A Quarterback on the Dais: Keynote Speaker Matt Ryan Dazzled at GEEARS’ Annual Luncheon
By: GEEARS
Matt Ryan may have retired from football, but in his masterful keynote speech at GEEARS’ Annual Luncheon on November 21st, he was very much in quarterback mode.
He began with an inspiring huddle, albeit a very large one. The towering but eminently humble Ryan was speaking to 200 guests lunching in the Carlos Ballroom in Zoo Atlanta’s Savanna Hall. (There were also, as GEEARS Board Chair Stephanie Blank quipped during her introduction, two elephants in the room. Our view of the zoo’s elephant habitat couldn’t have been more charming or in keeping with GEEARS’ focus on Georgia’s youngest children.)
“When I learned to ride my bike with my dad,” Ryan began, “something he said stuck with me for the rest of my life. As I was struggling to find my balance or keep going, he yelled out, ‘Stick with it! Pretty soon it’s going to be automatic.’ And it’s amazing how, 20 years later, that voice was still inside my head as I was going through the NFL or working out on the practice field at Flowery Branch. That’s the impact that people can have on you at that stage of life.”
That impact is, of course, the very foundation of GEEARS. The promise and the urgency of children’s first five years is what compels our organization to advocate for better policies for these kids and their families, to support child care providers and early educators, and to educate parents like Matt Ryan’s dad about the impact of security, good health, loving communication, and of course, education in the first years of life.
From here, Ryan made his pass—a long, graceful (narrative) arc that deftly connected early childhood experiences like his with optimal brain development, future academic success, even a healthier and more economically successful society.
“That foundation was what allowed me to go after my dreams,” he recalled, “and ultimately that’s what we want for all children. We want them to have those experiences that will make them believe in themselves and feel like they’re supported. Every child deserves that, not just those lucky enough to be born into it, like I was. But unfortunately, we know that not all kids have the same access to these positive formative experiences, and that’s where GEEARS comes in.”
Finally, it was time for the catch in the endzone: “Get your pockets ready,” Ryan warned with a laugh. “If we all do a little, no one has to do a lot. But we have to pull our weight together. Let’s get these kids the strong start they deserve and build a future we can all be proud of.”
It goes without saying that our keynote speaker got a standing ovation for his wise words, but he wasn’t the only one. Three early childhood heroes also had our guests on their feet as GEEARS honored them with awards.
Presenting his fellow GEEARS board member, Dr. Jay Berkelhamer, with our organization’s first ever Early Childhood Legacy Award, Milton Little said, “I believe Jay Berkelhamer is as essential to GEEARS as GEEARS is to the state of Georgia. I also know that Jay has brought his great value for equity and dignity and opportunity for children to all his work—a lifetime of work for kids, for their families, and for the healthcare institutions that serve them.”
Shan Cooper and Randall Kirsch then were bestowed Early Childhood Champion awards for their work on, coincidentally, the wildly successful Early Childhood Champion initiative, a “train and retain” effort that offers cash bonuses and training to incentivize early educators to remain in their programs.
“When I tell you there has never been a dream team like Shan and Randall, you’ve got to believe it,” observed PAACT Director Shawnell Johnson in the duo’s introduction. “They are a well-oiled machine in which Shan uses her influence and acumen within the Rotary Club of Atlanta to make sure that the dollars keep flowing in to meet a $1.75M budget. Meanwhile, Randall spearheads the marketing materials that help make this opportunity so attractive to teachers.”
It was Blank who brought the event back to the sporty theme launched by both Ryan and GEEARS’ Executive Director, Mindy Binderman, who’d opened the afternoon with a series of winning (get it?) football metaphors: “Just as a football team has offensive and defensive plays,” she observed, for instance, “early childhood advocacy involves both defending policies that support children’s needs and pushing for new initiatives that will benefit future generations.
In her closing of the truly inspiring afternoon (except for the VIPS whose extra event support earned them entry to a private Q&A session with Ryan), Blank said, “I see a lot of people who get their kids in sports programs from the time they’re three. I am a mother who did that . . . If we would invest the same way in their literacy skills and their social-emotional development, think about what incredible, strong, resilient adults we could raise as well.”
If you missed this year’s luncheon, there’s still time to support GEEARS. Visit www.geears.org/supportourwork.
Click here to view photo highlights from the event.
