Because Miami’s young men matter to you and to God, we create mentoring opportunities with athletes in Overtown.
Imagine a Miami without Respect
For generations neighborhoods like Overtown have been financially drained and mistreated. Parents and pastors have faithfully pushed back against the tides that crush young men, but many of them have turned to drugs or crime or have abandoned the city.Our city has become a difficult place to live. Maybe you’ve experienced this yourself.The Miami Herald writes excitedly about an Aldi and a Ross moving into Overtown — “a long-awaited revival “ — and we celebrate with them. But we wonder if there isn’t something more.What happens if you invest in the economy of a city but ignore the young men in the city? Will Miami be a place you’d want to live in 5 or 10 years?This is why Team Respect has spent the last 20 years building bridges into Overtown and into the lives of these young men. We believe that they hold the keys to Miami’s future.
How We Help
1. Chaplains: Spiritual influences for high school athletes2. Mentors: Vocational influences for high school students3. Advocates: Community influences for high school administrators
Meet The Executive Director
Rev. Steve Lantz has spent 20 years in Overtown ministering with young men at Booker T. Washington Senior High School as the Founder and Executive Director of Team Respect. He’s an ordained minister with the Presbyterian Church in America and is married to Lynda and together they have two children.Over the years, Steve has played football, has interned with David Letterman, has been an actor on film and television, and has even had a TikTok go viral enough to be featured on Good Morning America. But through it all, he keeps giving back to these young men in Overtown — and keeps inviting people like you to join him.
Meet Booker T
Booker T. Washington Senior High School is one of the oldest public schools in Miami Dade County, opening in 1927 as the first high school built for Black students in South Florida.In the 1950s, when the neighborhood was fragmented by the construction of I-95 and the Dolphin Expressway, the school stood as a symbol of strength and courage for the community.Today, Booker T. educates a student body of just under 1000, proudly bearing the motto "Not the Largest but the Best." Regardless of size, the school hosts several strong athletic programs with a list of students continuing on to professional sports.In addition to that, Booker T is now an A-Rated School. Tornadoes for life!
How You Can Help
As individuals we are limited. We have limited time, energy, and resources.When individuals come together — filling in where another is lacking — that's when a lasting impact is made."If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else." - Booker T. Washington
Subscribe
We send out a monthly email newsletter with one story, one resource, and one request. We promise to keep it brief. We ask you to take a moment to read the newsletter, consider who you can share it with, and consider how you might respond.
Donate
Dollars given to the ministry translate into hours available to the young men. We have service projects and mentoring programs on hold, just waiting for funding. We are working to build a foundation of ongoing support so that the ministry can hire a full-time Executive Director.
Pray
We believe that the work of building this organization intersects with the spiritual needs of our city. These young men come from challenging family situations and face steep uphill battles. If you are a person of faith, would you consider making it a regular practice to ask God to provide for them?
Volunteer
In 2026, we will be expanding our Board and recruiting several additional mentors into our Team Respect program. If you have a heart for mentoring young men or a passion for nonprofit leadership, we would like to speak with you. Subscribe to our newsletter, then hit reply to the introductory email and we’ll get in touch with you.
About Team Respect
Team Respect works with youth under three main subcategories.1) Respect God: This takes place in large groups, mostly in the Fall. God is brought into the discussion, using the Declaration of Independence. Youth are reminded that they are specially created with the unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.2) Respect Themselves: This takes place in small groups and one-on-one mentoring in the Spring. Youth are built up and equipped with the skills and confidence to share with others, primarily younger students in their public school feeder system.3) Respect Others: Team Respect will take key student leaders on one short term service project each summer. Trips will alternate between domestic and international. Planned destinations include Haiti, West Africa, and a Civil Rights Tour of the American South.Team Respect has been active in Miami-Dade County Schools for over 20 years, and we are in our 20th year at Booker T. Washington Senior High School.This year, we are building the capacity to fund a full time Executive Director, as well as raising the funds to begin our first Annual Civil Rights Tour of the American South.