Building Community Beyond the Game: The Story of Crew Life Foundation

By La’Crystele Brown
FWIS Contributing Writer

In the heart of Fort Wayne, Indiana, a movement is reshaping how youth are guided, supported, and inspired. At the center of it is Rapheal Davis, former Purdue basketball star and the founder and CEO of the Crew Life Foundation. What began as a nickname for a high school friend group has since evolved into a mission-driven organization grounded in four powerful pillars: Community, Responsibility, Education, and Will.

Rapheal Davis didn’t set out to become a community leader. Growing up with his siblings under the roof of both parents, his father a police officer, his mother a full-time homemaker—he still witnessed how easy it was to lose your way, even in a structured household. “Even though we were all in the same place, if you don’t have outside guidance, you can still fall into the trap,” Davis shared. He saw this firsthand when his older brother ended up incarcerated, not for lack of love at home, but for lack of consistent mentorship and broader exposure. The understanding that proximity doesn’t equal protection helped shape the vision for Crew Life.

Davis’s introduction to organized sports began with football through Metro Youth Sports, but basketball soon became his main path. From a young age, he was exposed to environments many of his peers never saw, such as NBA workouts, suburban teammates, and prep schools that showed him what life could be outside his neighborhood. He realized it wasn’t just talent that changed his trajectory; it was the guidance, exposure, and mentors who helped him navigate. That exposure was a gift, and it’s one he now aims to give back through Crew Life.

The foundation’s mission is simple in theory but powerful in execution: give kids a chance to see beyond their circumstances, to understand they have options, and to ensure those options don’t rely solely on sports. “You might not make it to the NBA—but you could still live a great life through sports,” Davis explained. “There are coaches, general managers, team presidents, marketing directors who’ve never picked up a ball.. You can be in the game without being in the game.”

Using basketball as the hook, Crew Life opens doors for youth to explore opportunities far beyond the court. Programs include financial literacy classes, college tours, career exposure trips, and life skills camps. Participants sign up for basketball—but they leave with budgeting skills, confidence in public speaking, and visions of future careers that go well beyond athletics.

But Crew Life’s work doesn’t end with students. The foundation has grown into a true community hub. They provide groceries to single mothers, holiday food drives, free school supplies, haircuts, and—perhaps most importantly—unwavering emotional support. Davis and his team have made themselves visible and accessible, often serving kids who have lost parents, have incarcerated family members, or simply need someone who sees them.

Using familiar names and relationships from the neighborhood, Davis creates bridges of trust. Kids like “Poppy” know that when Davis shows up to Weisser Park they can get a meal, a conversation, or just some encouragement. “Some kids just need someone they can lean on, who they know they don’t owe anything to,” he said.

It’s not just about kids, though. Crew Life also recognizes the value in empowering those around them. “If we could get all our people together, kids could see that it’s just as rewarding to be middle-class professionals—plumbers, barbers, nurses, mechanics—then our communities could change,” Davis said. “It’s not just about creating the next NBA player. It’s about showing kids that a full life exists in a lot of forms.”

And the name? “The Crew” started as a group of high school friends, but it now holds a deeper meaning. Crew stands for Community, Responsibility, Education, and Will—values Davis and his peers developed through their own journeys. “Back then, everyone had their name for their clique—The Mob, 103, whatever. But a lot of those stories ended in tragedy. We wanted to take something from our youth and turn it into something positive.”

Today, Crew Life is recognized not just for the kids it serves, but also for how it serves them. The mentors and volunteers Davis brings into the fold reflect the same values he lives by: consistency, professionalism, and heart.”You have to want to be here and show up for these kids, they need us,” Davis said. “Some of our best mentors are guys who’ve been to prison, because they care. They show up. And they’ve been through it.”

When asked what really defines Crew Life, Davis doesn’t hesitate: “It’s about showing kids choices. Because once you show them, you give them the power to decide who they want to be.”

When asked what advice he has for other looking to start a business or foundation Davis said, “Just do it! Don’t worry about your fears and what you do or don’t have, just show up everyday, and keep showing up even when others can’t see what you see. It’ll all work out in the end as long as you don’t give up.”

Crew Life’s Youth Summer Program will be held at McMillen Park free of charge, for 1st-8th grade boys and girls. The program will begin on June 10th and end on July 3rd. Visit www.raphealdavisbasketball.com for more information about this program as well as other Crew Life programs and events.

If you are interested in volunteering, mentoring, or collaborating you can use the contact tool on the website, reach out to Davis on social media, or simply just show up to the event you’d like to assist with and find Davis or another team member in a Crew Life shirt.

With basketball as a tool, but not the goal, Crew Life Foundation is cultivating leaders, reshaping narratives, and reminding the youth of Fort Wayne that they don’t have to leave home to find hope. They just need someone to show them it’s already here.