Brotherhood Crusade’s youth development program supports young men of color with mentorship, education, and leadership training. The LA Clippers have supported Brotherhood Crusade’s mentorship program over the last five years, introducing young men to the world of professional sport. The Clippers and Brotherhood Crusade share a passion for driving community transformation by equipping young people with the mindset, attitude, and beliefs to achieve their goals.
With January being National Mentoring Month, there’s no better time to highlight some of the great working happening at Brotherhood Crusade. The Clippers sat down with mentor Mykol Lewis and his mentee Quintyn Boone to learn more on how Brotherhood Crusade is helping young men like Quintyn reach their full potential.
Quintyn has been involved with Brotherhood Crusade for a year and a half. When asked what he likes about the program, he said, “I like that it gives us opportunities to learn about things like financial literacy. It emphasizes what it means to be responsible and mature. It gives us a chance to see those things, to see these success stories growing up in South LA.”
The bond between Quintyn and Mykol is undeniable. Quintyn appreciate’s Mykol’s encouraging approach to their relationship, “It means a lot to have a mentor,” Quintyn says of Mykol. “That sense of family, having someone who holds you accountable, someone who cares about your wellbeing.”
Mykol describes Quintyn as a good listener, a characteristic he is helping Quintyn apply to decision making. Quintyn has a few big decisions on the horizon, including selecting a college and setting goals for his career path.
Brotherhood Crusade’s program emphasizes leadership with the aim of empowering young men to be independent leaders, go to college, and be self-sustainable. The program also teaches students to be willing and open to feedback, and emphasizes the importance of relationships.
When Quintyn looks at himself in comparison to his peers, he sees the difference the last year and a half has made. He’s an avid basketball player who wears jersey No. 1. When his original No. 14 wasn’t available, he decided on No. 1 with a new mentality - be the best he can be, don’t back down, be at the top of his game. A proactive approach he says came from Brotherhood Crusade.
The biggest change he sees is his social awareness, a new ability to interact with adults and see how they operate. He says the most important thing he’s taken from Brotherhood Crusade so far is a sense of community.
One of the messages sticking with Quintyn is, “spend it, invest it or waste it.” This Brotherhood Crusade saying speaks to the importance of how you decide to use your time, which translates to what you decide to do with your money.
“A lot of people from my neighborhood say, ‘I want to get rich and move out of the neighborhood.’ But Mr. Lewis encourages us to say, ‘I want to get rich and invest in the neighborhood and make it better.’”
Quintyn has aspirations of attending UCLA and studying either marketing or kinesiology.
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If you want to learn more about how the Clippers are involved in the community, register your organization or become a mentor, please visit the Clippers Mentorship Assist Zone at https://www.nba.com/clippers/community/mentorship.