First lady praises Detroit youth sports program
Organization cited by president's wife for keeping kids away from gangs.

When a Detroit sports program for inner-city children was founded in 1997, it had trouble finding cash, sponsors and volunteers.

On Thursday, the Think Detroit program was extolled by first lady Laura Bush as a national model for steering children away from gangs.

Bush visited Detroit as part of a national tour highlighting various community programs. She is leading a federal initiative, announced last week by President Bush, during the State of the Union address, that will spend $150 million over three years to keep youths out of trouble.

"Think Detroit engages and empowers young people, both on and off the playing fields," Laura Bush said at the Wigle Community Center, which is where the program was founded. "(It) refuses to let young people become statistics."

About 150 people attended the appearance, including two other prominent first spouses: Dan Mulhern, husband of Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and Carlita Kilpatrick, wife of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

From its humble roots, Think Detroit has grown into a $1.2 million program serving 6,000 children ages 4 to 19.

The youths are counseled in five sports by 650 coaches who serve as role models teaching respect, discipline and self-confidence.

Bush said Think Detroit was essential in the lives of the youngsters because it provided them with needed mentors. Studies have shown that such children are more likely to attend class and less likely to use drugs or alcohol, she said.

"All children need caring adults in their lives who listen to them and help them achieve their goals," Bush said. "Coaches teach children valuable lessons that don't only apply to sports but also to life."

Comparing the program's coaches to the lead character in the film "Coach Carter," which was shown at the White House this week, she said the mentors provide tough love and strong belief in the children.

Bush said the Detroit program provides its youngsters with the four C's: confidence, composure, commitment to growth and commitment to others.

Programs like Think Detroit are needed more than ever, especially by young men, Bush said. More than 90 percent of the 750,000 gang members in the country are male. And males, by age 18, are 17 times more likely to be in jail than females.

"Our children are living in an increasingly complex world and boys especially are having a tough time growing up," she said. "We want to show young men particularly an ideal of manhood that respects life and rejects violence."

It was an emotional day for the two cofounders of the Detroit program -- Michael Tenbusch and Daniel Varner. Both men, who also spoke to the audience, cried as they described the program and its impact on local youths.

Tenbusch recalled how the men circled the neighborhood endlessly trying to cajole local merchants to sponsor a team.

To boost donations, they eventually donned baseball uniforms, leading some residents, thinking that they were Tigers, to ask for their autographs.

"We want every kid in Detroit to be loved, not looked over," said Tenbusch, who gave up his fledgling career as a lawyer to devote all his time to the program.

Others who will be remembering Thursday for a long time were a dozen youngsters from the program. They got to chat privately with Bush before she addressed the crowd.

Andrew Bryant, 17, told the First Lady how his coach helped him work harder in both sports and school. The junior at Southeastern High has a 3.2 GPA and starts for the baseball team.

Bush said she was proud of him and to keep up the good work.

You can reach Francis X. Donnelly at (313) 223-4186 or fdonnelly@detnews.com.