The Jedburgh Podcast #117: Leading America's Inner City Youth - Green Beret Project's Adam Kramer, Jaylen Powell & Kaseem Cotton (CrossFit Games 2023 Series)
Win the fight on the front lines of our inner cities. That’s the mission of the Green Beret Project. In every corner of the world America’s Green Berets win the fight on the front lines of battle, but what if we deployed that same power that builds and empowers foreign armies to empower, mentor, transform and grow leaders in our inner city youth.
Fran Racioppi kicks off The Jedburgh Podcast coverage of the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games from the US Army Fitness Truck in Madison, WI with Adam Kramer, Jaylen Powell and Kaseem Cotton of the Green Beret Project. Adam serves as the executive director responsible for turning boys like Jaylen and Kaseem into responsible adults who understand the value of community, hard work and responsibility.
Adam shares how his journey from a federal penitentiary has provided the credibility and experience needed to identify with underserved youth. Jaylen and Kaseem discuss how the program has kept them off the streets and provided an alternative option to crime, drugs and gangs as they prepare for college this fall.
Learn more about Green Beret Project and empower the next generation of leaders.
Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.
Highlights:
- 0:00 Welcome toCrossFit Games 2023 and Be All You Be
- 3:45 Green Beret Project’s Programs
- 5:09 Getting kids off the streets
- 10:29 Growing up and learning from the streets, selling drugs and prison
- 15:29 Bringing inner city kids together with law enforcement
- 17:30 Learning life skills and growing through CrossFit
- 22:50 College football and carpentry
- 31:04 How to support the Green Beret Project
- 34:21 Adam, Jalyen and Kaseem’s three daily foundations to success
Quotes:
- “The mission: identifying young males that need strong men in their life.” (2:48)
- “I don’t want to be that. I have a job now…this is gonna get me off the streets.” (6:25)
- “It made me become a man. It made me have a bigger mentality than what I had before.” (8:21)
- “Working with the local [police department] is helping break down barriers in the community.” (16:21)
- “What drives me to be better is knowing that you’re better than me.” (23:24)
- “I want to be on his level or stronger. I don’t want him to keep saying he’s stronger than me.” (28:17)
- “A lot of kids in my school, their main goal is to be a pro athlete or a gang banger.”(29:31)
This episode is brought to you by US Army, Wodify, Hero Coffee, GORUCK, Yeti & Compass Workforce Solutions.