How the Long Shots basketball tournament helped two men give back to Des Moines youth
Billy Weathers grew up playing basketball at his grandmother Dorothy's house on Gillette Street by Evelyn K. Davis Park.
He shot hoops alone across the street from his parents' house on 47th Street and Holcomb Avenue in Beaverdale. He hooped in middle and high school when the family later moved to Las Vegas.
Years passed by as he played ball.
Weathers and a group of friends launched Long Shots — a 3-on-3 basketball tournament to help level the playing field between suburban and city kids — in 2020 with the goal of giving kids a better shot at life.
This weekend, Long Shots returns for its fourth edition at Evelyn K. Davis Park in Des Moines. The public event combines food and fellowship as high school kids with a love of basketball compete for citywide bragging rights.
During 2020, two Des Moines basketball lovers bond over life as Black men wanting to do more
When 2020 brought historic marches to Des Moines in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, Weathers joined in. Night after night, hundreds poured out in protest in the streets of Des Moines.
By then, Weathers, now 32, had become a hip-hop recording artist and philanthropist in Des Moines.
As the marches were slowing to a stop, Weathers wanted to do something more. Julian Seay, who had coached AAU ball and is now the North High School basketball coach, felt the same.
“I'm fighting every day, but it looks different, so I was out there just being supportive. Me and Billy met and we was like, ‘Yo, bro, we got to connect,’” Seay recalled of his mindset during the marches.
The pair became fast friends and formed a brotherhood during bike rides and nature walks. They discussed the realities of life as Black men and bonded over an urge to do more, a mutual understanding, and well, basketball.
"I think it's a part of Black culture first and foremost. The team camaraderie, the brotherhood, the sisterhood," Weathers said during a recent interview.
As Des Moines' student athletes get sidelined, Long Shots is born
The Des Moines school board decided the district's students would start the school year virtually in September 2020 amid ongoing safety concerns during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. That violated a state mandate that schools must conduct at least 50% of instruction in person. The state also ruled that Des Moines and other districts conducting instruction virtually had to suspend sports and other activities. Meanwhile, the metro's suburban schools, where students were back in the classroom at least part-time, continued to play.
Against that backdrop, Weathers and Seay dreamt up Long Shots, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament with players from the five Des Moines public high schools: East, North, Lincoln, Hoover and Roosevelt.
"It came as a response to Des Moines Public Schools not being able to participate in fall sports, but all the suburban schools could," Weathers told the Register.
After challenging first year, team irons out its vision for Long Shots
Seay and Weathers were joined in planning the first tournament by Weathers' best friend Taylor Rogers as well as Katelyn Stessman, executive director and co-founder of Weathers' B. Well Foundation.
Issues arose the first year, but it allowed the group to iron out their vision. And for Seay, it felt like a dream job.
"That first year the bracket setup kicked our butts, but we adjusted. We just decided the first year was going to grow us and make it run smoother. It did!" Seay said.
Weathers, Seay and Rogers oversee the brackets, manage courts and focus on basketball. Meanwhile, Stessman serves as a logistical point person — like a basketball point guard — handling city permits and communicating with vendors.
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During the first Long Shots event, North High School boys and girls won. The following year, Roosevelt's boys and girls took all.
Last year, in 2022, Lincoln High School's boys and girls were the last teams standing. Each year, it's been a clean sweep. But for Stessman, watching from behind the scenes, Long Shots is bigger than basketball.
"It's a family-friendly event that they can do stuff at, they can engage with people and watch basketball," she said.
Each metro area school was given a $1,000 award to help with resources at their respective facilities. The B. Well Foundation's website says providing this support helps students learn how to support and care for their own communities as they reach adulthood.
Long Shots 2023: From the pandemic to Evelyn K. Davis Park
On Saturday, Long Shots 2023 will return to Evelyn K. Davis Park, where Weathers played as a kid. This year, dozens of kids will do the same — surrounded by the B.Well Foundation — in the center of their city.
More than 100 student athletes will ball out on city courts as their friends and families watch nearby.
"You build a love for the game. You love to watch people grow," Weathers said.
In the classroom and on the court, Weathers and his team want every kid to have a fair shot.
Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram or reach out at jstahl@gannett.com.
Long Shots 2023 at Evelyn K. Davis Park
Location: Evelyn K. Davis Park; 1400 Forest Ave., Des Moines
Time and date: 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21
On the schedule: At 8:30 a.m. will be a free pancake breakfast before high school teams begin checking in 30 minutes later. At 10 a.m., the 3-on-3 tournament begins. Also in the mix: a community art mural featuring Huxley artist Siriaco "Sircasso" Garcia. At 11 a.m., a free community lunch is to be provided, with a half-time spotlight at noon. The tournament resumes after.
Contact: bwellfoundation.org/longshots
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Long Shots basketball tournament pays it forward for Des Moines schools
