Football Coach Makes A Difference for At-Risk Students in Cleveland
Nick Taddeo /
Ted Ginn Sr., father of NFL wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., has coached some of the best college and professional talent in the NFL and NCAA. But he is doing something even more impressive off the field in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.
Ginn presented a plan to establish the Ginn Academy to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in 2006. The district accepted his blueprint, and Ginn opened a school for at-risk male students whom he felt could benefit from his unique style of leadership.
The Ginn Academy, a privately run, publicly funded charter school, operates under an open admission policy, where any family who makes a good case and demonstrates commitment to the program can have their son admitted. Giving these students a chance to succeed is a what drove Ginn to start the academy, and he requires a similar drive from the teachers he employs. “If you come here for a job, you’re in the wrong place,” Ginn said. “This is not a job, it’s a calling. It’s somewhere everyone can make a difference in the world.”