Subject: A Unified Community Effort to Provide Safe, Structured, and Accessible Spaces for Youth Basketball Development

I, Lernado Walker, a proud native of Cordele, Georgia and coach for the Crisp County Recreation Department, respectfully submit this petition as a heartfelt plea and challenge to our city’s leadership to unlock and utilize unoccupied gymnasiums for the growth and development of our youth—specifically children ages 7 through 12.

Currently, two indoor basketball facilities—Crisp County Middle School and A.S. Clark Gymnasium—remain mostly dormant throughout the year, only opening doors for select events, such as funerals. Meanwhile, our children wander, scroll, or sit idle in a digital world pulling them in the opposite direction of purpose, unity, and discipline.

As someone who grew up in Cordele during the 1990s, I know firsthand the value youth sports once held. It was more than a game—it was structure, identity, mentorship, and family. Today, those same values can still change lives, but we must provide the space and opportunity.

My mission as a CCRD coach is simple:
To inspire change, promote community growth, and build sustainable pathways to success—through sports, structure, and support.

Why this matters:
- Our youth are eager to learn and be led.
- Our community is capable of more.
- Our facilities are available but unused.

What we are asking:
That the City of Cordele and its school system allow designated, scheduled access to Crisp County Middle School and A.S. Clark Gymnasium for the purpose of supervised youth basketball development and mentorship.

This is not just about basketball.  
This is about preserving the soul of a community by giving our children every chance to rise through discipline, teamwork, and hope.

In closing, I believe leadership is about making a way when a way must be made. If we are truly committed to change, then access and opportunity must follow.

Let’s build something greater—starting now.

*No donations, only signatures. 

Respectfully,

Lernado Walker

Coach, Crisp County Recreation Department