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The Tennessee Titans are certainly excited about their new home, with plans for a $2 billion stadium underway. But the Titans understand the importance of having a nice home, and through a partnership with the NFL, have set their sights on giving a group of Memphis footballers a better environment to play in. Thanks to a $50,000 grant from the National Football League (NFL) Foundation, Freedom Prep Academy Charter Schools in Whitehaven can look forward to a revitalized athletic field.
The grant is part of the NFL’s Grassroots program, conducted in tandem with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which has strived to support the construction and renovation of football fields nationwide since beginning its operations in 1998. “Interscholastic athletics play a key role in the growth and development of young people, and the Titans are continually committed to increasing access to high-quality training and facilities,” says Josh Corey, director of marketing, youth, and community engagement for the Tennessee Titans. “We are proud to partner with the Whitehaven neighborhood as they welcome the new Brownlee Road Campus Stadium and utilize the field for years to come.”
To date, the NFL Foundation has granted $61.8 million to 431 football fields in underserved neighborhoods, and improvements are generally focused on irrigation systems, bleachers, lights, scoreboards, turf, and goal posts.
The $50,000 earmarked for Freedom Prep Academy will be used specifically to install new bleachers, lighting, and a scoreboard at its Brownlee campus for middle and high school. “We are grateful to the NFL Foundation Grassroots Program, as well as the Tennessee Titans and LISC, for this generous donation, which benefits our students, their families, and our community as a whole,” said Roblin Webb, founder and CEO of Freedom Preparatory Academy. “Since the inception of our charter school network, our mission is for all our students to have the same competitive advantage as the most privileged children in America.”
Freedom Prep prides itself on being one of the highest-performing school networks in terms of growth and proficiency, per TNReady assessments. But the NFL grant signals a push for both athletic and recreational achievement, as the new field won’t simply be for Freedom Prep athletes. While the safety improvements and field enhancements will make football games even better for the team, the school envisions the finished project as a recreational space for all 840 students, as well as visitors. The upgraded facilities will boost additional youth sports efforts, and will also play host to various Whitehaven neighborhood organizations. “Enhancing our field will not only improve visitor experience,” says Webb, “but it will also directly impact the self-confidence of students and players – knowing they are receiving and enjoying the same high-quality accommodations as those of their peers.” Helping shepherd use of the revitalized field will be new athletic director, Dion Barry.
The Freedom Prep project is actually the second such Shelby County grant that LISC has overseen in conjunction with the NFL and Tennessee Titans since opening its local Memphis office in 2020. The first, a turf field renovation, was awarded to the Memphis-Shelby Police Activities League in 2022, with additional fundraising and preparation for a stadium overhaul already underway at the organization’s Frayser-based stadium. LISC has a presence in 38 cities around the United States, and focuses most of its work on community redevelopment efforts. Founded in 1979, the organization has invested
$26.7 billion towards affordable housing and the development of educational, retail, and community spaces. Their efforts in Memphis, however, have had a large effect on youth sports.
Both of LISC’s NFL grant projects are part of a concerted push to boost youth sports and recreational activities in underserved Memphis communities. “This investment [at Freedom Prep] is much more than support for new seating and a scoreboard,” says Kathy Moore Cowan, executive director of LISC Memphis. ”The field renovation gift will assist Freedom Preparatory Academy in promoting success for young people while providing a refreshed asset that surrounding neighborhood residents can enjoy.
“By contributing to positive experiences for youth, LISC Memphis is working collaboratively to increase opportunities for healthy engagement and socialization, and improve quality of life in Whitehaven, Shelby County, and beyond.”
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