Making sports and fitness accessible to Ypsi-area kids is this nonprofit’s focus

On the Ground Ypsilanti is an “embedded journalism” program covering the city and township of Ypsilanti. It is supported by Ann Arbor SPARK, the Center for Health and Research Transformation, Destination Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University, Engage @ EMU, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and Washtenaw ISD.

On Saturday mornings, when many are still asleep, the Ypsilanti Community High School (YCHS) gymnasium is humming with music and energy as young people ages 5 to 18 run drills as part of a weekly speed and agility clinic organized by grassroots nonprofit Ypsilanti Community – The Village. 

The Village initiative was kicked off by a group of YCHS alumni – including the nonprofit’s director, Mitchell Long, known as “Coach Mitch” to the kids – during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. They felt too many young people were unable to participate in sports and other extracurriculars due to finances and other barriers. 

“We’re providing the clinics and everything for free because, during COVID, a lot of people were going through hardship but they still wanted to give their kids opportunities,” Long says.

When he’s not running programming through The Village, he serves as assistant coach for Ypsilanti Community Schools (YCS). Long says he knows firsthand that “sports are not cheap for kids.”

“There are all kinds of costs for traveling and outfits and everything,” he says, adding that even a few hundred dollars for uniforms or traveling can be too much for a family that’s struggling.

The name of the nonprofit comes from its collective effort to make sure all kids can thrive. Long says The Village has a “no child left behind” mentality, which is part of the reason it’s a co-ed program that serves kids ages 5 to 18. The Village team wants kids to succeed rather than being discouraged about trying out for a team sport when they’ve never had a chance to practice it yet.

“The clinic is available so you can see if you like it. You try a sport, you learn the fundamentals, and then maybe you go and try out for the high school team,” Long says.

The group was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit soon after formation, and it has gradually expanded its offerings. Signature programs include the Saturday morning speed and agility training, a Quarterback Clinic, and a Big Man Clinic for linemen. But the nonprofit has expanded to add tutoring and cheerleading to its offerings as well.

“Speed and agility is co-ed, but sometimes it can be intimidating for girls to come around,” Long says. When someone floated the idea of a cheer clinic, he thought, “Why not?” And when YCS coach Dominique Johnson came on board, that made it a real possibility.

“It has absolutely been a success, and it is something I might not have otherwise tried,” Long says.

To date, The Village’s programs have only run through the school year. But Long is hoping to add more sports, like swimming and baseball, and keep the programming going year-round.

“We started with just six kids and a couple of coaches. … It’s expanding now, where I have 30-something people right now on staff for tutoring and all the clinics and everything,” Long says.

The Village is offering all this on a shoestring budget, as the organization has no grant funding. Its staff are volunteers, YCS donates its gym space, and Ypsilanti Township donates space and time at its community center for tutoring and recently added basketball programming. Long has attracted several other coaches from both the YCS staff and nearby communities to run specialty clinics. Among them is legendary University of Michigan coach Fred Jackson, who helped launch a Big Man football clinic for The Village.

When Long has asked for space in a gym or a place to tutor, he says he’s been met with encouragement, especially since the program is completely free to participants.

Tom Jarema, a YCS cross-country and track coach, helps run The Village’s speed and agility drills on Saturday mornings. He says he saw a huge dip in sports participation during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic as expected, but numbers haven’t bounced back. The trend is even worse for girls’ sports, he says.

“Girls’ sports in general at the high school level is really down,” he says.

He says that over the six years he’s been with YCS sports, he’s realized they don’t have as strong of a pipeline from middle school to high school as some other districts. He says that means The Village is filling a definite need.

“The cool thing is … there’s everything from 8-year-olds to high schoolers out there, and [Long has] got it set up so that they can all find a spot and get better, because even some of the older kids are beginners,” Jarema says. 

High school seniors Maurice Shimwell and Kyre Reed have been participating in The Village’s programming since they were in 7th grade.

“It’s been an absolute joy having them and seeing how they develop, and the opportunities we’re having on college visits,” Long says of Shimwell and Reed. “And we’re doing it while they’re young, so they trust the process [of working toward playing college ball].”

Shimwell says he’s been coming back to the program basically because “Coach Mitch told me to show up on Saturday morning.” He adds that The Village is “like a family.”

Reed says that when he was in 7th grade, he and a friend saw Long at a basketball game and asked him, “How can you be the next greatest?” 

“Coach Mitch told us to start coming to practice every Saturday at 7 a.m.,” Reed says. “I love it here. I like the work and the people that you meet.”

Both seniors were excited about a recent visit to Grand Valley State University courtesy of Long and The Village. Reed says he was being scouted for football while he was there. Long says he expects them to be scouted on an upcoming visit to another university as well.

Lennard Wornum III’s two teenaged sons were running speed and agility drills with The Village on a recent Saturday morning in the YCHS gym. He says he originally brought his sons to the program because Long asked him to, but now his sons “really enjoy coming.”

“They enjoy the camaraderie, the fellowship. They enjoy the hard work and the commitment,” Wornum says. “Coach Mitch has a beautiful vision, and I really appreciate his commitment and consistency. And the best that I can do is show up for him and for my kids.”