Empowering Chicago's Youth: Your Support Matters

My name is David Parra-Lamas and I was born and raised in Chicago. I’m currently in school obtaining a bachelor's degree in Physical Education, work full time as a certified optician, and developed a non-profit called Diligent Skills Training in 2022 with my best friend Isaiah Bowie. Basketball has always been a huge part of my life. It has guided me through tough times, kept me involved with an amazing community, and pushed me to always do my best in everything I attempt. I’ve had many coaches in my lifetime, all with extremely different styles of coaching, but one thing I’ve noticed to be consistent with their philosophies is “A great player is a coachable player”. I learned that positively receiving feedback, challenging myself, and actively taking on opportunities for growth has not only helped me become better in basketball, but as an individual, too. This is why I developed a passion for coaching. Since children's minds are still developing, sometimes it’s hard for them to comprehend these life skills and why they’re important. However, I learned that through teaching basketball it emphasize these important skills and creates a solid foundation that promotes individual success. This is why we created Diligent Skills Training to pass these principles along to the next generation. We have held a few camps over the past 3 years, but this summer was our first time holding it consistently over a period of time and we want to thank Corliss High School for giving us the opportunity to do so. However, we need your help with funding in order to keep the camp continuous throughout the fall/winter. We appreciate all and any donations because it goes straight to the kids for equipment, food/drink, gym space, and much more! Thank you in advance for your support towards the youth of Chicago and strengthening the foundation within our communities!