Jim Powell sits down with John Hollins, CEO of Atlanta Metro RBI, and his son Jordan Hollins the Director of Operations, to discuss their impactful baseball mentorship program. They explore the origins, mission, and successes of Atlanta Metro RBI, their commitment to balancing sports excellence with life preparation, and the various challenges and achievements along the way. A key theme is how baseball, as a "game of failure," teaches resilience. Jordan explains that handling setbacks on the field builds mental toughness—a skill essential in life. Highlighting their upcoming event, the Local Black Legends of Baseball, on November 10th, they stress the importance of community support and involvement. This heartfelt conversation underscores the power of baseball as a vehicle for mentorship and youth development.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [00:38] Special Guests: John and Jordan Hollins
• [01:52] The Mission of Atlanta Metro RBI
• [03:26] Success Stories and Partnerships
• [04:39] Challenges and Future Goals
• [08:35] Jordan Hollins' Coaching Journey
• [12:09] Balancing Baseball and Mentorship
• [13:21]  Presidential awards for community service recognition
• [14:41] Why Failure in Baseball is a Great Thing
• [17:21]  Developing players through challenging competition
• [20:34] Upcoming Event: Local Black Legends of Baseball
• [26:01] How You Can Help
• [27:44] Conclusion and Final Thoughts

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Founded in honor of John’s father, the organization aims to mentor Atlanta’s youth through baseball, emphasizing discipline, academics, and community.
• Academic support is as vital as athletic training, with the program achieving an average GPA of 3.5 for senior athletes.
• The Local Black Legends of Baseball event honors trailblazers in the community, reminding young players of the legacy they uphold.
• Both John and Jordan stress that mentoring is more than coaching; it’s a way of life that prepares kids for challenges beyond sports.

ABOUT THE GUEST: 

John Hollins

John Hollins is the CEO and founder of Atlanta Metro RBI, a nonprofit dedicated to mentoring Atlanta’s youth through baseball and life skills development. Inspired by his father’s legacy of service, John created the program to offer structured athletic and academic support to young people, helping over 350 students reach college. Recognized with a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service, John’s impact extends beyond the field, instilling values of discipline, education, and resilience in every player he mentors.

Jordan Hollins

Jordan Hollins is the Director of Operations, dedicated coach and mentor with Atlanta Metro RBI, where he follows in his father John’s footsteps to inspire young athletes in Atlanta. A former player whose career was cut short by injury, Jordan chose to stay in the game by teaching baseball fundamentals and life lessons to the next generation. His coaching achievements include winning several prestigious tournaments, and he remains committed to helping young athletes navigate both sports and life challenges with the same passion and discipline.

RESOURCE LINKS 

Atlanta Metro RBI: https://www.atlmetrorbi.org/

X: https://x.com/Jim_Powell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-powell-38715a5/

Website: http://fansfirstpodcast.com/

FFEP08HOLLINS

[00:00:32] Jim Powell: Welcome to Fans First, a sports [00:00:35] podcast. My name is Jim Powell. I am proud and honored to be your host today. And we've got a very [00:00:40] special baseball, somewhat baseball oriented program with a little mixture of some other [00:00:45] community service and, um, other goals that, uh, our guests have set for [00:00:50] themselves and for a lot of young people who could use some mentoring and, and, uh, some [00:00:55] experience before they get thrown into the middle of the swimming pool called life.

[00:01:24] Jim Powell: And that [00:01:25] is trying to, uh, inspire, uh, young people in metro Atlanta and elsewhere, [00:01:30] um, to pay attention to their academics, to learn [00:01:35] how to live a disciplined life and be ready to, uh, move on forward in their [00:01:40] coming chapters in life. Is that pretty much what, what y'all's goals are? Yes. [00:01:45] So, so, so my question first is, because a lot of people [00:01:50] probably aren't, you know, Totally familiar with your organization.

[00:02:00] John Hollins: Thought you'd never ask. Um, ATL Metro RBI, we founded it. My, [00:02:05] my father was a police officer and would go into, um, uh, [00:02:10] neighborhoods in DeKalb County, Kirkwood. Uh, it wasn't, um, uh, an [00:02:15] upscale community back then, uh, it was, uh, adjacent to East Lake Meadows, uh, [00:02:20] was a project housing, uh, housing project, and he would go in and get kids and [00:02:25] take them up to the camp memorial and teach them baseball as much as he possibly could.[00:02:30]

[00:02:55] John Hollins: And I started that, uh, my kids were fortunate, [00:03:00] uh, to go to Padilla school, which is a private school in Atlanta. And, um, they [00:03:05] had some of the luxuries of life. But many of these other kids did not, and I grew up not [00:03:10] having those things. And so I had an understanding of what that was like and what a [00:03:15] difference it made in my life.

[00:03:38] John Hollins: Two rookie of the years, [00:03:40] uh, Kyle Lewis 2020 and Michael Harris [00:03:45] 2022. We partnered with some notable people out in the marketplace, [00:03:50] uh, that you may have heard of Marquis Grissom. Yes. With a big help in [00:03:55] starting my RBI program because he would bring four teams. To the [00:04:00] table to help me put this together.

[00:04:26] John Hollins: Is it for kids to play baseball or is it mentoring and getting them in [00:04:30] school? And we knew what our real purpose was. So we said that we will continue to support the [00:04:35] RBI program, but it was time for us to break away and do what we do on our own. [00:04:40] And we've been successful over those last 4 years to help over 35 kids go [00:04:45] to college.

[00:05:12] John Hollins: And God always has a way of [00:05:15] stepping in and telling you what's best. And once he hurt himself [00:05:20] and he was rehabbed and wasn't able to get back on with another professional team, [00:05:25] I thought maybe it's coming to an end and I would move on with the other chapter in [00:05:30] my life. But, He said, Dad, I'm not gonna go to law school like I, like my [00:05:35] oldest son, uh, he played ball and then went on to law school and he's an attorney with the city of [00:05:40] Atlanta.

[00:06:07] John Hollins: Uh, and I'm talking. [00:06:10] Medium kids. I'm not talking about the top dogs. The top dogs get recruited by the top programs [00:06:15] in East Cobb. The top programs, uh, here, uh, even, uh, some of the [00:06:20] ones that I've mentioned, they go after the top dogs, but I look at, I was a mediocre [00:06:25] kid at 11 and 12. But my senior year in high school, I led the state in E.

[00:06:54] John Hollins: [00:06:55] Why are you not? He said, John, don't give me a hard time. He said, we need more people like you to get [00:07:00] in the community and teach them the real the game. He said, it's really raw. He said, there's not a [00:07:05] lot of coaches out there like when you were around. And I realized that baseball was a game passed [00:07:10] down from father to son.

[00:07:36] John Hollins: The other two are athleticism enhanced by skill. So if you have [00:07:40] the athleticism. We can teach you the skill shortly and you're okay. But baseball, you [00:07:45] can be the fastest guy in the world, but you can't steal first base. You can throw a hundred miles an hour, but you [00:07:50] got to throw it over the plate. So there's skills, mechanics, different things that have to be taught.

[00:08:31] John Hollins: So Jordan does the majority of the training. [00:08:35] I'll let him talk about his efforts, what he's been able to do his [00:08:40] accomplishments and and what motivates him to inspires him to continue to do what he do. So go ahead. [00:08:45] Jordan.

[00:08:55] Jordan Hollins: Ultimately, that's our biggest goal. Um, we always kind of say it, we want to [00:09:00] give back, uh, the lessons of baseball and softball to the youth, but also [00:09:05] be able to give those, those goals or those lessons that you learn [00:09:10] through baseball and softball that relate to life. And so that's kind of how [00:09:15] my life came about.

[00:09:38] Jordan Hollins: Anything can happen to you, [00:09:40] and you kind of just got to roll with the punches and just see how, you know. You're going to get through it. How are you going [00:09:45] to overcome that? So, um, after I finished playing, I [00:09:50] ended up playing pro ball and tore my labrum. Like he said, I just wanted to come back and [00:09:55] give back to my community immediately.

[00:10:16] Jordan Hollins: And then after that, coaching was the easy part. Um, so [00:10:20] it was, it was just, uh, through that. So. Now, uh, my [00:10:25] focus is giving lessons, um, given about 5 to [00:10:30] 8 lessons a day, depending on the day, uh, as well as coaching three [00:10:35] different teams. And, uh, we're growing, uh, through that process as well. So, um, [00:10:40] every day is a new day and we're trying to figure out how [00:10:45] we can.

[00:11:05] Jordan Hollins: And

[00:11:27] John Hollins: The kids really respond to him. [00:11:30] Uh, they, uh, they play for him, uh, kind of like a bobby cocks, you know, the kids [00:11:35] love playing for Jordan and, and as we know, in the pros, the players love playing [00:11:40] for Bobby Cox and a great coach. Sometimes it's somebody who has a handle on all the [00:11:45] X and O's. And I think I fall in that category pretty good.

[00:12:09] Jim Powell: Well, you two [00:12:10] fine gentlemen, I can tell you're both huge sports fans, of course, obviously [00:12:15] baseball fans, but you also you keep stressing the power of the [00:12:20] mentorship aspect of this. It's not just about baseball. How do you balance it? Um, [00:12:25] trying to prepare the kids for going on to a successful life [00:12:30] versus trying to make them great baseball players.

[00:12:35] John Hollins: Well, I, I believe you can. Um, mentoring is not, [00:12:40] um, it's not a job, uh, as much as, you know, Coaching can become a [00:12:45] job. Um, mentoring is a way of life and teaching the [00:12:50] principles that I was raised by my father, uh, of doing what is right by [00:12:55] God, you know, Michael Harris. is one of our players that played with us.

[00:13:21] John Hollins: I was honored by Barack Obama, uh, as a lifetime [00:13:25] achievement award for community service, um, unbeknownst to [00:13:30] my son, uh, people outside of the realm who have the [00:13:35] authority to choose these people will find people who are doing things in the community [00:13:40] over a five year period of more making a difference in kids lives or communities.

[00:14:09] John Hollins: It's our priority. [00:14:10]

[00:14:32] Jim Powell: What is it about baseball that you find, [00:14:35] maybe the lessons you learn from the sport that make, make it a perfect vehicle for you to? [00:14:40]

[00:15:01] Jordan Hollins: You might go over 3044. With [00:15:05] four strikeouts, but just because you struck out doesn't mean you can't wake up the next day, go to the [00:15:10] cage, prepare the same way and expect to do better the next game. And the same way about life. [00:15:15] You have to wake up the same, the same exact way with the same exact [00:15:20] passion, or you're going to lose that day.

[00:15:42] Jordan Hollins: It's just learning on how to do that at the higher [00:15:45] level. And how to be able to take it and run with it in your life. How can I apply this to [00:15:50] be a better young man, a better young woman, um, a better son, a better daughter. [00:15:55] So, um, at the end of the day, if we can be able to tie, continue [00:16:00] to tie the sport into life, I don't think, uh, it's very difficult to be able [00:16:05] to relate with them because they kind of bring the energy themselves.

[00:16:29] Jim Powell: So [00:16:30] look at you now. . Yeah. . Look at you now.

[00:16:50] John Hollins: We play up so that they can handle adversity. At the highest [00:16:55] level. And when they get 16 and 17, the adversity begins to drone on, they become very recruitable [00:17:00] because now at 13, they were playing against 15 and 14 at 16. And so [00:17:05] we do that. And what was that's done is given us an opportunity to not [00:17:10] create false hope, but in the same sense, Create a competitor, [00:17:15] somebody who has that lion competitiveness because he's having to scrap [00:17:20] all the time.

[00:17:45] John Hollins: Uh, the umpires give them all the calls, the coaches pick them up and bring [00:17:50] them back where they want to. They promised some playing time and I get here thinking I got the best player and he's waiting [00:17:55] for me to tell him when he's going to start in the freshman. So, we find that [00:18:00] playing up, teaching them to compete, teaching them the aspects of the failure of the game.[00:18:05]

[00:18:26] John Hollins: He said, well, I'd love for him. I said, then he needs to play up. [00:18:30] And unfortunate to that call, the first game he played in, he faced a kid that was 15th [00:18:35] on 87 and it's signed from Tennessee, so he struck out three times. [00:18:40] And I found out he had never struck out all last year, the year before that. And that really [00:18:45] hurt him because he was like, Oh my God, I can't play.

[00:19:16] John Hollins: Uh, a base basketball, a baseball, the coding [00:19:20] aspects, because we're trying to develop them all the way around. And we understand that [00:19:25] technology is the future, even though AI is taken over in a lot of areas, somebody [00:19:30] has to program AI, somebody has to be a part of that. And so we do that. And [00:19:35] we're fortunate to partner with a hedge fund company out of New York that pays for the laptop [00:19:40] space for the, you know, The training and it's all free for the kids.

[00:20:11] John Hollins: It has no culture bearing. It just has an access to resources. [00:20:15] And if those access to resources are there, then all people can be successful. So we [00:20:20] try to make sure that those access to resources are there. So we can continue to uplift the kids [00:20:25] academically and athletically.

[00:20:28] Jim Powell: I could go on with this [00:20:30] conversation like all day and all night. I I'm, I'm loving it. I love your approach to everything. [00:20:35] Um, but I do want to ask you about your November 10th event that you've got coming up [00:20:40] in Decatur off Covington Highway. The local Black Legends of Baseball, I know you all [00:20:45] care a lot about the people who laid the groundwork to allow people like you to be able to [00:20:50] reach these kids and to teach baseball and all that.

[00:20:55] John Hollins: It was kind of a brainchild of mine. I really wanted to honor [00:21:00] those in the community that had played baseball, that they grew up in this community [00:21:05] that helped coach at Gresham Park, where I grew up playing baseball [00:21:10] and many of the other Michael Harris, Quincy Carter, I can go on and on.

[00:21:37] John Hollins: And what are some of the greatest memories? One of [00:21:40] our guys, Ron Smith played with Satchel Paige. And so what was some of the [00:21:45] fun memories of playing with Satchel Paige? And, and he was with the San Francisco Giants [00:21:50] left after being released from there, and I think he left. I'm not sure his story, but [00:21:55] he started playing with Satchel Paige and one of the most memorable times.

[00:22:20] John Hollins: Another one of the members is Robert Smith. I mean, I'm sorry, Robert Mitchell, Robert [00:22:25] Mitchell coached at Morehouse when, um, they had no scholarships, no [00:22:30] feel, uh, and, uh, he and the athletic director who I played [00:22:35] with, Andre Patel, made it possible to reenact and bring baseball back to [00:22:40] Morehouse and they played over at a park field.

[00:23:01] John Hollins: He came over, he was a, uh, batting, uh, [00:23:05] instructor for the East Cobb Astros. And then the Titans up in East Cobb. And he [00:23:10] came and saw me and he said, man, I want to help a program like yours. He's a three [00:23:15] time drafted ballplayer scouted for two professional teams knows [00:23:20] everybody introduced me to vital blue before he passed, which was my childhood idol.[00:23:25]

[00:23:50] John Hollins: He was at Rand High School. Andrean has put more African Americans in high [00:23:55] school and professional baseball than any other high school in the nation. But not only that, [00:24:00] he's created a LE Legacy and, uh, uh, for Rand Baseball in, for [00:24:05] DeKalb baseball. He has a program called MVP Most Viable [00:24:10] Prospects. My son, uh, oldest was one of the inaugural players that played [00:24:15] with.

[00:24:39] John Hollins: And [00:24:40] these guys Can tell stories and can be honored for all the stuff [00:24:45] that they've done for baseball and for baseball for young men of color who [00:24:50] ordinarily may not gravitate towards the sport, had it not been for their [00:24:55] legacy and for what they've done. So we're going to give them the opportunity to talk about that and then talk about [00:25:00] the things of baseball that.

[00:25:20] John Hollins: You know, I saw something where a kid hits the ball out of his hand. He hits it, goes and get it. [00:25:25] It's and goes and get it down out an hour in a farm town. And that's how [00:25:30] he got good because he was passionate enough. He got his shape running back and forth and hit the ball. [00:25:35] Whatever the case is, what did the old guys do that make them love this game [00:25:40] so much?

[00:25:43] Jim Powell: Well, I know Sam Crenshaw is going to [00:25:45] be a big part of your event coming up in November as well as someone that I know pretty well. Um, [00:25:50] and you know, really well. Um, so that's going to be a, that's going to be a great event. November 10th, [00:25:55] 2 to 4 PM in Decatur off Covington highway.

[00:26:12] John Hollins: I'm glad you asked. Uh, that's, uh, if [00:26:15] they go to ATL Metro. RBI dot O R [00:26:20] G and there's a donation page, whatever donation they can give.

[00:26:45] John Hollins: So anything people can do. And if you have a kid, a daughter or a [00:26:50] son that wants to train and get better. Please reach out to us. Phone numbers are on that [00:26:55] website as well. Reach out to us. Let's see if we can work some out. We're very, very affordable [00:27:00] for private lessons, uh, for team training. Uh, and then we [00:27:05] have teams that we put together, uh, as well.

[00:27:19] Jim Powell: Always. [00:27:20] I grew up with them as well. So. Uh, we've got that in common also. So, uh, thank you so [00:27:25] much, guys, for coming on and sharing your your journey and your goals and your [00:27:30] aspirations and the way you're helping these young men and women is really, really impressive.

[00:27:55] Jim Powell: I'm all in favor of that, but also make them get prepared for, [00:28:00] for real life, whether they end up being professional players or not love the work they're doing, I hope [00:28:05] that, uh, anybody that's watched or listened. Uh, to this podcast can jump in, go to their website, [00:28:10] uh, as they described it earlier and, uh, and, and look to help them out.

[00:28:34] Jim Powell: com. Please [00:28:35] keep your submissions to no more than 45 seconds in length. We want you to be a part of our show. [00:28:40] So glad you joined us for today's episode. We look forward to seeing you again very soon. I'm Jim Powell [00:28:45] saying so long for now on fansfirstpodcast. com.[00:28:50]

[00:29:16] Voice Over: See you next [00:29:20] [00:29:25] time.