Passing the Baton: The Joe Sims Milwaukee Striders Story (2011)

The Milwaukee Striders Track Club was started to provide Milwaukee boys and girls with an opportunity to build their track, academic and civic skills through participation in a community characterized by hard work and love. For over 30 years, the Striders ran on the dedication of its founder Joe Sims and what little charitable handouts he could muster up. Often, he used his own money to keep the club running and to give African-American youth in Milwaukee something productive to do during their summer months. In 2009 Joe Sims passed away, but not before passing the baton to a new era of coaches and volunteers who are working hard to carry on the values and principles that helped Joe Sims turn the Striders into a premiere track club. During this year of transition a crew of twelve UW-Milwaukee students and their instructor documented the track club, from the streets of Milwaukee to the Junior National Olympics.