- Those are all things we kind of elaborated on.
You know, every day you leave the house,
don't just be a good guy in front of me.
You know, be a good guy when I turn my back.
I'm Will Green.
I'm the founder and executive director of Mentoring Positives.
[upbeat electronic music]
This is a mentoring program that I started
in Madison in 2004.
We work with kids from a socio-emotional standpoint
to help them be successful adults.
We primarily serve the Darbo-Worthington neighborhood.
Darbo's been one of Madison's
longest-running challenged neighborhoods,
drugs,
not having a lot of resources, right here.
But these are good kids. They're in conflict.
That's what we do, is grab 'em and say there's another way.
- Hi, everyone! - How you-all doing?
- Y'all seniors, right?
So y'all gotta make sure y'all get here,
'cause it's not about one, two people.
It's about everybody. Y'all bring it in, man.
One, two, three! - Students: Lancers!
- All right, good, everybody find a partner.
I'm the head coach at Madison La Follette
for the girls' varsity basketball team.
The one bounce is defense,
and then the next one is like Foot Fire.
Okay, you ready?
[cheering and clapping] Yeeaaahhh. - Girls: Defense!
- I teach a lot of life skills through the game of basketball:
perseverance, working hard, teamwork,
being a good person outside the basketball court.
[soft guitar music]
Man, basketball to me when I was growing up,
I just loved to do it.
I had a great coach that taught me the fundamentals
at a very early age, and
I started to build this confidence in myself,
which I wasn't a very confident guy.
I went to play at UW-Eau Claire.
Led the team at three-point shooting,
free throw shooting, assists, steals.
- Becky Green: I was a freshman and he transferred there as a junior.
I was a cheerleader at the university...
[chuckles] ...while he played basketball.
- Will Green: We got married August 2002.
And, I got to dance with my mom, my first dance.
[soft piano music]
She had me when she was 14.
I never had a father, so I was a "mama's boy."
She was a very caring person.
The loudest person at my games.
She taught me how to take care of myself
and I love her for that.
My mom was dealing with breast cancer.
By January 2003, she was bed-ridden
and she passed away that year.
I thought how could--
You know, you go back to regular life
with this loss.
It just pushed me over the edge
to start a mentoring program.
Her name was Muriel Pipkins
and for me to give back and honor her name,
I took the "M" and the "P" and I created "Mentoring Positives."
[kids chattering, bouncing balls]
Oh, you gotta keep moving.
Oh, okay, Ralphie.
Good pass!
At Mentoring Positives,
I use basketball as a hook.
[upbeat music]
They all think they're going to the NBA.
I don't crush that dream, but they got a better chance at being a doctor or a lawyer.
And so, I just use that as a platform.
Play some D, arm's length!
A lot of these kids should be playing for a high school team.
They just may not make the team because their grades,
they get in trouble, for whatever reason.
So, I'm taking 'em out to have games outside of the community.
So, we'll go to the Dells, to Rockford.
I wanna provide that atmosphere for them
of being a part of a team and being out there,
'cause I know how big that is.
You know, I'm just wondering what y'all thinking
about y'all future?
What do you think that's gonna look like?
- My plan is to go to Ohio State University
for marketing and business, 'cause over there they'll have--
- Will: It is so valuable to have a mentor
to bounce stuff off of, get advice from,
and really have somebody for guidance in your life.
- CJ: Will Green.
If you ever need somebody to talk to,
that's like the person to go to.
Before we get ready to hoop, he'll be like,
"Basketball is cool and all, but there's more to it.
"I'm, like, evolving you guys as young men."
- Will: Okay, let's get one!
- Rapheal Ragland: My father wasn't always there
and that was one of his main things about not having a father
and what could we do to still succeed
without having there father and be there for our kids?
That was one of the biggest lessons that I took.
[inspirational piano music]
- Becky Green: Especially the kids that we work with,
they see that he's genuine.
They know when people care or not, and Will cares.
He allows them to see him.
To really see who he is.
- Will: Kids wanna be a part of community, because we all do.
It's inside of us to be accepted and wanted,
and it's on us to make them feel valued and seen.
Every kid I'm working with
is one caring adult from being a successful adult.
I've always felt like I've had an angel looking over me.
My mom, I think she would be...
...so proud of what we've done.
Every day I push the love that she had for us
to all kids and families.
They're yearning to be a part of a community
and we're gonna give 'em that.