The Family Never Fails LLC CEO Jivon Murray will host a six-to-eight week basketball program in the North Lawndale community. Held in the Blessed Sacrament gym, he wants to reach out to youth with untapped basketball potential.
“I’ve always been gifted with working with the youth and working with children in Chicagoland,” said Murray, ” I’ll use my journey and story of everything I’ve had to endure and share that experience with the students to uplift them in their respective communities”
Who is Jivon Murray and What is Family Never Fails?
Murray grew up in the Ashburn community of Chicago’s Southside and currently lives in Hyde Park. He graduated high school at Mount Carmel Highschool in Hyde Park and college at the University of Missouri.
He then went to finish his college career at DePaul University, where he got his master’s. Once finishing college, he worked with the Chicago Park District, where the concept of Family Never Fails formed.
The organization came to be knowing some students he wants to reach don’t have the same positive resources as others do. “When you grow up in specific households, it takes a toll on not just only how you perform on-court, but in life.”
Working with FNF for six years now, this is Murray’s second basketball camp in Chicago, having held one in Evanston.
Murray told reporters the camp will be rooted in Christianity, saying that he wants to put god at the forefront. It was Christianity that allowed him to use Blessed Sacrament. Father Larry, a long-time pastor, and friend of Murray introduced the gym to him.
Coming into North Lawndale with open arms
Murray believes in the talent North Lawndale has and sees youth play at local parks. He would hate to see that talent go due to not having the support behind them to encourage that dream. “The potential and talent are there, but I think a lot of children in the community right now just don’t have that guidance and Leadership that they need to take their game to the next level and so that’s where we come”.
He sees the effect low-self esteem and no support can do to someone with a goal in life. “I didn’t make the team freshman year I didn’t make a sophomore year let me just give up my dreams… you tend to just want to kind of suppress that and move on”.
Murray plan’s to be not only their coach but their number one supporter of the students. “We’re getting an opportunity to not give up on their dreams and understand that, it may be tough but you have a chance if you have the right leadership you have the right Mentor supporting you”.
When asked if Murray had plans for North Lawndale outside the basketball camp, he said that he already had some. Consistently pouring into the students and families any way he can is his first objective.
“We’re huge on constantly giving back looking to do community events that Galvanize and bring everybody together to just show love…. we’re really big on giving, my mom is somebody that works in my business as pretty much the director of charitable events,” said Murray. “Whether it’s the beginning of the school year, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, we want to be here for North Lawndale “.
Brief Run Down of the Basketball Camp’s Information
The Blessed Sacrament basketball camp is a six-to-eight-week co-ed program that will include youth between the ages of 13-to-17. Murray will also showcase youth to their respective schools, so students can tell their coaches that they’ve worked hard this off-season.
With help of sponsors, Murray plans to give scholarships to youth planning to go to college. The Scholarship will give the students funding so the process is smooth sailing.
To know more about the Blessed Sacrament Basketball camp or Family Never Fails, You can find the organization on their website at https://familyneverfails.com/ and on Instagram @familiyneverfailsllc and Facebook.
Written By Daylontie Jasper
Featured Image by Keila Trejo/iadMedia Courtesy of HopeMedia Stock Photography‘s Flickr Page- Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Diamond Underground Basketball Camp – Creative Commons License
