We recently connected with Jazzilyn Tanks and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jazzilyn, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
I am an Atlanta native and I come from a very cultural background. Growing up in the city I had the opportunity to be exposed to a plethora of events and spaces that provided deep enrichment for the youth. I have seen how things have changed since I was a child. I am disheartened about how the school experience and community service has changed over the years and I am very empathetic towards the youth. I started my non profit organization Ambition Sports Corporation in 2023 to assist with paying for youth sports registration fees for low income and single parent families.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My purpose is to help deter the youth from turning to the streets by creating a positive program that can also contribute to teaching them the importance of choosing a healthy lifestyle, and the importance of staying active. My purpose is also to get the youth enrolled into positive activities to promote healthy social interaction, help build character, and become productive members of society. Athletic programs not only provide physical skills, but they teach the youth skills such as healthy social interaction, teamwork, team building, leadership, problem solving, conflict resolution, and the list goes on. These are the same skills that will carry them through everyday life. I feel that we often lose sight of things such as the realization that it truly takes a village and the community. The village and the community are exactly what made all of us the well-rounded individuals we are today. Mostly all the adults in this room are products of sports camps, summer camps, and vacation bible school. These programs are tools for building, teaching, and creating safe spaces for the youth to grow and thrive.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that have been most impactful on my journey is strength, perseverance, and self-confidence. It takes strength to endure the many challenges you may face along the way. It is important to have the ability to navigate through challenges and unexpected events in order to achieve your ultimate goals. Perseverance is necessary so that you have the ability to keep trying although you may have not succeeded at something o the first try. If at first you don’t succeed you must brush yourself off and try again. The main objectictive in reaching your goals is to never give up. It may take several attempts to get things going the way you would like for them to go. Lastly, self confidence is the key to getting up everyday with the belief that all things are possible and you can acheive anything you put your mind to. Self confidence will allow you to enter a room with multiple people and have the ability to sell yourself to an audience and make them believe in your vision. These three things can take you a very long way if they are applied to everyday life and situations.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents kept me, and my siblings enrolled into sports while growing up. They enrolled me into cheerleading, track/field, and ballet at Spelman College which I gave my mother a very hard time with. I also learned to play the clarinet at the age of 10 years old and played it all the way to high school participating in the concert band and marching band as well. My brothers were enrolled into football, baseball, basketball, tennis, and one of them could’ve been a certified gymnast the way he could flip frontwards, backwards, and up in the air. My parents did their part. They always kept us booked and busy and enrolled us in some positive activities.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ambtionsportscorp.com
- Instagram: @ambition4sportsatl
- Facebook: Ambition Sports Corporation
Image Credits
Kale Academy Sandtown Recreation Center Total Dance
