Players Coalition Hosts Violence Prevention Workshop for Student-Athletes

MPI Executive Director Vaughn Bryant speaks to a panel of CVI leaders and student-athletes during a violence prevention workshop hosted by the Players Coalition at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago (INVC) on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

Student-athletes from across the country gathered at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago (INVC) on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, for a day of panel discussions and roundtable talks with key stakeholders from Chicago’s Community Violence Intervention (CVI) organizations.

The day was a collaborative effort between Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) and the Players Coalition, a national organization that engages athletes and sports professionals in driving systemic change through advocacy.

It was also an opportunity for the Players Coalition to announce that they are prioritizing Chicago as a key market for their 2025 violence prevention efforts, supported by a grant awarded in partnership with the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative.

This investment comes at a critical time for violence prevention in Chicago, as nearly $800 million in federal grants were terminated in April, with direct impact on several CP4P organizations.

Jeremiah Brown, former NFL athlete and Player’s Coalition Advocate, led the discussions. He was joined by The Live Happii Project Founder and Player’s Coalition Advocate Tori Franklin, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago(INVC) Founder and CEO Teny Gross, Cure Violence Global CEO Dr. Monique Williams, and Northwestern University’s Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research and Science (CORNERS) Executive Director Soledad McGrath. Also joining the discussion was Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI) Executive Director Vaughn Bryant, Sport for Good Chicago at the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Director Ben Schornack, and Cure Violence Global Director of US Programs Cobe Williams.

For the students, the day was an opportunity to learn about the history and impact of CVI in Chicago and explore opportunities for community engagement and advocacy.

Bryant emphasized the power of relationships in driving violence prevention.

“We built something special here in Chicago,” said Bryant, owing this in part to the trust and sustainability of the partnership with the Players Coalition, which spans direct advocacy, the Community Justice Initiative, and more.

“For anybody that’s at the table, they have my 100 percent trust. […] That togetherness is what it’s going to take for us to overcome.”

“Collaboration is key,” shared Dr. Williams. “We’re all stakeholders. We need our athletes. We need philanthropy. We need folks on the ground doing the work. We need everybody, because everybody is affected.”

McGrath shared research from CORNERS, noting that across CP4P organizations, at least 383 lives were saved over a five-year period from 2018-2023.

“It is not just 383 lives. It is brothers, sisters, mothers, families who are also impacted by that ripple effect,” said McGrath. “That’s why it’s so critical that we receive support. I’m grateful that the Players Coalition is investing in Chicago [and that] we’ve been able to help advance and support [the work] with our research and data.”

Brown shared insights with the student-athletes, encouraging them to not only use their platforms, but to authentically engage with the work to heal communities impacted by trauma and disinvestment, especially if they have experienced that trauma themselves.

“It’ll allow you to unlock, inspire, and empower others that may not necessarily have the resources,” Brown said.

The group poses for a photo after a day of roundtable discussions and workshopping.

The event concluded with a brainstorming session with the goal of sparking new ideas for student-athlete advocacy at the local, state, and national level. Students left the event armed with knowledge and inspiration to use their voices to advocate for social change.

 “Athletes have a platform, and with this platform comes a responsibility to use our voices to advocate to make systemic change,” said student-athlete Anquon Bolden Jr. “In this instance, I’m using my voice to uplift the importance of violence prevention and CVI.”