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Outdoor Basketball Tournament Shoots for Serious Impact in Des Moines Youth
DES MOINES, Iowa — The inaugural Long Shots 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament at Evelyn K. Davis Park in Des Moines featured not only incredible displays of athleticism but also community.
“Just knowing that the community is here for us and they are supporting us, it makes us really feel good,” said Nya Mach of Des Moines North High School.
The event featured more than 20 boys and girls teams competing for a tournament title. The teams were all from Des Moines high schools. “We also didn’t know if we would have a season because of COVID, so we wanted to take our opportunity. This is our chance,” said Lizzy Puot, another Des Moines North student.
Billy Weathers and his local nonprofit the B.Well Foundation, along with the Dojo Basketball Group, Ink Space and the Function House Hospitality group, are pooling the event proceeds to create a sixth and seventh grade basketball league for the schools to jumpstart positive activity. “Just grateful. Just shows what a community can do when you come together for a bigger cause bigger than yourself,” said Weathers.
Ihari Oromo is on the girls varsity team at Des Moines North High School. She sees how important a middle school league could have been for her. “I started playing basketball in ninth grade and I didn’t know how to play. I didn’t know what to do,” said Oromo.
Now, Weathers hopes Long Shots can pay off for higher education. “I think a kid will get a letter, a full-ride scholarship to UNI or Iowa State University and they’ll say ‘I know this basketball league had something to do with it,'” said Weathers.
The event also handed $1,000 to each of Des Moines’ five high schools, leaving an impression on East High boys basketball coach Chad Ryan. “That’s going to make a huge difference for all of our programs. I know at our school we are looking forward to putting it in the youth sports. It is just a great gesture,” said Ryan.
Just feet away from the fun and laughter, the event took a serious tone, with powerful images from this summer’s marches in Des Moines for racial justice. These photos show a community’s togetherness in the face of racial divide. “This city, it has shown me and enlightened and opened my eyes to just the beautifulness that can come from this,” Weathers said.
The B. Well Foundation focuses on supporting education, mentorship and families in the Des Moines community. It recently donated fundraising efforts to families hit hard by COVID-19 and the derecho.