Driven by a personal tragedy and a vow to help combat violence in the community, Nigel Harvey founded a basketball league with a mission that goes beyond the court. 

Harvey is the founder and commissioner of Cream Skills Inc., also known as the Cream Skills Basketball Association, which is one of the city’s largest summer basketball leagues. 

The league has returned for its eighth season with a new home: Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Downtown campus. Its primary goal is to help Milwaukee’s youths develop entrepreneurship skills through sports, while also teaching them life skills, among other things.

Harvey formed the league in 2016 with the vision of promoting basketball excellence and fostering a sense of community in the aftermath of his best friend’s tragic death as a result of violence.

“What motivated me was in 2008, my best friend was murdered right after playing basketball with neighborhood youth, and that really struck my heart,” Harvey said. “It really made me look for solutions. I was tired of the same situation, the same scenario – the Black-on-Black violence was getting to me.”

At his friend’s funeral, Harvey promised his friend’s mother he would do something positive for the community.

“I just didn’t know what it was going to be. And then, eight years later, the idea came into rotation, and Cream Skills was born,’’ said Harvey.

Partnering with MATC

According to its website, Cream Skills provides a weekly training program in collaboration with Milwaukee Area Technical College, or MATC, with the goal of improving youths off the court.

In addition to basketball, the 11-week, co-ed league teaches young people financial literacy, health, fitness and other skills, with the primary goal of showing them how to run their own businesses.

Harvey explained why partnering with MATC was a crucial factor for his league.

“Well, I chose MATC because of the academic aspect and the fact that I wanted my league to offer more than just basketball,” Harvey said. “I thought education was the best option, and why not the school that I graduated from?”

Armen Hadjinian, lead entrepreneurship instructor for Cream Skills, emphasized the importance of networking and increasing opportunities for young athletes through MATC’s Milwaukee campus.

His role is to educate students on the significance of college and life skills beyond the basketball court.

“Well, I think what’s great about it is that the students are exposed to college and its numerous majors, said Hadjinian, who is coordinator and instructor for MATC’s entrepreneurship program.

"These are my brothers"

Dwayne Gray, a high school senior who plays for Cream Skills, said that being a part of the program has helped him understand the meaning of unity and what it takes to be a cohesive and supportive team member.

“They found me a place to practice and it helped me character-wise during the training sessions. It helped me stay focused on my team and not be down, always remembering these are my brothers,” said Gray.

Preparing students for college

Hadjinian said the fact that MATC has about 180 majors that Cream Skills students can explore, whether academic or vocational, helps them to be better prepared for college. 

“There are many options here, and I believe it’s important for them to at least get into the building and familiarize themselves because, when they graduate, they will already have that orientation,” he said.

Hadjinian also highlighted what sets their program apart from other basketball leagues.

“Well, the major difference is that we focus on both life skills and academics, whereas other leagues are solely focused on winning,” he said.

Community support

Hadjinian noted that the league is free to players in the Milwaukee area.

“There’s no charge to the players for anything. This is quite unique,” said Hadjinian.

Cream Skills could not provide free programming to young people without community support, he said. 

“The other thing we have is support from local businesses, including a number of Black-owned businesses, which help cover the costs of uniforms and other expenses,’’ said Hadjinian.

For more information about Cream Skills, check out its website here.