All language subtitles for I.Will.Soar.2021.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]-ENG

A lot of the things
that were taught to me

as a player or said
to me in particular,

never quitting and the
value of hard work,

always being accountable
and not to point a finger,

you know, if things
don't go right,

you don't sit there and
blame everybody else.

And when you're a family,

you're not jealous of
who gets the glory.

You're just happy
with the end results

and that's the victory.

You're not born
with that knowledge.

You have to learn it somewhere.

Giving them tough
love, helping them grow

is being there for
them when they need it.

All right, here we go.

When you was in little league.

Okay so when you played
little league football,

you dream of a stage like this,

you dream of a big
game like this.

Those little kids right there
behind you dreaming right now,

they want to be in your shoes.

Okay.

You got opportunity
to do something

that nobody have
done in Israel yet.

Nobody have knocked them down.

Trust in God. I believe in you.

You didn't travel
this far to lay down.

I know that. We know that.

We believe in you and
that's all that matters.

That all that matters.

Say everybody understand this.

And we all have the
same thing in common.

No, we care about the kids.

We love the kids and we
wanna see the kids succeed.

Every player I have a
different relationship with

and that's what keeps
me involved in football,

to build these relationships
and pass on the strength

that young men are gonna need

when they go out into the world.

Okay, we take
it to them, okay.

Yeah, you knock 'em in the mouth

and you knock 'em in the mouth.

Anything that allows the
kids to be constructive

and part of a team
element and successful,

I think it will always
help 'em in the long run.

I know that football really
saved me so if it saved me,

it could probably
save a lot of others.

All the kids really
want someone to push them,

someone to be there for them

and we provide that
throughout the program.

The social piece of this and
emotional side of what we do

is just as important to
me as the academic side.

When they leave
Atlantic High School,

they're still part
of our family.

Athletics and academics,
mix in the home life

and what it means for that
environment to be created.

I wish more schools
would do that.

The support that we have
in place here at Atlantic,

it's almost unheard of.

It's always been
a great program,

but the response
from the community

has never been this massive.

My community supports
what we do here.

You don't play if you don't
subscribe to his philosophy,

no matter how good you are.

A football program
is a perfect incubator.

One of the benefits
of covering these games

as a media member
is the credential

which gets you into the
game so much quicker

and at some schools
it's not a problem

and then you go to
Atlantic where it seems

like you come in an hour
before the game starts

and there's already a line like
there's a blockbuster movie

about to come out.

In our last game in
regionals before state,

before Corey scored I
felt a sense of loss.

Our teammates already
thought it was over with.

They didn't think we would
be able to come back.

Couple seconds before half
time, he caught the pit.

After Corey scored,

the whole vibe on the
sideline was way different.

We went into half
time and coach TJ

pulled all of us
in the locker room.

He sat all of us down and
let us know that we got this

and that we can't let
this one game stop us

from going to where we wanna go.

And Corey was the main
one that came to me,

crying at five minutes and
saying, "It's over, coach."

And Corey went out,
he started making plays

and it was really big.

And he scored that.

He put us up.

Corey was dabnot, everybody's
saying we got this.

Game not over until the
clock hits double zero.

Like before the
play even started,

my heart was pounding and
the crowd made it even worse.

Well Henry Bryant, being
that he possesses the power

and the size, you
have to utilize that.

But I already knew Coach TJ
was gonna give him the ball

because coach TJ knows that
Henry's gonna get the ball

in the goal line no matter what.

And I think when we got
down to that one yard line

and that two yard line and
Henry walked up to Coach...

Seen Henry running
on that field,

I knew it was over.

I went up to coach TJ
so I was like oh, coach,

let me run the ball.

So we have a package
for short yardage

or things of that nature that
basically we'll put him in.

And he like looked
at me like yeah,

like it's a good idea.

And here he comes
and there's very few,

if any opponents
that can stop him.

Kalani hiked the ball.

I start like running.

I see Kamareon,
you know, blocking

so I'm like okay.

And the old line was like
blocking like harder than ever.

You know, I just like dove.

And I reached my arm out

and then I remember when
I had like hit the ground,

I looked to the side
and I looked at the ref

and I seen him put his hands up

and I was just like
whew, like thank God.

Like I was just so
excited and so happy.

The team started going crazy.
The crowd was going crazy.

You're just so happy
your hugging strangers.

That's what that night was.

There's only a few
teams that can make it,

you know, to the finals

so everybody else has
had some level of defeat

along the way and
anybody can win well

It's really hard to lose well.

It was just like a big
moment cause you know,

Coach Alex always talked
about how we haven't made it

to states in a while so
knowing that we made a record,

especially with
that team of talent,

it was just, it
was something big.

It wasn't a game that we
just won out of the gate.

It's one we had to fight for
all the way to the last second

and we knew what it
meant to this program

and we knew that it wasn't
just about that year,

that it was about
all the years before.

This semifinal was
huge for both teams

for pretty obvious reasons.

Atlantic hadn't been to
a state championship game

since the 1970s and none
of these players were born.

Heck, you know, there are
probably a bunch of coaches

on the sideline who
weren't even born yet

the last time Atlantic
played for a state title.

The fact that they
lost and they have,

you know, a reason
to be motivated, to
get back and return,

that's a good
thing for Atlantic.

You know, TJ Jackson's
been there for a while now.

He's established a program.

He's known for
being a good coach

so kids want to play there.

And they, you
know, they're able,

they're probably the best team

in Palm Beach County right now

and they definitely have a shot

to get back to the
state championship game.

When You have that
much talent on the field,

you're eventually
gonna win it all.

I believe this team has
the potential to win state,

let alone go to state is almost
like unfinished business.

And that should be our
theme, unfinished business,

because we do have
unfinished business.

Part of our strategic plan

is to having a goal of 90%
or higher on graduation rate.

When we started looking
at some of our players

and some of their post-secondary
options and graduation,

we realized that
we can do better.

My son started
here at Atlantic High
School as a freshman

and he was playing
freshman football.

You know, we have team fees
so we started talking about it

and so I said how about
we barter services

and I start tutoring
after school.

While my son is in practice,

I'll tutor your
football players.

Well that's how it all started.

These are amazing kids,
but they needed that bridge.

What's gonna be the bridge
that gets them into college?

The program is set
up for you to succeed

at Atlantic Community
High School.

Many of them or some of them

may not have educated
parents at home.

So therefore coaches and
sponsors find themselves

having to be more than
just a sponsor or a coach.

We're a big family and a
team and we support each other

and we work together.

We look at the kids
like they're our own.

Our kids don't
challenge the program.

They don't challenge what
we give them as individuals.

The only challenge they have

is the challenge
within themself.

The advice I can give to
the JV kids that's coming up

is always put forth the effort.

Don't give up and just
trust the process.

The evolution of the program
under TJ has been amazing.

When you look at where they
were when he took over,

the problems that they had

both in the classroom
and off the field,

there was a number
of different issues.

A lot of talented
kids weren't staying.

Even though they could
attend school there,

they were going elsewhere.

TJ brought them all
back into the fold.

Most coaches would
just be concerned

about winning the
next football game,

but here's a guy that knows
that what's more important

is the wellbeing of his students

and preparing them
for their future.

You know, football
is important to us,

but education is
more important to us

so we try to really
focus on education

and get their
mindset on education

and let them understand
it's a privilege

to play the game of football.

Well he's trying to get
these kids scholarships

to get in there and
get an education.

Football is the means of
getting there. It's not the end.

One of the pieces that I
admired about not just Coach TJ,

but his coaching staff
was that academics

was considered the priority.

You know, some kids get upset,

you know, he'll send
the kid to tutoring

rather than coming to practice.

We try to tailor the
academic plans for our students

based on their specific needs

so I approached Coach
Jackson and I asked him

how he felt about me
developing a football class

during the day
based on their need.

If they need tutoring
services during the day,

we can do it during
that block of time.

That's when the light bulb
went off with Coach TJ

and he said, you know,

this is also a time we can
work on NCAA requirements.

But the key to that wasn't
just him having a bright idea.

It was where we brought
in Miss Mose-Cooper.

I started doing progress
reports for the varsity

and I was doing such a
great job cause you know,

in education, when you do good,

you get rewarded with more work.

Do you want the whole nation
to see you sleeping in a class?

There you go.

All right so now to find a...

I started really looking
at our football players

because we started seeing slips.

You know, when
they're in season,

they were doing well and
when they were off season,

they weren't doing as well.

So we set a system in
place with Miss Mose-Cooper

who's doing a terrific job.

Coach TJ requires
from us players

to have a signed progress report

from all our
teachers every week.

We are not having
as many failing kids

when it comes to their
junior and senior year.

The worst is just bringing
their test grades up,

their test scores
on ACT and SAT.

If there's students that
are struggling during the day,

we just figure out how are we
gonna make the academic plan

for this student
to be successful.

Okay so if you need to
sign up for these tests,

these deadlines
are passing you by.

So there's two sections of
math, test three, test four.

Are you going to get
all of them correct? No.

Now we're trying
to shoot for a 500

at least in each section.

That'll give you enough
buffer that for NCAA

if you get 1,000,
you're still okay.

That's less than 50%
of the questions.

My GPA right now is a 2.5.

My GPA is a 3.6 or 3.7.

He want all us to
maintain like a 3.0.

I have a 3.5 GPA.

We wanna see 'em succeed as
young men in the real world.

We don't want them to
be another statistic.

The administration really
cares about your academics.

I mean if you don't got
the grades, you can't play.

You can't just
be a bad student

and then be able
to go on the field.

My criteria is that they
will have As, Bs and Cs

and good conduct
in their classes.

If they have that, they
go on the no issue list.

There was a few times
I probably had a D,

but it went up as soon as
I like went into tutoring.

If they have a behavior issue,

if they have Ds or Fs
in any of their classes,

they have to go to tutoring
for part of the time

to get their grades up.

Coach, he just sat me down

and they went over all my grades

and what I had to do to make
up those classes that I failed.

And I just had to get on it.

My last score was an 1120

and that's been my
highest score so far.

I already been
offered five scholarship

since this year started.

If it's not an
athletic scholarship,

get an academic scholarship.

Just get into college
and go no matter what.

The NFL is not the ticket.
It's getting a college degree.

Your education is gonna
take you way further

than football
could ever take you

throughout the
course of your life.

Just use football as a tool.

You're good at it? Okay.

That's not the only thing
God blessed you with.

He blessed you with brains.

Use your brain more than you
use your athletic ability

and you'll go further in life.

Coach Jackson is trying
to instill those values

that education comes first.

He's a coach that really
cares about our academics

and making sure we're all okay.

I just wanna
make my dad proud.

I wanna be the first one
to take the better route.

Never give up on finding a
way to help a child succeed.

Our main goal is to
help these kids understand

the importance of education and
go to a four year university

and get out of the environment
that they in right now.

When you get knocked
down every day,

you don't see another option.

It's survival, your instincts
kick in and it's self-defense.

The worst thing I experienced

is not sticking together
in the neighborhood

and I feel that that

community that stick
together can succeed.

But I don't feel
that in my community.

Growing up in the
ghetto and in the hood,

I mean it's just, it's
really killing everywhere.

They be killing us every day.

Every time I go outside, sirens.

I can't go to sleep.
Sirens, sirens, all that.

You never know
what's gonna happen.

Some days can be good.
Some days are quiet.

Some days are just not, you
just don't even go outside.

There's not a neighborhood
that you could say is quiet

every day and every night.

I live in an area of Delray
that there's drugs being sold

all the time across the street,
there's drive-by shootings

so I understand their
plight of where they live.

There is a lot of violence
and just like typically

every African American
neighborhood, there's violence.

It's a dangerous
city down there,

but you know, for me, I
just stay in the house

and stay up out of
trouble and stuff.

They have no choice
but to get involved

with some of that bad stuff
because it's all around them

and it's all what they see
and do their whole life.

Kids, they just grow up and
they have no other choice,

but to do the same.

It's either you starve or
you go get it in the hood.

In my neighborhood
it's some good times,

but then it always end up bad.

I just wanna get
away from all that.

My mom tried to keep me and
hot me away from that stuff

that was going on
when I was little

so she can keep us safe
cause she didn't want us

to get taken away from the
environment that we was in.

We got some kids that wanna
be on the streets and gang

and try to play
football to maintain.

You can't do both.

It's just bad
cause so many people

get lost to the environment.

You gotta pick one side.

You gonna play football or
you gonna go to the streets?

Let's go, let's go.

People jealous.

They see what you got, you know,

they wanna take
that away from you.

They like, jeez, I
see what he getting

so I want some of him

so I'm gonna try to
hurt you to prevent you

from doing what I wanna do.

I grew up in the city
of Delray Beach, Florida.

The area I came from was hard
area which is called the set.

That area specifically
you had to be real tough.

Well I come from
Miami, Florida,

inner city, tough neighborhood,
tough being raised.

And a lot of our kids in
Delray has the same situation

so if I can give them the
same break that I received,

then that's wonderful.

I think stability in
anyone's life is important.

I think that's what
we all wish for.

That's the model that,
you know, 15 years ago,

20 years ago or
however many years ago,

depending on how old you are,

that's what it's supposed to be.

I think reality is it's
not going to be like that

for all of my kids.

Keep playing ball, bro.

Attack a lot of scrimmage, bro.

Keep...

A lot of these
families you go in

and you see how
bad they're living.

Mold, mildew, the
ceiling is caving in.

Kid is sleeping and he
has a huge garbage can

right next to him
to catch the water

that's coming from the rain.

So we think it's an
anger problem. It's not.

We think it's behavioral
problems. It's not.

We classify them
ADHD. It is not.

They need a healthy
breakfast in the morning.

They need a father at
home or a father figure

or someone who can tell
them they love them

and who's always there

and doesn't just show
up and disappear.

And these are the same kids
that you're asking questions

on why they're not doing their
homework while they're home.

So these kids are coming in,

oh, you don't have any homework,

you didn't do your homework.

Oh you gonna get a F.

And then you just never know

what's going on in their house

and what they're dealing with.

At times we never know
what a kid is going through

until they actually
open their mouth.

So they may not come out and say

"Coach, I'm not eating at home."

Or "Coach, you know,
Mom's not there.

I'm having trouble. I
don't know who to talk to."

So we try to develop
a community here,

a bond so that they are
comfortable in opening up

and asking for that
of which they need.

And so as a coaching staff,

we try to be there for the
kids and let them understand

that hey, you have
support from us.

Your mom and dad did
everything for your family.

We've learned a lot of these
kids don't have a mom and dad

and I think what made
you so successful

is you had a mom and
dad who said you can.

It's kinda hard for
these kids to say you can

when there's nobody at home.

I thank Mom and Dad every day.

They don't read and
write and here I am,

a state representative,

I'm no different from
any of these kids, man.

I am them. That's all
I want them to know.

I always tell the kids
even when they think

that they wanna give up, it's
too much, they can't do it,

we sit down, we map a plan

and we say this is how
we're gonna get there.

Good
afternoon. I hope everyone

had a wonderful Wednesday.

All right, today we
have a track meet

we are hosting right here
in Atlantic at four o'clock

so come out and support

our awesome track team
boys and our girls.

Miss Tara Ocampo,
that's the best lady ever.

That's the best principal
a student can ask for.

You know, she's always
on top of your grades.

You need help,
she will help you.

You can come in her office
anytime to talk to her.

See at my old school,
I couldn't just walk

in my principal's
office and talk to her

about something
that I'm feeling.

Every time I'm going
to Miss Ocampo's office

and like she always welcomes us.

The thing that makes me
feel like it's friendly here

at Atlantic is when I'm hungry,

I can go to Miss Ocampo

and I feel great about
it, I feel welcome.

I love you all. I will
do anything for you.

I'm proud of you and I'm
thankful for you in my life.

Congratulations.

You know, we have
a mixture of kids.

We have some kids that have
both mothers and fathers.

I'll say 90% of our kids

are living with either
their grandmother

or their grandfather
or just their mother

so they're coming from
a single parent home

and it's difficult, you know,

for that parent and it's
difficult for that kid.

The difficulties that some
of our kids deal with now

are much greater than they
were when I was a student.

Why are y'all not
finished? Good, Gonzoli.

Honestly, I've been
walking this road by myself.

I don't really tell
anyone about what goes on.

It's kind of a weight to carry,

but you know, I get through it.

It is a down port
for the athlete

not to have family or
parental support from home.

No matter how many times
you get knocked down,

that whistle blows,
you get back up.

We don't just come
to work every day,

come coach these kids
and say "Hey, you know,

all right, now
we're done with you.

You know, go home,
go tend your family."

You know, we are family.

When reality sets
in, it's not the same

as you would see in a book.

You know, these kids
are not a open book.

These kids are facing
what I like to call

real life tough situations.

The majority of my
students come anywhere

from with no parents involved

to possibly one or both in jail,

murders, crimes,
robberies, stabbing

to very bad divorce situations,

verbal abuse, physical
abuse, mental abuse,

no food in the home.

You start to discover things
about different individuals

like maybe they don't
have anything to eat

or maybe they're living
at their grandma's

out of a suitcase.

My mom, my brothers
and sister are at home

and I don't have, I'm just
there by myself with my auntie

so I don't have nobody
who I really talk to.

They need an environment
in which to flourish.

Do you know that
80% of this school

lives below the poverty line?

Are you all aware of that?

That's why you're
called a Title I school.

They don't have a hot
meal during the weekend.

Perhaps Mom or Dad
is not in the house

and perhaps, you know,
friends of bad influence

are, you know, taking them out

and who knows what can happen.

My mom passed when
I was five years old.

That's why my favorite
number is five.

So I live with my auntie
and my auntie's son.

The last time I
spoke to my father,

I was like four years old.

My younger brother, he
came up to me about what,

a month or two ago
and he was like "Ciah,

why is Daddy never home?"

And I was like, I
was in such a shock.

I didn't even know how
to answer him at first.

My father, he left when
I was eight years old.

Like it was so nice I cried,
I cried myself to sleep.

I never mentioned it to my mom.

Growing up without my father,

it was something I got
got used to over time.

I mean we communicated
occasionally,

but it was something, it
was better than nothing.

It's almost like you have
fiction and nonfiction.

We're trying to instill
those values into our young men

on how big family is and
the importance of family.

Coach TJ sent me an email.

This is an actual letter
that came to your coach

and I'm gonna read it.

Coach Jackson, I was wondering
if you had the transcripts

for A, B and C.

Also, if you can tell me a
little bit more about them,

I'd greatly appreciate it.

Their true size,

a little bit about their family,

their work ethic,
leadership capabilities,

if there is anything
off the field

we need to know about them.

Do they have any kids?

Why is a coach asking
do they have any kids?

You have no idea how much
work it takes to have a child.

How could you possibly have
the time for that child

when you're in high
school, going to college?

Do you honestly think you can
put up your best performance?

What happens if that
child gets sick?

What happens if that child
needs medical attention

and you don't have
the money for it?

What about yourself?

Who gets the short
end of the stick?

It's that baby.

That one mistake could
be a lifelong mistake

that you can't change.

If they end up even
going to college,

they're not together anymore.

So you have to be very
responsible with your life.

You just heard from a coach.

He's asking because
this is what's happening

and your concentration
should be in the classroom

and on that field.

Nothing else should matter.

Majority of the times, it's
not a positive relationship

between a mom and the dad.

How did it feel for you
not having a dad in the home

all the time there to talk to?

And even if you do have
the dad that wanna be around,

the mom is probably so sour
because they're not together

and the dad has
another girlfriend

so the kids will toggle
between this whole battle.

You have the ability
to stop it now.

She help us a lot

because she talk about
real life situations

like not having children
while you're in high school

until you can take
care of yourself

and then you can take
care of your own children.

I've always had to take care
of my brothers and sisters,

no matter what case may be.

I feel like I had to become
the father of the house.

And they start to
build their families.

Want them to know
that that's their rock

and they have something so
sacred that they should be there

and try to provide something
that they probably didn't have.

I got a job and I help
my mom as much as I can.

And far as me having a family,

I would, I don't know.

I know I wanna have one. I'm
probably just gonna wait.

My mom, my dad,
it's not the other.

My mom got six kids and my
dad has I think seven kids.

I know it's kinda of hard,

you know, they come
home without a father

or going to see their father,

spending time just
be with their father.

You know, people don't have that

so that kinda leave
them clueless.

But I just wanna let 'em
know I'm here for 'em.

It makes me feel
happy just to know

somebody's there for me.

First I'm gonna
start by saying

how my father influenced me.

He kept me on the right path.

I'm alright.

My dad.

Thank you, thank you.

I see people walk around with
their mom and dad every day.

I know personally I don't
have my mom and dad.

It just touched me
and made me feel

like I wish I had my mom and
dad, but it is what it is.

Picture that, that
you're playing football

with your very own son

and tell me how do you think
that's gonna make you feel.

Parents are everything
to their children.

They're an example,
protector counselor,

the one place you
can always go to

when everything's going wrong.

If I'm playing
football with my son

and he's five years
old and I'm just,

I'm sitting there
just looking at him.

That's gonna make
me feel so special

to be and have that moment and
that connection with my son.

TJ is not only
embraced in football,

but what he does
outside of football

and that level of
respect comes from that.

Like you're my coach,

but I honestly feel like
you're more than my coach.

You're a father figure.

He talks one-on-one with kids.

He tells me how to
be a great person.

That's what I need.

I need somebody like that
and that's who he is.

He's just an amazing person,

amazing coach, amazing mentor
and an amazing father figure

to some teammates
who may not have

that father figure
in their life.

Guys, you gotta
play with discipline.

Everybody understand that?

Yes, sir.

Only way we gonna
come out victorious

is we gotta have discipline.

No penalties. Eerybody
understand it?

Yes, sir.

No stealing mistakes
and play full speed.

Here we go, family on
three. One, two, three.

Family.

I was on the second day of
my job and I met Coach TJ.

I was in my office and
he came to the door

and I said "You have to
be the football coach."

TJ's like no other person
you ever meet in your life.

You know, he doesn't talk,
he doesn't smile that much,

but he has a huge heart.

All right, James,
you all right.

He can't throw that far.

I know, I know, but don't
get in his head right now.

This ain't the time
to get in his head.

You good, all right.
Look, look, we good.

You got it?

We gonna come back and we're
gonna score. You got it?

We good.

Don't get in his head.

Don't get in his head.

Don't get in his head.

You'll be alright.

He don't care about us
being football players,

but he cares about us as men.

Come here.

Mayou, why you backing up?

First down. Let's go.

TJ can't be one of the best
high school football coaches

in America.

No, no, no. Come
on, both y'all line.

I was like, but
obviously he is.

Drop me out. Light, go,
light, go, both y'all line.

I'm like, how is that?

Like he's not this
grew with Xs and Os.

When the ball is going
this way, all right,

you gotta flow over top.

I'm like or maybe he is
and I'm not giving him credit

for being such a
good football coach.

Blue, blue. Ask him, ask him.

You good?

Even when he played football,

he was known as a genetic freak.

Why did I saw what
did I saw blitch?

Not a guy that outworked
and out film worked everybody

so like he's totally
doing it by a culture.

Let's go. Blue, blow,
blue, blow, blue, blow.

Let's go.

Man, get it right here,
John, Guen, J, Jeremiah.

You're here.

Third down, third
down, third down.

Third down.

He's a man of his word.

He's a man of his word.

Got a lot of things we
have to work on, guys.

If you guys wanna
be a great team,

we gotta work on...

They always come
back to district.

It's about football,
it's about family.

So they look at him
as a great role model

for all of the kids out there.

And I know his
players respect him,

they look up to
him, they love him.

You know, the fact that your
head coach cares about you

not just as a player,
but also as a person

and that's what Coach
Jackson brings to the table.

TJ was my hero,
you know, growing up.

He's two, three
years older than me,

but always told people this.

It was just watching
him, you know,

he was just the star at
everything on a football field.

He always took me
under his wing.

He took me wherever he went.

Let's go down the line.
Don't mess off on the line.

Here we go.

Jamar, you can't
go. You're limping.

Put me in.

All right, you got away.

Let's go, let's go, let's go.

Hold on the line. Hold on.

You got it? Relax.

Tyler. Tyler.

Put me in.

Hold on, wait.

I thought you went, man.

Here we go. Let's go, hit it.

Let's go.

You need a break?

Jack, you're on the line.
No, Marquis can come down.

He gotta get in.

Hey, hey, get somebody
for Jacques and Antoine.

Part return. Go, go, go.

Why you down on the line?
Can we get a measurement?

Hey, put me in.

All right, hold
on. Wait, wait, wait.

Hold on.

And
the kick is good.

They come here for discipline.

They come here for structure.

A lot of kids don't get that

when they come into
a school system.

They just go to school,

but our kids are
surrounded by family

and they get the nurturing,

they get the care
that they need.

and when they get
here, they excel

because that's what a lot
of our kids are looking for.

Coach TJ has a relationship
with all our parents

so if I do something wrong,

my mom's gonna call him and
just discipline us on the field

and tell us you can't be
doing that, you can't do this

and you gotta treat your
parents with respect.

The biggest thing that a
lot of y'all may be aware of

is the coaching staff,
Miss Mill-Thomas,

we're big on discipline.

We sometimes, we sit
'em out for a quarter

or half of a game

and I think that gets them
more than anything else.

If you do something bad and
he say he gonna sit you out,

he's gonna sit you out.

Back in my old school,
it wasn't like that.

No matter what they did,

they'll still play
that first quarter.

And TJ, if he says you're not
playing that first quarter,

he's serious.

Hey, so anytime your kid
is on the football field

and you see him
sitting on the sideline

either in a different
color jersey

or you see him on the sideline
sitting out a first quarter

or second quarter
or a whole game,

okay, go home and ask
him what happened.

Coach TJ, no grades,
trouble in school, anything,

no play time.

And we gonna do
our best to make sure

that we take away
something that they love

until they get it
right on they end.

For all we been working
for that whole weekend,

I just messed it all up
doing one dumb thing.

Hey, listen up, okay.

If you retaliate, you gonna be,

your ass gonna be
out for two games.

Come one, come on, come on.

Jafari, get your side.

If your coach
doesn't yell at you,

that means that they don't
care about you anymore

and they're always yelling at us

so we assume they still care.

Gary, raise your
hand really quick.

Gentlemen, this is who
provided all your shirts.

Well when I first
met Miss Janie,

I was overwhelmed with
how passionate she was.

Bringing her into our
family has been a blessing,

not just for kids.

I think it's been a
blessing for our family.

I'm seeing how her
work has allowed them

to better handle situations.

My brother is Micaiah Joseph.

He's the first of
my mom's four sons.

I was very, very
short tempered.

After the ball went
through the goal post,

one person came around the
side and hit me for no reason

and I fell to the
floor and then Micaiah.

once he saw that I got hit, he
started coming onto the field

and then coach TJ
had to hold him back.

One time, my changing
moment there was,

I had a couple of them,

but one that I can
remember off the back

was me and my brother,

as we got older we
started like, you know,

when you get older, you
develop a mind from yourself

and like I wouldn't say we
started separating ourselves

from each other, but like we
started thinking different

so me and Montahj
got into a fight.

He could've lost his eye
and I really regret that.

They have been able
now to process it

and deal with it differently
than they have in the past.

We used to always
go pound for pound

and I just realized like
that's my younger brother,

can't be fighting him like that.

People not really gonna
listen to what you say,

what you show them.

They're learning
responsibility and
I learned something.

Responsibility means
the ability to respond.

My brother had a temper.

Nobody could calm down like if
something happen in the game,

he would retaliate.

I was the kind of
person to start something.

I was always
looking for trouble.

All right, where's the boy?

Hey, where's the...

Where is the white...

Get down.

This year we played
Ely in the second round

and Micaiah, they threw the
ball to the running back.

Micaiah chased him
and hit him real hard.

The crowd went ooh

and the boy got up and
hit Micaiah in the chin

and like Micaiah head went back.

You have two seconds
to decide how to respond.

I know Micaiah. My
brother's gonna retaliate.

Micaiah had everybody in shock.

He put his hands up and
just started dancing.

I was standing right
next to Miss Janie.

I ain't never seen
that happen before.

I think she's
opened up their hearts

to believe in something
and believe in themselves.

God knows what you're gonna
do before you even do it.

He knows the decisions
you're gonna make.

If you hit Micaiah
for no reason,

he's gonna hit you back.

I'm also thankful that
God didn't give up on me

and he knew that one day I
would come to realization

that I had to stop
being who I was

and become a better person.

They're more in control
of their actions now

because I think that they
know what's important

and what's not important.

My name is Jane Swanko.

I attended Coral
Gables High School

and I was All-American,
All-City, All-State

and that year that
I was a senior,

we won the state
championship for water polo.

I was invited to come
to Atlantic High School

to speak to their
varsity football program

and TJ thought it
might be good for me

to bring what I know in sports

and work with him on
developing the kids

both physically as well
as just getting them ready

to transition them into college.

That was on a summer
about four years ago

and I've never left.

When I first met Miss Janie,

we were in the dance room and
we had just finished workouts.

My arms were burning
because we had to do

like a million pushups.

I was just ready to go,
I was ready to leave

and then they had the
whole team coming.

I was like oh my God.

Why is this lady holding up
our time? I'm ready to go.

Jalen, is Bryce coming?

She started
talking about every,

somebody owed her a essay

and I was like I'm
not writing no essay.

This is summertime.

Why do I have to write an essay?

The first time that
Janie came to our school

I felt like as if
she was like crazy,

but as the season got on

and all this stuff
started happening to us

and we just started being
healthier and better

and we just became
more of a family.

First time I seen Miss
Janie, I was thinking to myself

like okay, what
is she doing here?

Janie asked the quarterbacks
to like stand up

and go towards her
and turn around.

She asked the rest
of the football team

like who is the
best quarterback.

I got the most
hands raised I guess

and then she came to me
and looked me in the eye

and said you're the one.

I was just creeped out,

but like I felt special
at the same time.

The rope not even high.

Y'all lazy, let's go.

Speed up. Y'all lazy, let's go.

Coordination, come on.
Coordination, come one.

Coordination.

After practice I was
not in the best of moods.

I was very angry.

I was mad with something
that happened on the field

and I allowed that to get to me.

And when Miss Janie came up
to me and asked me a question

I said something I
should never said

and I thought about
it and it hurt me

like that I talked to a
lady that cared about me

and I could've messed
up a good relationship.

Spiritually she's
brought them to a level

that has helped them not
only control their emotions,

but it also has affected their
behavior in a positive way.

To get back on good
terms with Miss Janie,

I wrote her a letter and
I just wanted to make sure

she personally got it from me

and knew that I was truly sorry

and nothing like that
would ever happen again.

Good morning.

It's great to see you guys.

I think faith is
important to these kids

because a lot wanna know God,

but don't know how
to get to know God.

You know, I would
hear Coach Jackson say

"Okay, Sunday we're
going to church."

You know, and the first
time I heard that,

I went okay, I already
know how amazing he is,

but this is just unbelievable.

Teaching a little
bit of faith in them

is something that we do

from the standpoint
of the kids want it.

I was at a point
where I felt like God

wasn't doing anything for me,

but he wasn't doing anything

because I wasn't doing
anything for him.

Starting off as a kid,
I ain't really have faith.

Starting off like I ain't
really believe in God.

I can't give you a percentage,

but I know some of 'em,

that could've been
the first time

they stepped foot
in to the church

or it could've been
another Sunday for them.

My point is, you know,
it was just to hear that,

it was amazing and then
when Janie came on board,

I saw a complete
transformation on my students

and their belief,

not only in faith,
but in their level

of commitment to trusting,

in people, trusting in processes

and just trusting in God.

And that we would remember
this particular team,

that it would live in our hearts

and that you would do something
in this city and beyond

because of this moment and
the moments that follow.

Christ, to you go the
glory, amen and amen.

Amen.

Let's give it up one more time.

The message Miss Janie gave
us that was the most impactful

was where we copy what she
says before we play a game.

And I'm gonna
tell you a scripture

that we're gonna say

every single time before
we get out on that field.

Let's go.

When a lot of people told us

that we're not allowed to pray,

but the kids look forward
to that pregame prayer.

Once we're all in that
locker room together,

the adrenaline is like, it's
like we're pumped and stuff.

But like after that prayer,

it's like it's on.

The thing we say
before the game

is Lord, I trust you.

I trust you.

I follow you.

I follow you.

And I ask for strength.

And I ask for strength.

I mount up.

I mount up.

With wings, with wings.

My eagle, my eagle.

And I soar.

And I soar.

And I'll run.

And I'll run.

And I'll not be weary.

And I'll not be weary.

I'll walk, I'll walk.

And I'll not as faint.

And I'll not faint.

Lord God.

Lord God.

Make me, make me.

A mighty man, a mighty man.

Oh, Father, oh Father.

In Jesus' name, in Jesus' name.

Amen, amen.

It gives me like strength.

I know that God is
watching over me.

He'll let me play my best
game of all that day.

It feels like God
is always with us

and we'll have no fear as
long as we believe in God.

If you're in the shadow of
God, then you'll be protected

so after she told me that,

I started running the ball, I
started throwing touchdowns.

You know, I got my game back.

God told her to tell me
that he got plans for me,

and that he gonna make
me fast on my feet

and she was like
don't think, just run.

It's like all
right, threw it up,

got both of my feet in
the end zone, touchdown.

I got God on my side so I fly.

God had told us to not
play this game for you,

but you're playing
the game for him.

Ever since then, I
pray before the game.

I try to say that I'm
playing through God for God,

that he gave me this
talent to do this.

We are special because we
were created in his image

and his likeness.

And he's the reason
why I'm sit here now

doing good things for myself.

You get what I'm saying?

All right, bro, listen.

Going speak.

All right, you wanna
speak here or you...

Yeah.

No, we can do it right here.

Coach wanted me to
work with you gentlemen

on breathing techniques.

I'm gonna speak to
you about it now

and then when you're at the
game, I'll be on the sidelines.

If you're having complications,

walk over to me and
I'll walk you through it

and I'll keep working with you

until you've got it
down for yourself.

Jalen, really quickly,

just go as fast as
you can on that bike

and then walk over to me.

And I want one other
person who's on a bike

to do the same thing for me.

All right, go as
hard as you can.

Hard as you can.

Really quick come
here. Come here.

Your muscles need oxygen

so your focus should be
on replenishing the oxygen

that your muscles have lost
and getting it into your blood

cause the blood
feeds the muscles.

I'm sure you all have
heard this, right?

You've heard all of this.

How do you feel?

Now go try it again
and come back to me.

Come here, honey.

Do 30 seconds on a hard bike.

I had Terrance on
the bike going hard

for about five, 10 minutes

And I was trying to
show the other kids

how you get your heart
and breathing back in sync

and I remember
calling TJ and saying

this kid is gonna be
an amazing athlete.

You have an amazing
ability to run

and so capture that.

He had no rapid heartbeat
which you should

after five minutes
going hard on a bicycle.

At least bump it
up a little bit.

Nothing.

When you're inhaling,
feel your heart beating.

Get your nose breathing
instinct with your heart.

And that's where it runs hard

because you work with these
kids and they leave you,

sometimes to go
to another school,

sometimes they leave you
because you've lost them.

He was killed at a funeral.

Well I think poverty

and the things that
these kids have seen,

the violence, family
issues, addiction,

you know, it all adds up.

Mental health
illnesses and problems,

they don't discriminate.

Hello.

Hi.

I'm here in Coach Rowe's
football classroom

and I'm here to talk
to them about suicide

and the issues of
poverty related to it.

Please put away
your cell phones,

please take your earbuds out

because what I'm about to tell
you is very, very serious.

Miss Ocampo has called
me, Coach TJ has called me

and I know I've said
this a thousand times,

but I'm really gonna try
to drive it into you guys

as best as I possibly can.

And I'm gonna tell you about
facts, just straight out facts,

science, statistics
and spiritual.

Science says your brain
is not even developed

until you're 25 years old

which means your frontal
lobes which are right here

cannot make a
reasonable, cognitive,

understandable decision.

You really don't know
what you're doing

because these are not developed.

So if your brain
is not developed,

why are you guys
making decisions

that you're not even
developed to make?

And the point to all of
this, gentlemen, is this.

You guys are having
sex. Sex makes babies.

Look at the statistics here.

Number one contributor
to suicide is poverty.

How the hell are you
gonna raise a baby

when you don't
even have a phone,

you don't have a car, you
don't have an education

and I don't wanna
hear your parents

and everybody's
gonna help you...

because they're in poverty too.

If this is telling me that 90%,

when you have sex is gonna
make you have a baby, 90%,

do you have any clue
what you're doing?

And you don't and
it's not your fault

because your brain's
not developed

to understand what you're doing.

And believe me, gentlemen,

when I tell you I know
what you're going through.

It is everywhere you go.

I see these gorgeous
girls out here.

It's on TV, it's in
films, it's on your phone.

It's on the billboards,
it's in the movies.

It's everywhere like it's
cool, don't worry about it,

but it's not.

Here's your stats.

Half of all mothers on welfare

had the first child
as a teenager.

Half that are on welfare.

2/3 of the families that occur

are with an unmarried
mom and they're poor.

Have any of you all
experienced being poor?

Not having food,

not knowing when your
next meal's gonna come,

not having a bed.

Have anybody...

The electricity has
been turned off.

Has anybody experienced that?

Okay, doesn't feel good.

And by the way I was
raised upper middle class,

but my dad told me at 13,

you're on your own
when you graduate.

I knew when my mother told
me if you have a baby,

you're out of the house.

We don't support that,
get out of the house,

and I knew she meant it.

Great thing to do
because it detoured me

from having anything
to do with it.

And it's why I went to college

because my dad made
it perfectly clear

you're on your own because
they did it on their own.

But here's how I
know how you feel.

Because when my parents said
you're on your own at 18,

I know what it's like to be
hungry cause I was on my own.

I know what it's like to
lose somebody that you love.

Like we really understand
what she's trying to say

because I know some students
that's having children

in high school and
like they don't know.

They don't know what to do.

Jalen lived homeless
three years ago.

He lived homeless.

He had nowhere to go. His father
had nothing to do with him.

My freshman year I
fell into a little slope,

you know, but as time moved on,

I realized that you can't go
nowhere without your grades.

He comes here.
He had D1 offers.

He had other offers coming in.

He gets injured. He
had nowhere to go.

He had no plan B which
is what I'm trying to do

with all of you.

They wanna see you
go to the next level.

They wanna see
you go to college.

They don't care if
it's a D1, D2, D3,

As long as you're in college,
you get an education.

There is hope, gentlemen.

That's what all of your
coaches, what Mrs. Ocampo,

what I'm here for.

There is no reason to
feel like there's no hope.

And my heart breaks for that
young man who took his life

because he was
living in poverty.

This is not what you
should be thinking about

and worrying about when
you're in high school.

You should be going home
exhausted from your sport,

ready to sit down
and do your homework,

have a nice meal
with your family

and go and get a
good night's sleep.

That's normal.

And I know some of you
have said to me Mrs. Janie,

that's not normal
where I come from.

Well it probably isn't,
but now let's stop that.

18 Years old. You may
be old enough to vote.

You're still a kid.

Especially with some of these
kids and what they've seen

that maybe their brain isn't
fully developed in that regard

and it's so sad when
you hear them crying

and venting about
how bad things are

and there's nothing.

They feel there's nothing
they could do to improve it

financially or just
what they've seen

that gets them to that point.

And these pieces
really do help

with the mental health component
when it comes to children.

Home because if all
else turns against you,

that is the one place where
we should have your back.

This is home.

This football
program is my home.

We knew we had that
passion and hunger

to make it out of here.

And you know, everyone goal
pretty much who played football

was to make it to the NFL.

Of course that's
a childhood dream,

but why is that the only
childhood dream that we have?

Why more of us didn't dream

or want to become
doctors or lawyers?

You know what I mean? Engineers.

It's almost like
football was a program.

Go be an engineer or
a lawyer or a doctor

or run your own company
or do construction.

You can study engineer and
start at $80,000 a year.

Look it up.

You're in a fork right now.

You can go to the
left and be despondent

which leads to depression
which leads to suicide.

Or you can do what's right and
focus and get your education,

going to football,
going to the NFL or not.

And stop this madness
because this is madness.

Being homeless, it
really tear you down.

And I guess he been
dealing with it,

dealing with being
homeless for his whole life

and depression, it kills
like it really kills.

It hurts being homeless
and his mom being poor,

not having places to sleep.

He had to stay over
at his friend's house

and that really hurt
cause like you really be

wanting your own stuff.

Like you be wanting
your parents to be okay.

I mean you'll be okay,

but he didn't have
no place to stay in.

I know how that feel
cause I was homeless.

I was homeless for two months

and I was kinda
getting depressed,

but like I said, I got a
family here at Atlantic

that keep me up and that
helped me with things.

And God too, let's
not forget about him.

But being homeless is hard

and it's sad that
he had to do that.

He had to commit suicide.

I think that it's very
important for the young men

to learn life's lessons
through football.

That prepares our young men
to be successful in life

after they graduate
high school and go on.

At the end of the day,
that's what it's about.

You want your young
men to leave you better

than when they got there.

You know, when
you're away from home,

when you're 18 years old
and you're in a new place,

it can be scary

and the fact that you are
relying upon those people,

that could make or break
you as a college student,

your college football career

so it's important to kinda
build that relationship

and have that family
atmosphere for kids.

I think what brings
everyone together

is that it's more than football.

We've seen what this can do,

what opportunities, what doors,

you know, this can
open up for our youth,

how it can bring
people together,

how it can be more than a team.

And what's more than
a team? A family.

Be safe over the weekend.

Don't get into trouble, okay?

Yes, sir.

Don't get in any
trouble. Here we go.

Family on three,
family on three.

One, two, three.

Family.

You can't do nothing
without your family.

You need your family behind you.

That's just like on the field.

You can't have one
person on the field.

You gotta have 11 and
that 11 gotta be solid.

The bond that we have with
our athletes is amazing.

I don't know that it
exists anywhere else,

but we know here at Atlantic
Community High School

that it is important.

Atlantic High football
program is enormous family.

I wanna be here.

It's something that I
enjoy being a part of.

I see my team as my brothers,

you know, we've all
come up together.

You have other kids outside
of the football family.

They're like I want
some of that love

that you guys have
amongst each other.

And we really
created something

that's bigger than
just a football team.

I see a lot of
young kids right now.

They walk out of that game.

They don't have anybody
there and it's sad.

You know, here's a kid
getting a game ball.

There's nobody cheering for 'em,

wanna take a picture and
put it on social media

saying I'm proud of my baby boy.

The kid just gets it and
walks off like it's nothing.

And situations such as that,

we become that family.

These kids have
their heads down.

There's nobody at their gate,

say you know what,
come here, son.

Give me hug. I love you.

You played a awesome game.

We have outsiders
here in the community

who kind of take
on a parental role

and they attend the games.

They're there for them
so that they don't feel

that they must stand alone.

So we have to make sure
we do that as coaches

because those kids may
not get it anywhere else.

Feel what makes
the student athletes

want to be a part of the program
is the family atmosphere.

When I'm on the field
with my teammates,

all I can feel is love
for my brothers, you know.

The best part is all of
us caring for each other.

So since I came to Atlantic,

I was introduced to winnng.

I'm a winner. I love
to win, I hate losing.

And that was something
that stuck to me.

We started winning and it's
like it just growing to me.

Like I gotta win. I love to win.

Can't lose and that's the
atmosphere in Atlantic.

is a winning atmosphere.

When they come
home Friday nights

and they may see
themselves in the paper,

on the news and just seeing
their team do successful thing.

The program at
Atlantic High School

for as a football program

is one of the top
programs in the country.

When we recruit
a student athlete

and we look at their program,

we're looking at a program

that's gonna really push
responsibility, accountability.

You know, a coach that's
really gonna challenge 'em.

And again, it comes
back to respect,

hard work and just
doing the right things.

What makes Atlantic so
great is the team atmosphere,

the family atmosphere, the
stick it out atmosphere,

it's me against the
world atmosphere.

The Tri-County area

has one of the biggest football
programs in the country.

They are skilled
players and rightfully so.

They have the best coaches.

You know, they have the best
head coach in the world.

So normally the state is won

by whoever wins the
southeastern part of the floor.

It's always tough when
you graduate a class,

but you know, the
best part of it

is if you've done your job
correctly along the way,

you've taught the guys under you

and they're gonna pick up
the slack when you leave.

Even though they lost
a lot of great players,

they came back and had an
undefeated season last year.

The winner is
Atlantic High School.

How you deal with that loss

and how it motivates
you to come back

and play stronger
and better next year,

I think is real important.

For the students that left,

they have opportunity
that they left behind

for the other kids.

This is what they started

so and the kids that
have another opportunity,

they have a chance
to win it this year.

You gotta believe
in the program,

believe in Coach TJ, believe
in the coaching staff

cause whatever they
tell you is right.

I think one of the main
reasons because of that

is because they don't
have a good team.

They have a good program.

Pro return.

Hey, we need somebody.

Hey, hey, hey. Hey, chill.

Go, go, go, go, go,
go over there. Chill.

Ain't nobody out
here told them.

Chill. Go, chill.

All the way over.

Chill.

You can't get nothing in
life if you don't work for it

so you gotta work.

And ever since then,
it just stuck with me.

You gotta be a hard
worker in whatever you do.

You have to be determined,

you have to be driven and
you have to be focused.

It don't matter
how good a team is.

Discipline could
take you a long way.

If you don't have no discipline,
you can't go nowhere.

Winning football
games in South Florida

is a very big thing,

but he's going about
in a different way

and he's still winning
football games.

He's fostered a
team atmosphere,

teaches 'em how to
act off the field

which I think helps
him on the field.

No, it's not a tackle.
It's a tight end.

Line up behind the...

It's a tight end.
It's two tight ends.

You gotta look at the formation.

Because TJ believes
in a one or two star kid

more than a four star kid if
they're doing what's right.

Keep your tail back, kid
and sit down, all right.

You won't ever play
again. You understand?

Okay, you got a full
career a head you.

You got it? So go sit down.

Okay and keep your head.
You're better than that.

All right.

I feel like discipline
is a strong word

and it's not overused.

It's facts. It's like
the rule of life.

You gotta have discipline
in whatever you do.

Like they always say
what you do for the team

and the guy next to you, how
much you bond as a family,

which is what brings success

not only on a football
field, but off of it.

We say all the time
you play with each other

and for each other
because there's no way

you can get this done
without anybody else

and it's like being in a family.

You know, when you're a
young man and you have a wife

and children, you know, you
need them and they need you.

And again, it comes back to
football and life lessons.

They put all their hearts
into this whole season

and all the seasons before

and their whole life they've
been playing football

so when I saw all them get
very emotional and very upset

that this was the last game
they were gonna play as seniors

and with the team
that we have right now

with Coach TJ and
with the staff,

that was very like a
really heartfelt moment

for me and the team.

You guys gonna go to college

so don't tell me y'all
don't got no offers.

You got offer if you want 'em.

You know, we're
proud of our kids.

We wanna continue to just
comfort and love our kids

and let them
understand that hey,

you guys gonna go out there
and play your butts off

and long as you play your
butts off, you will win.

My best memory
with my senior year

would just be like being able
to play on this football team.

When I went to
school in Indiana,

after my parents dropped
me off and came back,

I was miles away.

17, 18 years old, tou're
that far away from home

and you realize you can
do whatever you want.

When I was in Gainesville,

it's a whole bunch of
stuff out in the world

that I haven't seen
and it's like wow

so it motivate me to
have a great future,

make money, go out
and see the world,

like what the world
has in store for me.

We were born with
everything we needed

and as long as
everyone realizes that,

I think success should
not be that difficult.

Us taking that trip
to Columbia High School,

to play them and staying
over in Gainesville

and practicing at the University
of Florida was a blessing.

You let the kids have the
opportunity to practice

on a college facility and
it was a great experience

not only for the players,

but I think for a
lot of our coaches

to be able to see the
reaction of our kids face,

but also to just use the field

and I think that trip brought
us together as a unit.

It's important for us to
expose these young folks

to different avenues,

take them outside of
their environment.

Some of these kids have
never flown on an airplane.

Some of them have
never left the county.

Nicholas.

Tyler B.

Right now we're on
our way to practice

at the University of
Florida indoor facility.

We're gonna watch them
practice for like 45 minutes.

Then we'll practice right after.

So I wanted to be able to
give those kids that experience

so they could see the game speed

and not just get in the playoff

and see the game
speed is different.

So we wanted to go outside
of Palm Beach County

and play some talented teams

that went to the
states the year before.

I think that every one of them

could go play college football.

When we say college
scholarships,

immediately people think
that they have to go

to a division one school
to play college football

and that's not the case.

There's a college

for every single
football player to go to.

Every one of those seniors

who would like to play
football at the next level

will have an
opportunity to do so.

I try to keep
everything levelheaded

and just focus on what
we focus on every year

and just go out and play.

You know, I think people
get caught up in a big game.

You know, every
game is a big game

and that's how I try to approach

and that's why I
try to tell the kid

no matter who you playing,
every game is a big game.

You're going in. Alright,
we'll get on this bus.

Okay. Then we're
gonna go shower.

All right. We're shower, okay.

So some of you guys
got three to the room.

It gonna take you a while.

Ask a coach can
you use his room.

Okay, let's get in and get out.

Okay now be to the bus,
all right, it's 7:40.

Be to the bus 8:00, 8:05.

Let get one.

What time they gonna play?

Before we get off
the bus, listen up.

Do not be yelling across
this restaurant, okay.

Use your inside voice like
your parents taught you.

Okay and use your table manners.

All right, make sure you put
your napkins on your lap.

Okay.

Let's look professional
here, fellers, all right

and let's have some respect.

So everybody got it?

Yes, sir.

All right.

Come on in, come
on in, come on.

Number five.

Kids today don't have what
I had when I was growing up.

So to me, for these kids

to go through what
they're going through,

being taught by Coach Jackson
is something very special.

So for them to take and
learn these life skills

is very important

because this is only gonna
make them a better person,

a better person
in the community.

It's gonna also make them
a more productive person

in the community,

get the jobs they're looking
for, get the education

cause that's what's really
important is the education set

and that's what Coach
Jackson is teaching them.

Here we go. Stay in the picture.

Where you going?

I'ma go.

All right.

All right. I'ma head out.

I'ma head out, look...

Finish on three.
One, two, three.

Finish.

One thing that sticks
out the most to me

is the way we gel.

A lot of people may
not understand it

as far as from the
outside looking in,

but it's not up to them to
understand as long as we know,

you know, what we have and
how we conduct ourselves

in order for this
program to work,

that's the best part about it.

It's just like a
life-changing experience

and one you'll remember
for the rest of your life,

especially being the
only girl on the team

and just being welcomed
into that community.

It's a really great thing.

Playing football, it
helped me a whole lot,

a bit like it takes away time
from like going to see stuff

and like just keeping me busy.

It just keeping me
in the right position

and a straight line, you know,
so I can have a great future.

Touchdown Eagles.

Okay number 26.

Our kids get it.

They have that bitter
taste in their mouth.

They know what it's
like to go up the road

and, you know, take a loss.

Once you know how it
feels to lose something,

it brings out that hunger
in you, that dog in you.

It makes you want
it that much more

because you know how
it feels to lose it.

We're not going out there

to hand out cupcakes
and lollipops.

I mean we're going
out there to win.

It's every week
now is do or die,

you know, so rankings
and schedules

and all that stuff
is out the window.

Now it's, you know, put up or
shut up and let's get it on.

Probably I think
the aha moment for me

was during the halftime
which we planned with Mason

to come out and do his touchdown

and I'm very proud of
my student Hayze Kingham

who came up with these
personal project.

It's personal, it's family.

It's just a whole
different level now.

Oh yeah, come on,
Mason. Come on, Mason.

Mason, Mason,
Mason, Mason, Mason, Mason

Mason, Mason, Mason,
Mason, Mason, Mason.

Always having that
heart to give back

and not always trying
to have your hand out

will carry you a
long ways as well,

you know, teach
you values in life,

you know, and being able
to give back sometimes

is rewarding in itself.

This is a program that
has set the standard

going forth for schools,
public or private,

that you can find that balance

and you know, we're gonna
have the best players,

but we're also going to
have kids who understand

that there's more to be done

than just what you
do on the field.

Seeing the way that
they react to Mason

and the way that they love him

and the way they
take care of him,

that's all the work
that Miss Janie,

that's all the
work Coach Jackson

and that's all the work
that we did during the day

to remind our kids how
to be a good person

before you're a good
football player.

More than 80% of our students

are living below
the poverty line.

The business
community and the city

have to step up to the plate.

This coach has a zero budget.

They told me about the
resources that he was missing.

I thought that he was a
great mentor, a great leader.

It made me confident that we
were doing the right thing

to help him out.

Once I learned
what he was doing

with the team at Atlantic,

I got behind him right away

and offer whatever
support I could.

He then goes and says okay,

well if we're gonna raise
money for our school,

we're not just gonna go
out and put our hand out

and ask for a check.

Ask 'em do they wanna
get their car wash

and come over here?

If they say no, say
well, do you wanna donate

to the Atlantic High
School football program.

Y'all can remember that?

Another thing I
love about Coach TJ

is that he sees
opportunity in everything.

All right now it's
$10 for the car wash.

Okay, I only have five.

You only have five?

Can I get a half car wash?

A half? We won't dry it.

You have the tires, right?

Go on that side. Here we go.

You have the front.

All right, I'll take this one.

All right, you have the top.

You gonna do all four tires.

You heard me, little man?

You gonna stay in? You
ladies gonna stay in the car.

Yeah.

All right, well wind
your window up. Here goes.

All in, no.

Y'all gotta get off your
cell phone when you gonna work.

Make sure you say thank you.

He takes it a step further

and comes to the
business community

and we get innovative.

The ability to put
happiness into someone's life

is the best feeling you can have

and one of the things
they like to do every year

is give the kids new
helmets or have them redone.

But due to his budgetary
restraints this year,

he couldn't do 'em so
he wanted to, you know,

make the helmets
a different color,

change things around,
change the logo

and I said let's do it.

Just to be able
to say, you know,

you gave someone a new helmet

and those kids
carry their helmets

like, you know, it's their life

so every time they have
that helmet in their hand,

I want them to feel like,
you know, they know me.

Publix Corporate
gave us a cash card

so I'm using it to
purchase the Gatorade

and the manager's
been kind enough

to give us bananas and oranges.

When Coach TJ and
Jane approached us

about supplying the
food before the games,

it was perfect timing for us

because we were
just getting ready

to start marketing our local
delivery for the restaurant.

What better way to
prove what we could do

than feed 70 hungry kids
before a football game

and getting it there
on time and making sure

that it was hot and served

and it really helped us to
refine our delivery program.

Being supported by my
community and people

that took the time to
support the programs

that I was in, it's very
rewarding to give that back.

They're helping me
change this world,

they're helping me
change this city

and we're raising
these young men

to become great
citizens of this world.

Soon after TJ graduated
from Virginia Tech,

he came to Atlanta
and trained with me

for the NFL Combine and
getting ready for the NFL.

Okay cause I just didn't wanna
talk about college and NFL.

He played with the Cowboys
some, but it didn't like stick.

I was very blessed and had
opportunity to go to college

and after, that further
my career with NFL

and injuries that
happened in my life

and I was able to
just come back home

and be a blessing to
my city and my family.

He lived with me in
Atlanta for that fall

for maybe a month

and I was too young then to
know as much as I know now,

but I knew he was different.

And I told him you're
not gonna sit here

and chase this football dream.

I don't know why
you didn't make it.

You were obviously
good enough to make it,

but you didn't make it.

You need to get back down to
South Florida and do something.

And I don't know
why I told him that

and not any other athlete
that I'd been working with,

but I told TJ that
cause I cared about him.

Obviously it was the
right thing to do.

Kareem Jackson, Wayne
Gallman, Mason Schreck,

Marcus Gilchrist, Byron
Maxwell, Mark Ingram,

Cody Sensabaugh,

all these guys that have
relocated their lives

down here to Delray Beach

wouldn't be possible
without your coach.

XPE Sports is a sports
training company

that I founded in 2002.

It started in Atlanta.

In 2009, we moved
it to South Florida

and partnered up
with TJ Jackson.

One of my business
partners at that time,

Tony Villani, training
guys in Atlanta, Georgia

so I started a company
down here in South Florida.

XPE is a for-profit side
that really specializes

in NFL players and
aspiring NFL players.

And we've started working with
a lot more high school kids.

We just wanted to be
able to focus on kids

that was in college or in NFL

and help those
guys be successful

at what they're trying to
accomplish in life as well.

TJ helped train the
foundation of athletes

that built this whole program.

He took the job of
y'all's high school coach

cause he realized that was
a way to reach more kids.

NFL players that train
with us wanna give back

because honestly there's about
1,200 NFL players in the NFL.

so the guys that
come train here,

especially with the
way we teach them

about off the field stuff at XPE

and the way TJ coaches his
kids about off the field stuff,

they understand it's
just part of life.

So if we have to go out there

and work out with kids on
every Friday, it's fine.

You guys have to give
respect to your coach

and you have to work hard and
foster these relationships

that you have now cause
this whole relationship

and all these pros are here
is cause of the way TJ Jackson

acted when he was 18, 19
and 20 and 21 years old

when we used to train him.

Okay, it all starts now.

We see the difference.

The students are
graduating more.

That's what it takes.

He might have them
on his team for a year

or two years, three years,

but for a lifetime all these
kids will remember him.

It is very fun to
just see how, you know,

you start with a kid, whether
they age nine, 10, 11, 12

and see how they grow
throughout the years

and just to see them walk
across the stage in high school

and college is just
a blessing in itself.

I kinda appreciate
that, enjoy that more

than just training NFL athletes

and professional
athletes sometime.

You gonna understand this, okay?

We all we got.

We all we need.

We all we got.

We all we need.

We all we got.

We all we need.

Hey listen up.

Football will save their
life in the long run.

Don't let that group
steal your season.

You worked too damn hard.

Huh? He can get 99 for now.

Football keeps the
kids off the street

or they look at
football as their home

and a lot of them look at it

where that's their means of
relieving a lot of stress.

Some people look at
football that way

because you know, you
clear everything out

and you come out to practice

and you just enjoy
that game of football.

Football's under attack
a little bit right now

and I think the
positives completely
outweigh the negative.

I went to Eastern Illinois

so I met kids from
Chicago, Missouri

and just learning how to
dance in different cultures,

cook in different cultures,

just traveling, you know,
even as far as Hawaii,

you know, you never seen that

so college and high school

just opened up
another avenue for me.

You know, I've seen kids
go to the cold weather

and they've never seen
snow in their entire life,

but that's such an experience

they would never
get to go to and see

unless they had the opportunity

to get a football
college scholarship.

When we see people, of
course they're talking

about the season and how the
kids are doing and everything,

but it's so much more than that.

Did you hear this
guy went to college?

Did you hear this guy signed
with the New York Jets?

And TJ's behind all that.

So I've witnessed
student athletes

get recruited out of some
really difficult situations

and now they're
working on Wall Street.

And to be able to get
a football scholarship

and take them out of their
inner city environment

of that's run down homes,
apartment complexes

and putting them
into a university

where they have meals every day.

Society in general could take
a lot of cues from football

and how we run our game and how
everyone's on the same page.

Atlantic High School's
not about football.

It's about life.

What I learned
through football has
helped me in my life

and I hope to pass that down

to the football players
that play for me.

It teaches you
to take advantage

of every opportunity you have

and as you get recruited
and you go to college,

it's an opportunity
to get an education.

Well I think we ended
up with 99% of kids

that graduated from football
during the regular school year

and we also had 97% of the
kids that went to college

to a four year university,

whether it was for academics
or athletic scholarship.

Thing we're looking at
when we come down to Florida

and recruit these student
athletes is number one,

are they doing the right
thing in the classroom.

DJ got the opportunity
to go to college.

He's got a scholarship
offer on the table.

It's up to him to
accept the challenge

and do the right things
or he could mess it up.

Main thing is not the
rush into this process.

Okay, take your
time and make sure

that that the right fit for you.

Make sure that you
wanna go to the school

that has your academic field

that you're looking to study in.

Key to this all is to make
sure that you in a school

so that you can see the coach.

Make sure you going
to every class,

make sure you doing
the right thing.

Showcase your talent
in the classroom

by making sure your
grades is up to par.

Okay cause come the
first week of February,

they're gonna move on
if you're not ready.

These kids can have the
talent for a D1 school

could get a full
ride to a college

were not going to college.

They were stuck here on
the streets of Delray

year after year.

You see 'em in the gas
station cause I live locally.

You'd see 'em in
the grocery store

and to hear their story
that they didn't make it

and the reason
they didn't make it

is because they didn't
have the test score.

Everyone has a
different learning style

and you have to bring
that into the classroom.

I've seen student athletes
all set ready to go.

He's on a full scholarship

and all of a sudden he
doesn't do what he needs to do

his senior year second semester

and he's gone and thrown
all his hard work away

just because he maybe wanted
to have a little more fun

and not do the work.

So I think they
just need to finish.

You know, signing that
letter's a great thing,

but you still have some
responsibilities to handle

after you sign that letter.

10, 10.

Check, boys.

Step back.

Check.

So these kids work so hard,

both on the field
and then they realize

they have to work off the field

to match everything up
for these college coaches

that it will ultimately
save their life literally

by completing the cycle.

When I got to
Atlantic this year,

I finished the last quarter
with all As and one B

and so like I try my
best to stay on my grades

because I trust Coach TJ
to get me into college.

The integral part
was Coach Jackson,

working on talking to
college recruiters,

having them come to the school,

helping 'em, you
know, bring the kids

to see these colleges, putting
'em on a college campus,

you know, letting 'em
walk a college campus.

I mean that is huge.

I mean I don't really know
really any coaches that do that.

It was a good
experience to get out

and actually see other colleges,

you know, actually see
how other players practice

and what they go through

and know what would
be expected of you

when you get there
and that it's no joke.

It welcomes you
to the real world

where you're not
with your parents.

You on your own and you
gotta make decisions,

the best decision for your life.

Most of our kids pass the
test during the summertime

or pass the test the first
time in August with the SAT

and some are trying to take
it to get a higher test score.

They want a 1300 or
1400 so, you know,

the higher the test score,

the more money they get
for some of the kids

that won't have the opportunity

to go to a division one school.

And that's one thing we promote
and we tell every student,

you know, you come to school,
you do the right things,

you get your education,

you know, there's a
university for everyone.

When we were doing
our signing day,

just on the numbers that
we're putting out there

with our students signing

and continuing to work on
that process until graduation,

it's just been,
it's been amazing.

I had a conversation
with Larry Blustein

who's covered high school
sports for nearly 50 years

and he had said to me that of
all the schools he's covered,

he's really never seen
a program like TJ's

that they've achieved
that balance.

Now once you have
that piece of paper,

you've created a lot of
opportunities for yourself.

Working at university.

Coach Jackson reached
out to Miss Janie

and asked her to do an
etiquette class last summer.

I wanted to be able to teach
the kids different things

on place settings of a table

and how to eat with a fork
and how to cut a steak.

TJ understands that these kids

are transitioning to college

so he wants to make
sure they're prepared.

So I wanna learn how to eat

and learn how to
write college letters.

And in the school system
they're losing sight

of the things that they need
to apply every day in life.

Your spoon and your fork.

Let's twirl it, let's do it
right like you were taught.

Keep the napkin on your lap.

Our kids are going to
not only be role models

on the campus for other kids,

but they're also gonna do that
in and around our community.

So we do a lot of educating
on how to treat people,

how to talk to people, how to
dress, how to shake a hand.

We talk to kids in TJ's
program 15, 16, 17, 18,

sometimes even a little younger.

They get it. They understand
the value of hard work.

They understand how
to speak to adults.

When they look you in
the eye and say thank you,

you can tell they
mean it from the heart

What Coach TJ and I do is
to reinforce the etiquette.

We'll take these kids to dinner.

First they taught me how
to eat with the salad forks

and the hands always
above the table.

They taught me the right way.

When you go out to eat, you
have to eat a certain way,

the right way.

Cause when the kids
come into the restaurant,

their etiquette is amazing.

They're a step above
most kids their age.

They really are great kids.

I remember a
dinner at Carrabba's

I had on some white pants so
I asked for a white napkin.

He just looked at me
like in a quick way

like okay, this kid, he
knows a little something.

He was so taken aback
by the waiter's response

because he knew that waiter
knew he knew something.

Who would think something
like that about a kid?

And I just felt like, you know,

that was something
big in my life.

Home what I can do for you.

She was gonna
teach us how to cook

and bake and write
letters and I was like

oh, she really, she really
cares about us, about the team

and she wants us to
succeed as young men.

The football
players are required

to write thank you notes.

He makes sure that they know
what proper etiquette is.

The thank yous meant more to
me personally and emotionally

than anything monetarily
could bring to me.

I took time out and wrote
the thank you note to them

so I think they appreciated it.

The thing that surprised me
most about the thank you notes

is how nicely they were written.

This is exactly what Coach
TJ was trying to tell them.

Be different, do
things different that
nobody else is doing.

The thank yous I received
from all the players

were really impressive.

Once they found out who I was
and they saw their helmets,

they all thanked
me a dozen times.

What TJ has done
at this school,

it could be done
anywhere in any community

throughout the country.

We're all done with
the inner city.

We're done with the poverty
in our own community.

We want them to get out.

Everybody knows we're
in this together

and the ultimate
goal is success.

Just keep going
because you never know

what that door can open.

You never know what's on
the other side of that door.

Watching them walk
across that stage

and know what their
future's gonna hold for them

because they do
have that diploma.

I would say the best
part is just watching

the individual lives
that it can change.

After college, I plan on
like just pursue my career.

Maybe like build a business.

Like whatever works out.

Just know that I put in a lot
of work and it all paid off.

Look where I been.

And you made it.

He's created a movement by
getting these kids an education

and getting 'em out of
here and letting 'em know

there's a better way.

Antonio Gonzalez.

I just wanna go to college
cause if I go to college,

I'll be the first one
in my family to go.

In the future I am
looking for a wife.

I wanna be the
best husband ever.

I just wanna be, I just want
my name to be remembered

when I get older.

My dream is to be
able to go to college,

be able to explore and be
able to meet new people.

That's the dream.

After my football career,
I'll probably become a coach.

And when I graduate, to
say I did it. I made it.

You know, we want our kids
to succeed on and off the field

so they can go off and
be successful in life.

My kids come home
with me in my heart.

Really makes me realize that
there's no other school for me

and no other kids for me.

I love my kids.

Coach Jackson talks
to them all the time.

He tells them over
and over again

it's one game at a
time, one play at a time

and we get back up,
dust ourselves off

and prepare for the next feat.

That's not just
sports. That's life.