ABOUT US

Launched in 2021, The Starting Block: A Fielkow-Chase Youth Education Initiative is a sports career development program for high school students, designed to build impactful relationships between multicultural and multifaith communities in Greater New Orleans through the lens of practical learning and sports industry insights.

This innovative program was jointly created by the Arnie D. Fielkow Family and the Edgar "Dooky" Jr. & Leah Chase Family Foundation. Those in New Orleans know these names well - this initiative combines the primary passions of Arnie Fielkow's nearly 30-year professional career: sports, Judaism, and fostering relationships among diverse communities. The iconic Leah Chase devoted her entire life to social justice and change, and education, and utilized her unprecedented culinary talents to bring diverse New Orleanians together.

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​The Tulane University Center for Sport serves as The Starting Block's lead educational partner.  The Center is led by its co-Director, Professor Gabe Feldman, a nationally renowned expert in sports law who also serves as Director of the Tulane Sports Law Program and who, along with the Center’s Sports Law Program Manager, Eric Blevins, also serve as instructors in The Starting Block program.  Together with the Center’s Director of Education, Tess Belt, the Tulane team coordinates the 18-month Starting Block course program including class topics, scheduling, and assisting with recruitment of guest instructors and other local partners.  Other local religious, community, and cultural organizations assist Tulane with important historical and culturally significant aspects of the program; past partners include St. Augustine High School, Touro Synagogue, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

 

This initiative is made possible through the generosity of the Chase Family, the Fielkow Family, and the Melinda and Morris Mintz Family. Additional partners include the Major League Baseball New Orleans Youth Academy and Each One Save One.