Crew Life - Bigger than Basketball Program

My name is Rapheal Davis, and I am currently an analyst for the Big Ten Network, and I am a former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, from Fort Wayne, IN. I spent four great years as a Purdue Boilermaker, where I was captain of our basketball team for 3 seasons. Upon graduating from Purdue, I spent 4 years with Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company as a Sales Rep in Atlanta, Ga. While corporate work was interesting, I have always had a passion for two things: giving back to my community and to others, and youth sports. This is why I have started The Crew Life Basketball Non-Profit, which is a tax-deductible non-profit. This is a foundation that will use basketball as a vehicle for developing youth, but is intended to be “Bigger than Basketball” and will serve communities nationwide.

Crew is an acronym for Community, Responsibility, Education, and Will. These are four of the core values that we preach at each event! 

 We had our first basketball camp in December of 2020 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We were able to raise enough money to send 25 kids to camp for free. Since then, our foundation has grown tremendously. In our first year of service, we created a scholarship fund to provide financial assistance to families so their children to attend camps and other events. Through donations and assistance from our sponsors, in 2021 we raised enough funds to send over 300 kids to basketball camps and leagues. We have taken 25 kids on various college campus tours. As a kid, these are the types of programs that not only pushed me to love basketball but showed me what life outside of my neighborhood looked like and also showed me what college campus was like early in life. I plan to give that same love back to the kids in our program.

We plan to have 12-15 camps, clinics, leagues, college tours and other events each year. We want as many kids as possible to experience camps. The majority of our camp dates will be when kids are out of school during the weekday, and parents are likely to be working.

 There will always be kids who want to come to camp but cannot afford it financially. I don't believe finances should stop a child from attending a high-level basketball camp. This is why we are always raising money for kids and families who cannot afford camp.

 Our camps are called Bigger Than Basketball, which means we teach much more than just basketball skills. We teach morals, values, and respect first. We teach the value of being a good person first. You can be the best basketball player ever, but if you are not a good person your opportunities might be limited. Then we teach how to use basketball and the skills and traits developed in basketball as a tool to be used in life.  

Every player will not be a player in the NBA, but the NBA will always need a Coach, physical trainer, skills trainer, film coordinator, scout, GM, or even the Marketing Director of the team, which are all NBA-paid positions.

 We also have professional guest speakers come in and talk with the kids at camp. From lawyers and doctors to inner-city business owners to encourage the kids and show other professions outside of basketball. The goal is to raise enough money to send as many kids to our camps, clinics, and events for free throughout the years. Any donation will help, no amount is too little. All donations will go towards camp scholarships and college tours, or trips.

 Finances should not stop a kid from having a great experience! Some kids will need a safe place to play ball and learn when they are on breaks from school, even if it’s one day. Our camp will give them a place to go while their parents are working!

Summer League is 4 weeks, 3 nights per week.

 3 days+ of camps will include Light breakfast, lunch, camp t-shirt, and camp picture.

 We will have former college basketball players, managers, high school coaches and players, etc., as coaches and instructors. There will always be opportunities to be seen by AAU travel ball coaches at camp.

All contributions are tax-deductible.

 To donate outside of gofundme please visit Raphealdavisbasketball.com or reach out to me at [email redacted]