Nneka Arinze, Atlanta program manager for Laureus USA Sport for Good Atlanta, will be the featured speaker for the 6th Annual Mike and Terry Metzler Distinguished Lecture, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9, at 10 a.m. in Georgia State University’s Centennial Hall Auditorium (100 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta). 

She will give a presentation entitled, “Teamwork is the Way: Partnering to Increase Access to Youth Sports.”

A product of the metro-Atlanta community, Arinze has long been passionate about understanding how sports programming can positively impact local youth. She brings a rich background in sport-based youth development (SBYD), both as an academic and a practitioner. She earned her Ph.D. in Sport Management from the University of Connecticut, where she researched youth experiences in school-based SBYD programs. Prior to her doctoral work, Arinze was deeply involved in program delivery – leading and designing opportunities focused on empowering girls through sport.

The purpose of the Metzler Distinguished Lecture, founded by Georgia State retired faculty members Mike and Terry Metzler and hosted by the university’s Department of Kinesiology and Health, is to feature scholarship, research, policy and programs that promote physical activity for healthy living.

RSVP by Friday, Oct. 3 at https://bit.ly/MetzlerLecture2025RSVP.