The kids in the lunchroom of Public School 22 make a lot of noise until Jerry Walker starts to count. Then the children, ages from 5 to 16, scramble to their seats and slowly get quiet. Today they are going bowling, and they need to get in line to get on the bus.
This group is part of renowned basketball star and Jersey City native Jerry Walker’s youth organization "Team Walker." The organization, which Walker has been operating for the last six years, helps underprivileged kids stay off the streets and out of trouble all year long.
"We want to keep kids on a positive track," said Walker, explaining the purpose of his organization. Team Walker has its roots in a group formed by Walker’s grandfather, James "Pop" Curry, who was inducted into the Jersey City Hall of Fame in 1999.
"I’m filling in his shoes," said Walker. "This has been in the family for 56 years. And my grandfather did all his civic work without celebrity status and [with] 16 kids of his own."
Walker knows that his own fame as a basketball player has helped Team Walker. A Seton Hall graduate, Walker was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 1993.
"I played in the preseason for the Nets," Walker said.
From there, Walker traveled all over the world. He played basketball in countries as different as Turkey, Sweden and Lithuania for close to six years.
"I had a good learning experience," said Walker about his time playing overseas. "I saw how other people lived. People should feel fortunate to live in America. In Europe, they would kill for the apartments that poor people have here."
Then an intestinal problem sidelined Walker. A hernia operation followed soon after and Walker thought about what he was going to do with his life.
"God has a plan," Walker explained. "I was feeling more interested in helping kids. I still loved basketball, but I wasn’t in love with it."
Walker decided to pick up where his grandfather left off.
Team Walker provides a number of services year ’round to Jersey City children. At the present time, Walker operates his organization in conjunction with the Jersey City Department of Recreation.
"We have counselors come in a talk to the kids about different subjects," said Walker. "They come from the recreation department. We like to talk to the kids in groups about drugs and other things. If we see there is one kid in need of help, we try to help the individuals."
Another part of Walker’s program he calls "Life Skills."
"We talk to the kids about manners and building relationships with people," Walker said. "There are a lot of obstacles for kids to overcome. Learning discipline at an early age can be a big help with the future. You have to instill in kids that they should not give up."
One of the popular facets of Team Walker is the cheerleader group, according to Walker. Open to grade school children and up, Walker believes the cheerleading squad is one of the brightest success stories of his organization.
"The kids have marched in the Martin Luther King Day Parade for six years and the Puerto Rican Day Parade for four years," said Walker. "That participation gives the kids a sense of history and teaches them to give back to the community."
Education is important to Walker, and he stresses it to the kids in his organization. One person who shares that belief is first-year counselor Anita Howard.
"This is good experience for me," said Howard, as she got the children lined up to board the bus parked outside PS 22. "I want to be a child psychologist, and this is good work."
"I want to change the misconception that if you’re smart, you’re nerd," Walker said. "It’s the reverse, really. It’s cool to be smart."
Walker would like to see Team Walker expand in the future.
"I would like to us become a powerhouse organization in the community," Walker elaborated, adding he would eventually like to operate independent of the Department of Recreation.
For more information on Team Walker, call (201) 433-1888.