SOUTH BRONX KIDS DEFY EXPECTATIONS, GO FOR GOLD

As poor neighborhoods go, Mott Haven is one for the record books. Nearly 85 percent of families with children live below the poverty line. Disproportionate numbers of children are born to single mothers. More than a third drop out of high school. And expectedly, the crime rate is high - especially after school hours,when it triples.

Given the statistics, you'd expect the future to look bleak for Mott Haven kids. But for those who've been touched by Young Athletes, Inc., the picture looks quite different.

At a Daily Fork in the Road, They Find the Right Direction

YAI provides after-school programs that promote health and physical fitness, academic growth, self-discipline, and leadership skills. The organization was founded in 1997 by two professional basketball players, LaMarre Dyson and Steve Burtt, along with Rod Strickland, a coach who had inspired them to succeed. YAI started out by creating venues for amateur sports competitions, and then expanded. Today, sports are a draw for the program, but participants are also tutored and mentored. They explore career options and must maintain good academic standing.

At MS 233 in the Bronx, YAI has had a profound affect. Pass rates have increased significantly, and attendance stands at a record 92 percent. None of the Young Athletes participants have been retained a grade. None have been involved in the juvenile justice system or become teenage parents. Those are records the Catalog is proud to support. We hope you'll join us by donating today.

"YAI keeps me out of trouble by giving me somewhere to go instead of being out in the streets when school is out."

TAMAR, Age 15