PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A local man who runs a basketball youth group is making a big impact on the lives of young men traumatized by gun violence. Garry Mills, founder of Shoot Basketballs NOT People, is guiding youth off the street and onto a new life path.
"It was like a ritual to me. It was happening like every other day. Friends calling me from jail," said 16-year-old Jordon Dill. "My best friend died two years ago and it feels like yesterday."
Jordon and his younger brother Isaiah say they wake up to gunshots almost nightly. But he says Mills changed his life by taking his mind off the violence and putting his feet on the court.
"You know, on the court, he helped me a lot, of course. But off the court, he helped me to be a better man, a better young Black man, and a better older brother to my little brother."
Mills founded the Philly nonprofit in 2013 after watching street violence soar while local resources dwindled. He says it wasn’t like that when he was a kid. He had mentors, and now he’s following their lead.
"Now, it’s about -- how do I figure out how to take those old-school principles and values that the guys molded me and re-imagine that on a larger scale now?"
Mills says his program is holistic, making available mental health resources, yoga and meditation, because it’s about the whole person, not just the athlete.
"With Jordan, he’s a prime example of when you have Black men that care to guide these young men down the right path, it’s no telling where they can go."