“Our mission is to create positive avenues for Community residents, students, and at-risk youth through prevention, mentoring and sports activites while our vision is to contribute to the global prosperity of various communites.”
– Drew League Foundation
Sport teams and athletics have always taught youth valuable lessons that cannot be found in school classrooms. Some of the concepts that athletes have a better grasp of include cooperation, mental toughness and perseverance. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take part in sport teams. For intercity communities such as Compton and Watts, the Drew League provides a way for children to enjoy the privileges of playing on a team. The Drew League is a non-profit organization established to provide the youth of South Central Los Angeles communities with an opportunity to learn life lessons through basketball. When founder Alvin Wills first created the foundation in 1973, there were only six teams. Now, CEO Otis “Dino” Smiley organizes 28 squads of talented young players to participate in a competitive season filled with lessons learned on and off the court.
Smiley is the director and founder of the Drew League Foundation. Smiley has worked hard and has dedicated countless hours to make the league into the successful organization it is today. He has gone to great measures such as helping local gangs compromise and put aside their issues so as to peacefully have them cooperate and compete on the court. Gang members have learned from this experience how to respect others and honor each other both on and off the court.
Certified by both the National Basketball Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the foundation works to create a positive environment that at-risk youth can turn toward. Through sports and mentoring, the Drew League assists struggling kids in learning and fulfilling a role in society. In addition, it provides an outlet for kids to channel their emotions as an alternative to being a part of gangs and violence. The program officials hope to help participants look beyond the poverty in which they currently reside and gain the willpower and determination to succeed beyond the living conditions of their childhood.
“It is hard for these kids to get on an even playing field; a lot of them cannot even afford to send out college applications or visit schools that accept them,” said director Dino Smiley to the Los Angeles Wave. “We provide them with tutoring, mentoring, health and wellness, field trips and college and job fairs. We have marvelous kids who now go to USC, Cal State Northridge and Mexico State.”
The program also provides a way for NBA stars and collegiate athletes to give back to the their community. Many professional basketball players are active in the Drew League and spend a fair share of their time on the court personally mentoring and helping at-risk youth themselves. Athletes such as Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Kevin Durrant have all contributed to the cause and worked in collaboration with the Drew League to assist the program. Participation and dedication to the Drew League also reveal potential of future athletes and provides opportunities and connections that communities such as Compton would otherwise be unable to obtain.
“We often take the ability to partake in sports like basketball for granted,” said sophomore Benny Morfas. “Not only is the Drew League a fantastic organization that really helps underprivileged kids but it also gives them a chance to experience something enjoyable and exciting as an alternative to partaking in gangs and a contrast to the violence that surrounds them.”
Striving to make the world a better place, the Drew League helps those in need of leadership learn valuable lessons through athletic programs, one slam dunk at a time. Inspiring kids throughout Los Angeles for over twenty years, the program hopes to expand in the future and work for the betterment of kids throughout the city.
