Chicago Public Schools Director of Sports Administration Calvin Davis has found himself at the center of the news this year, rather than his typical behind the scenes role. A former basketball player at Dunbar high school, Davis stepped in with several ru
Chicago Public Schools Director of Sports Administration Calvin Davis has found himself at the center of the news this year, rather than his typical behind the scenes role. A former basketball player at Dunbar high school, Davis stepped in with several rule changes–including barring outside fans from the game–after violence erupted at CPS basketball games this season.
The move was criticized, but Davis focused on shifting the focus back to where it belongs, on the students.
Davis is currently encouraging CPS youth to get involved in the Citywide Interscholastic Sports program, which provides a sports experience like no other. Promoting his new book, Inner City Hoops, A History of Chicago Basketball, Davis recently made time for a little one-on-one with the Defender.
DEFENDER: Who was your role model growing up as an athlete?
DAVIS: As an athlete, I’ll have to say my dad Clyde Davis Sr. He was an old-time Negro League baseball player and also my brother Clyde Jr. who had amazing athletic ability. Those are the people I admired.
DEFENDER: What is the mission of your Citywide Interscholastic Sports Program?
DAVIS: The mission I would like to accomplish is extremely multi-faceted. It is designed to help and develop young people in many ways. That includes mental development, physical development, social development, emotional development and academic development. The one thing people may not know is that, when it comes to academics, studies show student athletes have higher grade point averages, higher attendance percentage and higher graduation rates than the general student population.
DEFENDER: What goals would you like to accomplish with this program?
DAVIS: Our goal is to help shape and model young people into being productive citizens in society and also to enhance scholarship opportunities for them. We would like to have our kids to go out and showcase their talents and abilities so that they may obtain scholarships in the near future. That’s another avenue toward upward mobility and higher education that could be paid for. In many cases students can’t afford to attend college, and this program would give them the opportunity to accomplish that goal. I’m one of those individuals who benefited from receiving an athletic scholarship during my playing career here in the CPS school systems.
DEFENDER: How did you respond when people said the decisions you made about the new rule changes was only a Band-Aid over a wound in a system that many feel needs major reconstructive surgery?
DAVIS: I felt that it could be some truth to that statement, but the important thing for me was to do something immediately because the situation needed to be addressed. And if it was a short-term fix, I still believe it was a positive thing to do at the time. I was actually trying to make our contest safe for participants as well as spectators. I wanted to prevent someone from losing their life.
DEFENDER: So far, what’s been your most memorable moment of your career as director of sports administration?
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