Summary:
Rise Above, a sports program and event for Native, BIPOC, and underserved youth, held a youth camp at Garfield High School in Seattle, drawing high-profile guests from sports, entertainment, and city leadership. The event was a celebration of the game of basketball and the city's commitment to its youth, with the goal of providing tools to overcome challenges that these young people face at disproportionate rates. The camp was held at Garfield High School, where many of the guests attended as students, and was seen as a vital way to inspire the next generation of leaders.
Rise Above brought the basketball community together at Garfield High School on Saturday for a youth camp that drew stars from sports, entertainment, and city leadership. Actor and hip-hop artist Common, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, former Seattle SuperSonics head coach George Karl, Sonics sharpshooter Dale Ellis, and Garfield boys’ basketball head coach and former NBA star Brandon Roy were among the high-profile guests who came to inspire the next generation.
According to Mayor Bruce Harrell, the day was a celebration of both the game and the city’s commitment to its youth.
“Look at what we have here today. We have all these greats like Common and Donald Watts and Brandon Roy. I could go down the list. Changing lives, teaching these young men and young women to be the best they can be,” Harrell said. “This is what Seattle’s all about. We are fighting for this generation to be our next generation leader, so this is a good day.”
The crowd included University of Washington standout Donald Watts Jr., son of Sonics legend Donald Watts Sr., as well as former local standouts, NBA players, Garfield athletes, young hoopers, and their families. Watts Sr. said the sense of connection was unmistakable.
“Oh, man, it’s just love. I mean, it’s special. It’s the basketball community. It’s coming together for the youth. You got USA Olympians, you got national champions, you got local guys like Brandon Roy, for Native youth, all youth, everybody’s welcome,” Watts Sr. said. “You come in here and you see NBA legends and you see guys from different generations, gals from different generations that have played at the highest level, and it’s just love.”
Founded in 2015 by Jaci McCormack and Brad Meyers, Rise Above began with free basketball skills-and-drills clinics and has since expanded into sports programs and events for Native, BIPOC, and underserved youth. The goal is to provide tools to overcome challenges that these young people face at disproportionate rates.
Roy said hosting the camp at Garfield was an easy decision that felt right for the community.
“I talked with Brad and Jaci and they asked me would I like to host the camp here at Garfield. I thought it was a no brainer for our community to be able to give back to these kids, share some knowledge,” Roy said. “So, we have a lot of great people here. I just seen mayor Bruce Harrell, walk in, Common, the actor, rapper, George Karl, former Sonic players. It’s just really a great event.”
Karl believes events like this show how basketball can serve as a mentor in the lives of young people.
“I just love Rise Above,” Karl said. “It’s a great service for the Native Americans and all youth, and I love any time basketball can be a mentor to young kids. I think events like this are vital and I’m just glad to be a little bit a part of it.”
Rise Above promotes sports not only as a way to sharpen athletic skills but as a mindset that builds teamwork, discipline, healthy habits, friendships, and exposure to new opportunities.
Roy said being present and approachable is critical in inspiring youth.
“I think it’s important for us to be accessible to our youth, so they can reach out, touch us, talk with us, learn from us, laugh with us, and I think it’s just an unbelievable event that they put together,” Roy said. “Rise Above has been around for about 10 years now. I’ve just been around helping out, giving back, doing my part in the Seattle area, but they do this all over the state of Washington.”
He added that not every community has the same access to these opportunities.
“So, I just really try to help out and really do my part here in Seattle,” Roy said. “There’s a lot of communities that don’t have this kind of access, so they go a lot of places and when they wanted come back here in Seattle again, I was raising my hand to be a part of it.”
Watts Sr. said the positive energy of the young participants was a reminder of why these gatherings matter.
“We love the game, we love the kids, and we want to support where this is going,” Watts Sr. said. “They’re (the youth) are positive, they’re focused, they’re driven, they’re excited, they’re having fun. And we just need more love and more of that for our children. It is beautiful, man.”