‘Do it for Sean’ honoring a brother’s memory through sport

Writer: Sylvie Sparks
Published: Updated:

“Forgiven not forgotten” a banner with those words hangs above the Crossover Youth Center gym in memory of Sean Archilles.

It’s where Sean and his brother Dsean first picked up a basketball.

“Coach Matt Richard from Crossover Youth Center gave Sean the opportunity to play basketball and when Sean started playing he never stopped. He continued to train and continued to put in the work,” Dsean Archilles said.

Sean was killed in the Club Blu shooting eight years ago. He was 14 years old.

Dsean keeps his brother’s memory alive in the same gym where he fell in love with the game through the “Do It For Sean” Youth Basketball Camp.

“Just being able to host the camp in this gym that he came from means a lot. I’ll never change location. They can tear it down; I’ll build another gym in the same spot.”

Looking around the gym, Dsean said he was overwhelmed because he knows what this means to his brother.

“He’s smiling right now. He’s smiling. I’m smiling back.”

If Sean hadn’t gotten the chance to play basketball for free, he wouldn’t have gotten to play at all.

That’s why Dsean offers the camp at no cost and this year, campers will leave the gym with brand-new school supplies.

“Without the help of my sponsors, I wouldn’t be able to do that. Growing up, I was never able to afford a lot of school supplies. It really means a lot. Last night, I was just thinking about it and it brought me tears of joy.”

Dsean said his younger brother changed his life, so year after year, he will keep changing kids’ lives and doing it for Sean.

“Sean keeps me going to keep these kids going. Every time I feel like I want to stop coaching or stop training or stop playing basketball in general, I know there’s a reason behind everything I’m doing, and God is guiding me in the right direction.”

This year, 70 sixth through 12th graders participated in the fourth edition of the “Do It for Sean” camp.

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