OHIO — Many high school teams have shown up to joint workouts against other programs that aren’t just preparing them on the field, but are also building unity.

What You Need To Know

  • The Build the Bridge initiative brings players and coaches from predominantly Black and white teams together

  • The goal is to combat division and unify football programs across northeast Ohio

  • Eastlake North welcomed Cleveland Heights, Twinsburg and University School for a Build the Bridge session

On a hot summer day on the gridiron, Eastlake North Quarterback Zach Rummel warmed up for some seven-on-seven games.

“It’s nice to be out here and get some work in with teams that we don’t usually see,” Rummel said.  

One of the teams he’s taking on is Cleveland Heights. Tigers safety Ethan Golden was making plays in the secondary. He was happy to take part in Build the Bridge, which was started by Height’s assistant coach Kahari Hicks.

“It shows that our struggles really aren’t that different. We really aren’t that different,” Golden said.  

Spectrum News 1 met Kahari Hicks in 2021, where he said after the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, he wanted to find a way to combat division. 

“We need to bring together kids who don’t look like each other, kids that aren’t from the same community, different socioeconomic classes, different races, different religions and get them to hangout,' he said. "And when they hangout, they’ll start to recognize that they like a lot of the same things. They like girls, they like social media and they have a love for football."

Back at Eastlake, the message had clearly spread to coaches like Eastlake North head coach Shawn Dodd. After the seven-on-seven wrapped up, the teams were mixed-up for dodgeball. Each athlete was then asked to introduce themselves to at least one player from another team to build a new bond. 

“I hope they get at least one relationship, and they can relate from one other guy from another school and follow a guy on social media and build a relationship,” Dodd said.  

While the activities were meant to be fun, coach Dodd and the other coaches addressed the players. The coaches let them know that what happened on the field can lead to positive change in their communities. 

“That’s our challenge from all the coaches out here, not just the head coaches, for you guys to take that message back into your schools and in your communities, and not let it just stay within the locker room, alright, but let it reach out into your streets,” Dodd said to the players.  

Dodd wants to continue building new relationships in the coaching fraternity through Build the Bridge, like the one he already has with longtime friend and Cleveland Heights coach Mac Stephens. 

“As the phrase says, ‘You have to be the change that you want to see,’ and I think sports is one of the most awesome platforms you can have,” Stephens said.  

As the session comes to an end, the players and coaches hoped to continue being an example that when you bring people together, great things can happen. 

“You look at these football teams that might have 50, 60, 80, 100 kids, just think of how powerful that can be when you bring that amount of kids together on a continued basis,” Stephens said.