Min. Dale Edwards, Executive Director, Call and Post
What unfolded inside Cleveland City Council chambers on Monday evening, Jan. 12, was far more than a ceremonial recognition. It was a holy moment of ownership, affirmation, and collective pride—a city standing up to say, these are our children, and they are doing an extraordinary job.
The routine rhythm of legislation was replaced by joy, purpose, and promise as the chambers filled with the unmistakable red and black of the Glenville Tarblooders. Mayor Justin Bibb, Council President Blaine A. Griffin, members of Cleveland City Council—including Michael Polensek—and Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Yvonne Conwell gathered to honor the Glenville High School Football Team, fresh off their Division IV State Championship victory. This was not an accident or a fluke. This was the fruit of discipline, sacrifice, and vision—Glenville’s third state title in four years.
Scripture reminds us, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). What Cleveland witnessed was the evidence of training done right—by coaches, parents, educators, mentors, and a community that refused to let its young men fail.
As the musical group Footprints lifted their voices in harmony, the atmosphere shifted from formal to familial. Their melodies echoed against the high ceilings, turning City Hall into sacred ground. It was a reminder that celebration, when rooted in gratitude, becomes worship.
At the heart of it all stood Coach Ted Ginn Sr., a pillar in Glenville and a guardian of our sons, joined by his coaching staff and CMSD Athletic Director Desiree Powell. City leaders presented two commemorative plaques—one for Ginn Academy and one for Glenville High School—symbolizing unity, continuity, and shared responsibility. These plaques were not just for trophy cases; they were markers of a promise kept.
Ward 9 Councilman Kevin Conwell, a proud Glenville alumnus from the Class of 1979, looked out at the young men before him with knowing eyes. He spoke not only as an elected official, but as someone shaped by the same streets, classrooms, and expectations.
“It makes the whole city and the community very proud,” Conwell said, noting that yard signs celebrating the Tarblooders would soon rise across Glenville like declarations of hope.
But this night was not only about football. It was about destiny. Conwell offered wisdom grounded in truth and love.
“All of you won’t make the NFL,” he said. “But you can stay connected to sports. Learn the systems. Learn leadership. Build careers.”
That message echoed the Word: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord—plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). These young men were reminded that their value does not end at the goal line.
Coach Ginn has long understood that championships are outcomes, not objectives. The real work is shaping character, instilling discipline, and teaching accountability. As Scripture declares, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Glenville is reaping what it has faithfully sown.
As the ceremony concluded, one message rang clear throughout the chambers: Cleveland must take ownership of its children—not only when they win, but every step of the way. When a community wraps its arms around its youth, greatness follows.
Coach Ted Ginn Sr. is not just building football players. He is building men. And Glenville’s victory is not only etched in record books—it is written on hearts, carried into classrooms, and destined to shape the future of this city.
These are our kids. And they are winning—on the field, in life, and in purpose.
