by Cesse Ip

Lewis Turner is an icon at Emery Heights Community Center, located at Madison Street and Georgia Avenue NW. Known as Coach Lou to everyone at Emery Heights, Turner is a mainstay to the community.

Coach Lou was born and raised in Ward 4, or “Uptown NW” as he calls it, and is a product of Truesdell, Coolidge and the Emery Heights Community. As a child, he remembers playing football, basketball, baseball and other sports for the Number 6 Boys Club. Now, he is the athletic director of the Emery Heights Youth Program, and the founder of the Friends of Emery Heights, a community non-profit group.

In 2003, when Couch Lou started the youth program with his colleague Nathaniel Catlett, their team consisted of a little more than a dozen kids. Today, they have five youth football teams ranging in age from 5-14 with 25-30 kids per team. They have also expanded to basketball teams that offer opportunities for youth from ages 5-17.

The Emery Heights Soldiers are the resident youth league at Emery Heights Recreation Center. Not only do they participate in Department of Parks and Recreation games, but with the help of the Friends of Emery Heights, they also participate in the competitive Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) league throughout the metro area.

Throughout the years, the Emery Heights Soldiers have won football and basketball championships in the DPR League, and the AAU league. Coach Lou has worked with hundreds of kids over the decades, and it’s obvious that he is somewhat of a celebrity at Emery Heights. He knows the teenagers playing pool at the rec center, the adults working out in the gym, the kids at the playground, and the seniors using the sewing machines at the community center.

According to Ola, an Emery Rec regular, “Coach Lou is around a lot and is always there when you need him for advice. When I see him with the football kids, he’s really energetic. Honestly, you can tell he cares.”

Coach Lou has a strong desire to be a community activist and give back to the community that raised him. He started the youth league to keep kids occupied, off the street and teach them responsibility, teamwork and give them an opportunity to have fun. In addition to youth programs, Friends of Emery Heights also host various events for the community throughout the year. Past events include a Halloween party, a book bag drive and brunch with Santa.

Currently the Friends of Emery Heights are looking to buy the kids a new trophy case and new uniforms. Donations are accepted online, and you can learn more about the cause on their website. Visits to the space are encouraged to learn more about the community. Email them to schedule a time to drop off your donation, and checks can be written out to Friends at Emery Heights. Friends of Emery Heights is a registered non-profit and is also able to give you their EIN for tax purposes.

Other ways to get involved are to help bridge the gap in the community between longtime residents and newcomers. Stop by Emery Rec, introduce yourself, bring your kid to the playground. Sign your child up for youth sports programs. Football and cheer registration begins this summer. Basketball registration begins in the late fall, and baseball registration is late winter.