CW Detroit

Sound Mind Sound Body Strives To Deliver Academics, Athletics And Life Skills

August 31, 2020 / 10:30 PM EDT / CW50 Detroit

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In 2004, the Sound Mind Sound Body (SMSB) Football Academy was created to increase the number football student-athletes graduating high school and earning college scholarships in the Metro Detroit community. During this time a significant number of under-served students were not obtaining scholarships due to various factors including but not limited to: lack of exposure, poor grades and bad character. Sound Mind Sound Body developed a unique curriculum that combined academics, athletics and life skills. The SMSB curriculum would be delivered by national instructors, motivational speakers, college and NFL coaches along with community mentors. This formula would make Sound Mind Sound Body the top Football academy in America!

Curtis Blackwell, President and CO-Founder ( SMSB ) - Being from the city of Detroit seeing so many of the most talented players not make it to the next level because of academics, character or lack of exposure, I felt like we had to do something to fill that void.

Maliq Carr, Wide Receiver - This program has taken me from a D-3 player to a D-1 player with in the years. First off your GPA has to be high, it's a sliding scale with your SAT or ACT score. So getting the help with SAT's or ACT's really helps a lot and the homework helps your grades.

Since 2004, over 13,000 students have become SMSB certified. Over 10,000 of these students have graduated high school while 1,000 SMSB certified student-athletes have earned college scholarships. In 2007, the program expanded to Washington D.C. along with Tulsa, Oklahoma and Tampa, Florida. In 2016 the program will be held in six cities- Detroit, Washington D.C., Tampa, Houston, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

John Wangler, Adidas Regional Manager - Curtis has done a great job with his school program, he wants to develop the whole person on the field and off. Part of that is prepping these student athletes for the SAT & ACT along with tutorials to prepare for those exams.

PURPOSE

Use football as a vehicle to improve the number of high school students in under-served communities that graduate high school and also attend college. Our mission is to create well rounded young men that understand the SMSB formula for SUCCESS: