|
As the Stars' effort continues to make headway in Nashville, we’re looking for a place to call “home.” The Founding Principal of Pillars Development, Edward Henley III, is working hard to help turn the facility of our dreams into reality.
Henley, who was born and raised in North Nashville, has been a Stars fan from the start and is serving as the owner representative and project manager for Music City Baseball. He says he is focused on taking a thoughtful, reasonable, and appropriate approach to the construction associated with the Stars and the community in which he grew up in, which makes him the perfect fit for our team.
“I had a lot of excitement about the Stars and what they’re doing even before I stepped into my role because I had been following along with the effort. Now, being able to join the mission with Music City Baseball puts me in a position where I can help fulfill this vision,” said Henley.
Bringing minority ownership and representation into Major League Baseball is an essential aspect of our mission, which hits close to home for Henley. He shares a commitment to building a facility that serves the community around where it is built.
“Having a focus of including and honoring people of color, specifically Black people, and still being aware of the current economic state of people in North Nashville just seemed like it was checking all my boxes and aligning so well. I feel a great deal of responsibility and commitment because I know how important it is,” he said.
Since graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2011 and returning to Nashville to work as part of the project management team on the Music City Center, Henley has worked on several other community-centered projects for the city and state as well as founded his own minority-owned firm.
“My dream has always been to run a sports team,” he said, “but when I got to college, I ended up going to school for business.”
Though Henley said he always knew he wanted to be his own boss and operate in the space he’s in, originally he thought he would work in the field for some time before eventually going off and starting his own firm. When things started heading in another direction, Henley said his journey to doing so didn’t go exactly how he’d imagined.
“Fortunately, I was able to reenter the construction and real estate space upon graduating. At first, I was just working on the Music City project, and then I got into property management," he said. "When Nashville caught fire, all my clients started selling their properties shortly after I started my firm, Pillars Development, in 2013.”
Founded on the approach of a strong level of curiosity, creativity, and community, Pillars was created to assist in the creation of thoughtful places that are dedicated to providing economic, educational, and recreational improvement to the local community.
“I wanted to take all the things that I had learned, all of the access and knowledge that I had gained as well as the network I had, to bring economic development and vitality to smaller, inner-city communities that usually don't have projects of that scale but definitely deserve projects of that quality,” Henley stated.
Growing up, Henley said he has fond memories of baseball being his first sport, but a lack of engagement and access around it at the time eventually caused him to move on to other activities like basketball and football. The prospect of a facility being built in North Nashville could change the tide for kids like him and present new opportunities for youth and community engagement in the area.
“You didn't really see baseball fields in our area or a lot of people that looked like us playing," said Henley. "I can only imagine what the opportunity to go see a Stars game could do. Not only seeing people who look like you playing, but being able to see people that look like you say, ‘I'm part of the reason that’s here.’ The ownership structure gives the opportunity for a lot of local buy-in, with people being able to say that somebody they know is an owner of that team. Those are things that we just didn't really fathom growing up. I think this is a way to push a lot of new opportunities and take a huge, light-year step forward in that regard.”
Henley will also tap into experiences he has gained from similar projects to ensure a diverse set of businesses are represented in the overall development.
“These projects have a very specific focus on inclusion during the construction to make sure that there are opportunities for businesses that are owned by women, people of color, veterans, and all kinds of local businesses," said Henley. "Nashville is booming. The growth is insane here, and there's a lot of opportunities. By making a concerted effort to deliver those types of benefits and opportunities, we get something that you don't typically get when you're just building an office tower.”
As the Stars look at a potential stadium location at Tennessee State University, it’s important to him that the community is involved and understands the goals and intentions of the project at all points of its construction.
“The intention and communication are really an essential part of it," said Henley. "It's important to make sure that people understand what we're doing and to allow people to voice their concerns. We will address those concerns and double down on a commitment to do it the right way so it can benefit TSU and the entire community.”
|
|
|
|
“I’m grateful that we exist.”
This five-word sentence holds enormous weight for ABLE Youth’s Executive Director, Amy Saffell, and she is not the only one who feels this way.
ABLE Youth is the only organization of its kind, located in Nashville, that provides opportunities for youth with physical disabilities to learn to be independent by using adaptive sports as a vehicle to do that. The ABLE Way – to Adapt, Believe, Love, and Enjoy life - has drawn in hundreds of youth and families traveling from as far as Indiana to participate in its monthly Super Sports Saturday events.
“Our founder, Rick Slaughter, became a wheelchair user at 17, and sports were an instrumental part of his healing and recovery and his journey to becoming productive and independent," said Saffell.
After Slaughter’s accident, he helped kids get fitted for their wheelchairs as part of his job. While he was working, he started asking the kids what they do for fun.
"They would say, ‘well I go to my sister’s soccer games,’ or, ‘I go to my brother’s basketball games,’ and he realized the kids he was working with didn't have the same opportunities as others," said Saffell.
Thus, ABLE Youth was born in 1997 to create those opportunities.
"Learning the importance of complete independence in all activities of daily living leads to self-esteem, motivation, and a desire to excel," said Saffell.
Children in the ABLE Youth program start from as young as two years old and can receive support through high school and beyond as they become independent adults.
“I grew up in programs like ABLE Youth and, honestly, I don’t know where I'd be without them," Saffell said. "Now as the executive director, it’s so great to be able to give that back to others. I get so much from it and it’s really meaningful for me.”
The significance of this program goes far beyond athletics and life skills. Oftentimes, she says, events like Super Sports Saturday are the first time some kids get the opportunity to meet other people in wheelchairs, especially other kids who are the same age.
“Confidence and community are so important for wheelchair users, I can't imagine not having other people around me who are going through the same thing. A lot of these kids don't see other people in wheelchairs, especially people who are their age and they learn from each other," she said. "Seeing another kid do something can show them that something they didn’t think they could do is possible, and then it’s like if I can do this one thing, then what's another thing I can do and another thing… Just knowing there are other people out there and knowing that they can do anything they want to do is so important. People with disabilities can do anything everyone else can do.”
As the efforts to bring Major League Baseball continue, Saffell says an MLB team could provide new and exciting opportunities for kids.
“Sports brings so much excitement to the town," said Saffell. "We've done stuff with the Predators and when we have special visitors come, it just adds a lot of excitement. The kids feel valued that someone comes to our program and wants to get involved. Sometimes kids with disabilities are not encouraged to play sports like baseball, so getting a chance to learn about a new sport that some of our kids haven't played before gives them the chance to learn about something different and about new opportunities they might have.”
|
|
|
NASHVILLE STARS GOLF TOURNAMENT
|
|
|
We are thrilled to announce our first golf tournament to support the Nashville Stars Youth Foundation and the Tennessee State Athletic Fund. The event will be Friday, October 7 at Ted Rhodes Golf Course in Nashville. If you’re interested in playing or sponsoring the event, please reach out to Lauren Whatley at [email protected].
|
|
|
All-Star week is always a “star”-studded event. Bob Kendrick, who is the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and a Board member of Music City Baseball, and Connor Loar are pictured where the Black Diamonds podcast was recorded during the festivities. The podcast on SiriusXM showcases the history of the Negro Leagues, highlighting the players, people, and events that shaped them, as well as spotlighting the leagues’ achievements and innovations during a time of segregation and inequality.
|
|
|
Nashville pizza lovers have probably experienced the originality of Slim and Husky’s. The North Nashville business hosted “S+H Unplugged” on July 16, featuring local music artists.
|
|
|
BUCK O’NEIL INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME
|
|
|
At last! The legendary Buck O’Neil was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 24. He joined Bud Fowler and Minnie Minoso as three former Negro Leagues players who were inducted. We want to say "thank you" to our partners at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for their tireless efforts in making this day become a reality.
Pictured below (L-R): Kiona SInks and Bob Kendrick
|
|
|
DIXIE WORLD SERIES COMES TO NASHVILLE
|
|
|
The 2022 Majors World Series by the Dixie Boys Baseball League was held at Shelby Park in Nashville July 22-27. Eleven teams from around the country participated, including the host Flyer baseball team from Nashville. Congrats to the team from North Charleston, SC, which beat Southland, LA in the championship game.
Pictured below (L-R): Coach Allen Murphy, Matt Barrett
|
|
|
NASHVILLE STARS COMMUNITY DAY
|
|
|
The Heart of America Hot Dog Festival in Kansas City is one of the biggest events the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum hosts each year. To celebrate the annual event, we held a Community Day in Nashville on July 30 to benefit the Nashville Stars Youth Foundation.
|
|
|
EDDIE GEORGE GOLF TOURNAMENT
|
|
|
Tennessee State University head football coach Eddie George hosted his 2nd annual Celebrity Golf Classic on July 31 - August 1 at Old Hickory Golf Club. The event benefits the Tamara and Edward George Legacy Fund and the Tennessee State Athletic Fund.
|
|
|
|
|
