DJJ Sports: Metro RYDC Track Club

Story support and photos from Assistant Deputy Commissioner Audrey Stokes

Earlier this month, youth from the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center (Metro RYDC) Track Club got to experience a special moment while conducting their daily workout at the facility. Athletes from the world-famous Morehouse College Track Team came to visit the Metro RYDC and help train the local students.

To understand the significance of the Morehouse Track Club visit, one must understand that the athletes who visited are some of the best and fastest individuals in the entire country. Several of the Morehouse men are local and national record holders and are in contention for Olympic medals.  Simply visiting and training at the Metro RYDC is a tremendous honor for the youth and DJJ as a whole.

However, the visit proved to be more than just a simple attendance.  The Morehouse Track Team took time to help train the fourteen members of the Metro RYDC Track Club and even allowed the students to race against them in simulated circumstances.  Surprisingly, the youth performed great, winning three of the five special events created.

The Department of Juvenile Justice would like to thank the Morehouse College Track Team for visiting the Metro RYDC.  In addition, special thanks should also go to the leaders of the Metro RYDC Track Club including Kareem Pollard from the Office of Victim and Volunteer Services, Coach Sam Brown, and Coach Robert Bishop.  Under their wonderful leadership, the members of the Metro RYDC Track Club are directly able to positively experience the benefits of sportsmanship, teamwork, and character building on a competitive level.