have its own track, but it was blessed with a dedicated coach, Hendricks, who encouraged Scott to join a college placement program called CollegeBound.

Hendricks was crucial in steering Scott away from the dangerous streets where he witnessed friends and family fall victim to violence, faced police discrimination, and experienced wrongful arrest.

Scott absorbed the vital lessons he learned as a 3,000-meter steeplechaser, treating them with the same importance as the baton he once carried.

“It didn’t matter how you ran with that baton if the person you passed it to didn’t bring the same energy,” was a lesson coach Hendricks instilled in him and his teammates.

“You’re only as good as your whole team; your success relies on the contributions of everyone working together.”

“Your weakest link,” he would say.

Competing for your teammates can teach you just as much about yourself as competing against others.

Sometimes, like in politics, those rivals from past competitions become your teammates. Scott experienced this when he found himself competing alongside his “big rivals” from the AAU Junior Olympics team, pushing his limits and learning discipline along the way.

“We brought that mindset into our everyday lives,” he shares. “Consider how we challenge and motivate each other to become the best versions of ourselves. That’s one of the core lessons sports teach you: how to manage adversity, how to perform under pressure, and the importance of leadership in sports.”

Sports introduces kids to inspiring role models and impactful experiences. Sometimes, all it takes is getting them to practice.

You might not know of basketball player Willie “Hutch” Jones unless you’re from western New York. He was a 6-foot-8 forward, averaging 15.8 points per game for Vanderbilt in the 1981-82 season and played two years in the NBA. However, his greatest impact has come from empowering children through sports.

According to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, where Jones is a member, his educational and sports initiatives in his hometown have benefitted over 10,000 local children.

“The essence of his work is teaching kids foundational skills, both in sports and in life,” explains Lucy Candelario, who oversees Jones’ programs at her community center, The Belle Center, located in Buffalo’s lower west side. “That’s why our sports initiatives yield results: Sports reflect life.”

Once the youngsters are engaged at the center, they experience tremendous personal growth. “The Belle,” Candelario notes, has produced “graduates” who have become lawyers and military personnel, including a young man who completed both high school and boot camp and returned to express his gratitude to a counselor.

Jones has noted a challenge along the way: parents often expect too much from him to bring their kids to the center.

“Some parents don’t want to make the effort,” he shared with YSL News Sports. “They’d prefer if I picked their kids up in a bus or van while their own car sits unused in the driveway. This reliance keeps their children from accessing these opportunities. Our enrollment would likely be higher if parents were committed to their child’s involvement. Don’t wait for the coach; step up as a parent. You brought that child into this world, so take responsibility for their well-being. You can’t just leave them unattended.”

This serves as an important reminder, especially as many of us juggle travel and club sports: The genuine value of programs like those offered by Jones doesn’t come with a price tag.

Candelario has observed that as long as a child has a dependable adult backing them with love and care, they will thrive. Both she and Jones encounter children who come from cycles of neglect, sometimes repeating those patterns in their own parenting, or those raised by their grandparents.

“Some parents are in prison, struggling with addiction, or facing other challenges,” she states. “We act as parental figures for these kids.”

For many, stability is already present. Scott had it through his athletic experiences and Coach Hendricks. Back in Baltimore, he invites prominent local athletes like Super Bowl champion Torrey Smith, who also found support through coaches despite a childhood marked by frequent relocations, to inspire the city’s youth.

“They demonstrate to young people how sports can be a transformative experience,” Scott remarks about the professional athletes from Baltimore. “Not everyone will become a millionaire, but they can leverage sports to uplift themselves and their families.”

“Winning isn’t everything”: The lessons from sports resonate long after the final buzzer sounds.

Last year, Baltimore recorded a 20 percent decrease in homicides, marking an end to a wave of violence that followed the 2015 death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. His death sparked significant unrest.

In response to the unrest, Scott, then serving on the city council, co-founded the Volo Kids Foundation, a free access program for sports, which now operates in eight U.S. cities.

Scott states that he has aided in the opening or upgrading of 11 recreational centers in Baltimore, expanded sports programs in middle schools, and revived summer midnight basketball to provide safe environments for youth.

One of those kids is his stepson, Ceron, who is 9 years old and participated in the Under Armour basketball development league earlier this year at the UA House, a state-of-the-art facility made possible by the company’s ongoing commitment to sports in Scott’s city.

“I’m the type that lets the coach decide what happens on the court and how it should go,” Scott shares with a chuckle. “I refrain from questioning anything and focus on being a supportive and engaged parent.”

To soothe his infant son, Charm, he turns to the performances of “Auntie Angel Reese,” a talented WNBA player from Baltimore. Scott also engages in playing sports himself to show young adults that their mayor can still outrun them and that he remains competitive.

Scott consistently promotes the idea that sports are influential and shape individuals, regardless of how brief their athletic journey may be. When he accepted the Democratic nomination for mayor in May, he concluded his speech with a quote from the late Congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland, which relates to both elections and sports.

“Winning is never the end goal,” he stated. “The goal is to complete the work.”