Basketball was just the beginning at '804 Coaches 4 Change' tournament

When the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament ended in 2019, it left a hole in the region’s high school basketball holiday break landscape. There was no way to anticipate that after a global pandemic and a national racial reckoning, an organization would rise to not only fill that gap, but accomplish so much more.

For the fourth straight year, 804 Coaches 4 Change, an organization founded in the summer of 2020 when high school and youth sports were at a standstill due to COVID-19, presented its “Community Classic” over three days this week, crowning four champions on Saturday. It is the marquee event from a dedicated group of sport and community leaders who all share in the mission of the nearly five year old nonprofit.

“I can see this is a big deal as far as the Richmond community is involved,” Armstrong High School boys basketball coach Darryl Watts said following the final game of the event. “I can only imagine it’s going to continue to grow. I look forward to it.”

Watts was watching the nationwide unrest following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota late in the spring of 2020. 

He contacted a few fellow coaches, seeking insight on what could be done in the Richmond community to drive home many needed positives in society, especially for youth.

Now, on the cusp of its five-year anniversary this June, 804 Coaches 4 Change has provided not just athletic opportunities, but more importantly, outlets to extend and deepen the conversation with people outside one’s normal circle.

“We do a couple of nights in different communities as far as basketball clinics for young people,” Watts explained. “We’re fellowshipping with pizza at the clinics. We also do Zoom meetings during Black History Month or with Martin Luther King’s birthday to discuss different topics.”

Different schools participate in the virtual town hall meetings, allowing communities normally operating separate from one another to discover more about different people, tearing down stereotypes and earning trust and appreciation.

Watts said that several people who have become trusted board members and advisers in the organization have, because of a discovered shared passion to reach kids before criminal elements do, become closer friends to him than if 804 Coaches 4 Change didn’t exist. It’s much more than two coaches shaking hands after a basketball game.

But the basketball element is important. The Community Classic featured sixteen teams with eight boys and eight girls teams split into four different brackets, called “Change” and “Unity”. All-Tournament teams and MVP awards were handed out, including to Darius Gray of St. Christopher’s boys basketball, winners of the Boys Unity bracket by virtue of their 54-41 win over rival Trinity Episcopal in the nightcap.

Gray scored 57 points over two games, including a victory over previously unbeaten L.C. Bird. Players were sincerely grateful for the opportunity to play high quality opponents at a beautiful new facility, the Henrico Sports and Events Center, located on the former site of Virginia Center Commons. The Center recently celebrated its first anniversary.

Lila Donnelly and Trinity Jones of Monacan girls basketball, winners of the Girls Change bracket, explained their appreciation.

“It’s definitely something you don’t take for granted,” Jones noted. “You get to play really good competition, and get exposure. It’s the experience of being together during holiday break and playing.”

“This organization is great,” Donnelly exclaimed. “We’ve been a part of this tournament for a few years now and I always enjoy playing in it to get the chance to play bigger schools.”

Corporate sponsors were celebrated at the event. Fellow nonprofits had displays lined up behind the baseline. The event provided a microcosm of what 804 Coaches 4 Change does to bring the community together.

The most poignant moment of the final night took place on the hardwood, but didn’t involve a basketball, as Richmond City Police Chief Rick Edwards and Henrico County Chief of Police Eric English stood at center court to thank the community for their support.

They also brought a critical message for all to do their part to prevent gun violence, domestic violence, and to support those going through mental health crises.

“That’s what we encourage everyone to do, to pick someone in your life, get involved, and maintain it,” Edwards said. 

“I just encourage parents, kids, make sure gun safety is important, make sure the guns are locked up, make sure the kids cannot get to them,” English noted. “Because gun violence affects so many more people than just the victim.”

Then, a moment of silence was held to remember victims of violence in our area. Crowd members affected by gun violence held up cell phone lights in the darkened arena.

And, as Edwards and English departed the court surface, two different citizens enthusiastically shared another much needed message.

“Thank you for all you do for our community.”

And that is exactly the type of dialogue that 804 Coaches 4 Change was created for.