Memphis Athletic Ministries

MAM uses sports to bring youth into our centers and introduce them to our life-changing programs. Sports participation teaches life lessons and enables our staff and volunteers to help our youth grow to maturity in Christ through nurturing, mentoring relationships.

As a team member, a youth is mentored by the coach (a staff member or volunteer) and becomes involved in MAM's academics, personal financial training, and spiritual programs. Once on a team, a youth also has the opportunity to be exposed to other segments of the greater Memphis area by playing outside of his or her traditional neighborhoods.

There are currently over 900 youth involved in small mentoring groups through organized sports.

Bible Studies

Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to every young person is MAM's most important mission. Thus, during every organized activity (after school recreation, team practices, games, tutoring, etc.) mentors spend time discussing Christian values and teaching Scripture. The goal is for every youth to understand how God's truth makes a difference in his or her daily life. Our staff members positively impact the youth by sharing their relationship with Jesus through both words and deeds. As role models, our staff realizes that the most powerful lesson is through their own example of modeling Christ-like servant leadership to our youth.

Academic Diligence

Academic Diligence is designed to help MAM participants become more diligent and hard-working in their studies and therefore help them succeed in high school and life beyond MAM.  MAM provides homework help per day, four times a week for every elementary and middle school participant at nine sites. Over the next four years homework help will be expanded to encompass MAM high school participants by extending the program each year as current middle school students advance through high school.

This online incentive program teaches youth personal financial responsibility. Youth are awarded Bluff City BUCK$ for program participation and achievements, school accomplishments, and other worthwhile personal achievements. The program teaches youth financial literacy skills such as saving and investing, the appropriate use of credit, online banking, spending and giving. Youth learn in a safe environment that actions, such as mismanaging money, have consequences.

Lifeline

The purpose of the MAM Lifeline program is to reduce dropout rates and increase graduation rates in Memphis city schools. Currently, two coordinators are on staff at MAM Olivet serving  Knight Road Elementary and Goodlett Elementary, two American Way Middle School feeder schools. Lifeline is designed to complement, not duplicate, existing social services programs. The Lifeline site coordinator proactively works with MAM and school staff to build personal relationships with youth in order to identify high risk students and families in need of social services. The Lifeline coordinator establishes relationships with social services agencies, local business partners and parent/volunteer organizations to provide needed resources. Through the Lifeline program, MAM staff will be able to address broader family needs and better penetrate the whole family.

Community Sports Leagues

Our community sports leagues serve over 8,000 youth in Memphis and the metropolitan area by offering a way to connect the different cultures that make up our city and its suburbs. Through more than 140 alliances with local churches, schools and other community organizations, MAM continues to build community sports leagues in basketball, soccer and golf, uniting youth from different geographic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

MAM offers year-round sports leagues in basketball, soccer, and golf.

For current sports program information, click here.