About the Program
The Institute For Sport & Social Justice (“The Institute”) PlayMaker of the Month award program recognizes the academic achievement and community service of student-athletes that reflect “The Institute’s” core values. Many times, student-athletes’ work in the classroom and within the community goes unnoticed. PlayMaker of the Month gives coaches, administrators, teammates, and faculty the opportunity to nominate and recognize those student-athletes who exemplify the “The Institute’s” motto of “Changing Lives Through the Power of Sport.” PlayMaker of the Month recipients are recognized in the months of October through June.
Nomination Criteria:
- Be a coach, administrator, student-athlete, or faculty member at a collegiate or high school institution that is in good standing with your respective governing body (i.e. NCAA, NAIA, high school state association, etc.).
- Complete a PlayMaker of the Month nomination application
- Submit all the required documentation (nomination application, media info. – articles, interviews, YouTube recordings, etc. – and, current photo (preferably a headshot) by the 15th of the month.
Nominee requirements:
- Current/eligible student-athlete in good standing at their respective institution
- Carry a 3.0 or higher cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA), weighted averages are acceptable
- Actively participate in community service, social change advocacy, or volunteer services
PlayMaker of the Month recipients will:
- Be featured on “The Institute” website for the month selected
- Receive an “Institute” PlayMaker of the Month certificate
- Be recognized at “The Institute” Annual Giant Steps Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Previous PlayMakers
Curtis Walker
Curtis Walker is TurnkeyZRG’s Vice President in charge of recruitment across revenue positions, focusing exclusively on corporate partnerships positions (sales, strategy, and service). A sales practitioner, Curtis has hands-on experience selling and servicing partnerships roles, sell-side & buy-side. He is broadly networked and wired with property sales executives, as well as agency & brand marketing executives.
Before joining TurnkeyZRG, Curtis sold and activated marketing partnerships at the United Soccer League (USL) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) where he focused on commercial outreach, strategy & new business development, creating innovative and first-of-its-kind partnerships. Prior to MiLB, Curtis spent time on the “buy side” with Coca-Cola Beverages of Florida (CCBF) building and selling marketing platforms which drove incremental product and operational income for the bottler. He also served on the ticket sales side with the Vinik Sport’s Group/Tampa Bay Lightning (TBL) as well as Learfield at the University of South Florida.
In 2020, Curtis Co-founded the Black Sport Business Academy (www.thebsba.com) – a 501 (c)(2) non-profit organization which exists to enhance the learning experience and career outcomes for students at HBCUs who are interested in pursuing a career in sports, and he also serves on the executive leadership board for the Tampa Chapter of Black Sports Professionals (BSP).
A proud alum of HBCU Virginia State University (VSU), he graduated with a degree in Health and Physical Education with a concentration in Sport Management. He also earned his M.B.A. & Master of Sport Business Management from the DeVos Sport Business Management program at the University of Central Florida (UCF). During his time, he served under Dr. Richard Lapchick as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for TIDES: The Institute of Diversity and Ethics and Sports – assessing ethnic and gender hiring practices across sports.
