The Village of Louisville

It all begins with a gentle jog. Slowly, the athlete picks up speed, wiping sweat from his brow as he rounds each turn of the track. His swift feet pound the pavement as the late afternoon sun beats down on the steaming asphalt track. This could be the scene at any track practice, but this runner can barely tie his own running shoes. At five years old, Steven Taylor, Jr. is one of the youngest members of The Village, a Louisville track club. "We didn't know he could run until we started bringing our daughter. He's so determined and just doesn't quit," says Steven's father, Steven Taylor, Sr. The Taylors initially got their older daughter, Lillian, a student at Highland Middle School, involved with The Village to help improve her running style. They quickly learned there is more to this group than just speed and stamina. "They learn to respect other people and take care of themselves," says Taylor. Respect is preached over and over at practice where head coach Mozziz DeWalt sets the pace. "Right now, if one of them would walk over to you and say 'yeah' to you, they'd have to drop and do ten pushups. It's 'yes, ma'am' or 'yes, sir.' It's my way or no way; it's almost like a little boot camp, but once they get started, there's no turning back," says DeWalt. DeWalt, a former college athlete, started coaching young people after getting what he calls a "wake-up call from God." In 1987, he was in a wreck with a tractor-trailer on the Watterson Expressway that nearly killed him. "I took on a tractor trailer. I didn't win, but I took him on. March 3, 1987. Everything from my neck to my left side of the body down was torn to pieces; doctors said I wasn't going to make it. They told me it would be impossible for me to walk out of there, but I did," recalls DeWalt. That same determination formed the foundation for The Village. Fed up with news of childhood obesity rates, school disciplinary problems, and rising crime, DeWalt could no longer sit on the sidelines. He believes that all children, even those labeled as "problem kids," can succeed if given the right tools. "What I tell these kids is I could care less about the track. I want to know you can set a goal and reach it. If you don't have a plan to succeed, then you have a plan to fail. Sports took me out of a life in Newburg and took me across the country," says DeWalt. His runners are now getting that same chance, participating in track meets all over the United States. Preparing for those meets takes a great deal of work and dedication. Runners practice several nights a week and develop a close bond with one another and the man they call "Coach Mo." "Coach Mo is my second daddy. He takes care of me all the time, and if I get a B or C on my report, then he's on my front step," says 16-year-old Keandra Litsey, a student at Iroquois High School. All runners with The Village need to stay focused both on and off the track. Students must maintain a 2.3 grade point average or they are not allowed to run with the team. Mariah Murray, a junior at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, believes The Village changed her life. Before running, she says she was on the wrong track. "I was very disrespectful and barely had any manners. When I came to Coach Mo, he taught me respect, obedience. Since then, I've been a different person," says Murray who wishes more young people could turn their lives around. "If they don't want to be in the predicament that some of the kids are in today like going to jail or getting killed, this would keep them out of trouble, keep them safe, keep them alive," she says. That's the ultimate goal for DeWalt. He is working on plans to build a state-of-the-art track facility so even more children can join The Village. Currently about 107 young people belong to the group, but there are more than 250 names on the waiting list. DeWalt knows his job is a challenge but believes he has found his purpose. He notes that not one of his kids has been arrested or in trouble at school. "Why is that? It's because they're busy. If that works, why don't we embrace it and see how many kids we can keep off the streets?"