Today is April 8th—4/08—a date that perfectly aligns with this moment in my life. Forty years ago, at 8 years old, I began playing baseball. The numbers 40 and 8 hold deep meaning for me. Forty represents testing, preparation, and growth in biblical terms, and 8 symbolizes new beginnings. This day encapsulates my journey—40 years of lessons from baseball, starting at age 8, and the new beginnings I’m embracing as I approach my 49th birthday on April 10th.
Before baseball was invented in America in 1845, Africans were already playing a version of the game with a ball and a stick on the continent of Africa—long before we were stolen and brought to this country. That legacy lives within me. Baseball didn’t begin in America for us—it was remembered, reimagined, and reclaimed. The game connects me not only to American history but to my African ancestry, resilience, and creativity.
Baseball, America’s first invented sport, has been more than a game to me. It’s been a foundation for my growth as a person, helping me develop self-efficacy, a positive identity, goal orientation, self-management, and social skills. These skills have allowed me to become a Major League Citizen—gainfully employed, civically engaged, and a radical philanthropist. The game has increased both my financial and social capital, providing me with opportunities to thrive and contribute.
To play baseball is to embody what it means to be American. It’s a sport that builds character, celebrates diversity, and creates community. Baseball has tested me, shaped me, and inspired me to live a life of purpose and service.
As I celebrate this 40-year anniversary, I’m filled with gratitude for how baseball has impacted my life. And as I turn 49 in just two days, I’m committed to ensuring that all kids in Atlanta have the opportunity to play this game. My goal is to help them develop the same social-emotional learning capacities that have been so beneficial to me and countless others.
Posting this blog on 4/08 feels like the perfect moment to honor my journey and embrace the future. Forty years of growth and eight years of new beginnings ahead—here’s to the game that has given me so much and to the work I’ll continue to do to pay it forward.
Happy birthday to me, and here’s to a lifetime of building Major League Citizens.