Lynchburg City Schools

DALLAS, May 29, 2008 –

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that E.C. Glass and Heritage High Schools have joined Play It Smart, the NFF’s highly successful youth development program for at-risk student-athletes in underserved areas for the 2008-09 school year.

“E.C. Glass and Heritage both stood out as schools where Play It Smart could have an enormous impact,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The administration and coaches displayed a deep commitment to the development of their student-athletes, and we are excited about the increases in graduation rates and college enrollment that we know the program will produce at both Glass and Heritage. We would particularly like to thank Genworth Financial, Tom Prest, CEO of The Alliance for Families and Children of Central Virginia, Dr. Paul Fitzgerald, retired LCS School Board Member and Charlie White of Wood and White Investment Advisors for their leadership.”

Launched in 1998 and proven as one of the most comprehensive and effective youth developments in the nation, Play It Smart currently partners with more than 150 schools in 82 different cities throughout the country. The program has shown that sports, when coached in the proper environment, can be used as an effective tool for significantly enhancing the academic performance and goal-setting practices of its participants.

Charlie White, a graduate of E.C. Glass and spearhead for this project, knows this fact very well, saying, “I played in high school with kids who would tell me that the only reason they came to school that day was so they could practice, and that was because they had a coach who was able to reach them and cared about them.”

New schools are selected based on need; the commitment of the administration and athletic department to the principles of the program; and an effective plan for implementation and support of the program. Play It Smart fulfills its mission by financing the hiring and training of “Academic Coaches” who work at high schools in underserved communities during the entire school year. The year-round Academic Coaches teach participants how to transfer the life skills learned on the playing field and apply them in the classroom and the community for success throughout their lives.

“Play It Smart has produced phenomenal results over the past ten years for our partnership schools,” said Len Stachitas, Executive Director of Play It Smart and NFF Vice-President. “By partnering with civic organizations, government agencies, and school districts, we create an environment where student-athletes thrive by taking responsibility for their futures. The coaches and administrators at E.C. Glass and Heritage showed a commitment that will be vital to the long-term impact of the program.”

Academic Coaches build on the positive peer pressure of the team and a participant’s interest in football by utilizing a set of guiding principles and tactics, which are designed to make academic achievement the norm. Tactics include one-on-one goal setting meetings, career and life skills sessions, mandatory study halls, SAT/ACT prep classes, community service projects and other team building events. The success of the program requires the full support of a team’s head coach, who must lend his full authority with his players to the efforts of the Academic Coach, as well as the support of the school’s administration, especially the principal, the head of guidance, and the athletics director.

“Play it Smart will help our athletes stay on task, reach new academic heights, and fulfill their dreams of playing college football. The opportunity to have an Academic Coaches to assist, mentor, and guide our athletes will be instrumental to our players’ individual successes,” said Chip Berry, Athletic Director for E.C. Glass.

With major financial support from the NFL and the NFL Players Association, as well as a broad-coalition of corporations, school districts, individuals and organizations, the Play It Smart program has achieved dramatic results that include: