Boys aged 11-14 came together in their inaugural season to overcome the odds, winning a West Side tournament and picking up valuable life lessons along the way

It was an unusually exciting NCAA March Madness season this past year, with underdog teams causing havoc to everyone’s bracket picks until Kansas emerged victorious. Right here at home Chicago Westside Sports in the Austin community had a thrilling tournament season, too, culminating with the Catholic Charities Peace Corner Youth Center boys team winning its division championship.

The Peace Corner provides a safe haven for youth in the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side, aiming to enable all young people to better themselves, including those released from detention centers, in trouble, or simply seeking a safe place to play and learn. Supportive staff and community partners offer safe and engaging activities for youth focusing on increasing self-esteem, social and emotional skill building, volunteering, goal setting, tutoring, and mentoring. The structured youth enrichment program also solidifies Austin teens’ problem solving and critical thinking skills.

In 2021, an opportunity surfaced for Peace Corner to have its own basketball team through Chicago Westside Sports (CWS), a league created by volunteers representing local organizations and churches, community members, and the Chicago Police Department. The collaborative partners work together to provide opportunities for youth to engage in safe and healthy activities such as zero-cost Club Baseball, AAU Basketball, and Team USA Archery. CWS teams people together from a variety of backgrounds to accomplish one purpose: give each child a chance to form relationships, build community, and have the opportunity to grow and succeed while being poured into by local leaders and mentors.

The partnership with Catholic Charities was an obvious choice to CWS co-founder Sargent Jermaine Harris of the Chicago Police Department and CWS Director Brandon Wilkerson.  They set out to work with Catholic Charities staff members Christie Richardson, Regional Director of Chicago’s West Side, and Melissa Lucas, Director of Employment, Training and Community Support Programs, to identify boys ages 11-14 to play in the league.

Paired with team practices is a heavy focus on academics and importance of maintaining good grades in school.  “We don’t want to set them up for failure at such an impressionable age,” said Wilkerson. “They couldn’t get away with low grades on a school team. We bring that same rigor to the Peace Corner team, highlighting the fact that many of these kids have dreams to play on high school teams.”

“After a few initial victories, everyone involved started to see something special develop. From the very beginning, the boys worked incredibly hard to come together as a team,” said Harris. “The players were developing bonds to both the coaching staff and to each other, supporting their teammates both on and off the court.”

CWS now works in nine communities across the city’s west and southwest sides, operating leagues for a more than 500 boys and girls. Utilizing a three-tiered approach, CWS brings together volunteers from the Chicago Police Department, the faith-based community, and non-profits to serve as coaches. These coaches not only teach basketball skills, but also guide these children in heightening their confidence, character, and commitment back to the community.

“The entire experience really helps our youth build self-confidence,” said Richardson. “It’s truly great to see their hard work and dedication that they put towards practices and coming to games pay off on the court.  With the cheering crowd filled with families and friends, this has been a great example of how communities can come together to support the next generation of leaders.”

“Our playoff games were tough,” recounts Lucas. “We were down 15 points in the first half, but we came back. Our second playoff game against Chicago Jesuit Academy was tight as well.”

The championship game pitted them against Melody School from Garfield Park, and excitement was building in the days leading up to the event. “I could just tell how excited they were being in that atmosphere; you know that was for most of them their biggest lifetime experience to date,” said Harris.

They pulled it off, beating Melody school 58-43. It was clear to everyone involved they had accomplished something tremendous. And they did it as a team.

“This was an amazing example of how dedicated individuals can make a difference in the lives of young adults, not just in sports, but in life.” added Wilkerson. “I’d even venture to say the effect on the adults involved is equal to the impact the season has on the kids. I couldn’t be prouder of them. ”The Catholic Charities Peace Corner CWS basketball league will begin recruiting for the next season this fall. Perhaps we’ll see another win, for the team, the coaches, and the community.