Get In The Game Awarded ESPN Stuart Scott Enspire Award

Tom Walter and Kevin Jordan are recognized for their commitment to empowering youth to create change.

This evening ESPN awarded Get In the Game, founded by Wake Forest Baseball Coach Tom Walter and his former player Kevin Jordan, the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award. The award was presented at the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN and sponsored by Bristol-Meyers Squibb. The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards honor leagues, teams and individuals within the sports world who positively impact their community. The Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, created in honor of former ESPN anchor Stuart Scott who battled cancer until his passing in 2015, celebrates someone who has taken risks and used an innovative approach toward helping the disadvantaged.

In its inaugural season, Get In the Game launched programs for middle and high school students, facilitated by trained educators, where youth, known as "GameChangers," are empowered to be the best version of themselves by fostering challenging yet meaningful conversations on race and social justice in the classroom and on the field. Get In the Game develops leadership skills to empower GameChangers to reframe equity in their schools and local communities through words, actions and deeds.

Since 2011, when his freshman player, Kevin Jordan needed a kidney to live, Tom Walter and Kevin have shared the same blood and a very special bond. Walter donated his kidney and inspired a nation to see beyond the color of a man's skin. In 2020, amidst the nationwide outcry about racial justice and equity, the coach and his former player built on their story of togetherness and created Get In the Game to educate and empower young people to take action.

"Through our program, GameChangers develop a better understanding of themselves, what they stand for, and how to show up in the world with integrity and confidence. They develop thoughtfulness, a willingness to listen, and compassion which inspires them to take action," said Tom Walter and Kevin Jordan. "We are humbled to receive this award. To be linked with the Stuart Scott name is an honor that obliges our organization to excellence, and we look forward to continuing working together with youth across the country to create meaningful, lasting change."

Other 2021 ENSPIRE Award honorees include MLB great and founder of Safe At Home Joe Torre and Frank Kipp, founder of the Blackfeet Nation Boxing Club. The Sports Humanitarian Awards will be showcased during a ninety-minute television special on Saturday, July 24, at 2 p.m. EST on ABC.

To learn more about the work of Get In the Game, visit its website and social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.