Building community through basketball

As Lenard Monkman started his high school years, he struggled to stay out of trouble. By the time he graduated, he was partying too hard, selling drugs in Winnipeg's North End, and rebelling against authority at every chance he got.

But there was always one thing that kept him from going too far: basketball.

"Smoking weed, getting high, drinking [...] petty crimes, gangs all around," said Monkman. "Basketball was the one thing that took me away from everything - no matter what I was going through in my life."

Today, Lenard is a basketball coach, community advocate - and the guy behind the 100 Basketballs project.

Hear his story by pressing the 'listen' button above.