Devin Park tapped for Delaware Afro American Sports Hall of Fame

Devin and Darin Park were both first-team all-state basketball selections in 1981. They are the only two brothers in Delaware high school basketball history to be named to the first team in the same year.

Both men will be inducted into the Delaware Afro American Sports Hall of Fame during its annual banquet at 6 p.m., Saturday, April 15, at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover. The Park twins will be inducted alongside 10 other people who have positively impacted the lives of African Americans in Delaware through their participation in athletics. 

Considering it to be his calling, Devin has used basketball to touch the lives of misguided youth, professional athletes and middle schoolers in the Cape community. 

“To me, leadership is influence, and that can be good or bad,” Devin said.

Devin’s background is in education; he is a former teacher and principal. Growing up during the transition from segregation to integration, Devin learned at an early age not to treat people differently due to the color of their skin.

“When I went to school at Claymont High, I was able to experience and embrace every kind of people,” Devin said.

He and his wife Cordi bring that philosophy to the Teen Leaders Program at the Sussex Family YMCA in Rehoboth Beach. During the classes, they ensure everyone is treated with respect.

“We try to implement the core values of the Y, which are: responsibility, honesty, respect and character,” Cordi said.

The leadership class runs Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. In the summer, it transforms into a five-hour program four days per week. Devin also facilitates Monday night basketball lessons and games focusing on fundamentals. 

During the March 21 leadership class, Cordi asked kids to imagine what an apex athlete, musician or performer would tell themselves before a big game or concert, and the eagerness to participate was evident. A couple of students imagined themselves as Stephen Curry or Luka Dončić prepping for a big Game 7. Cordi followed up by asking students to write down their accomplishments and achievements. The goals were to boost students' self-esteem and lift their confidence based on specific evidence of things to be proud about.

Devin and Cordi notice the ripple effect confidence can have on their students not only in their day-to-day lives, but also in their future outlook.

The Parks said their focus is to get kids to believe they can be someone or do something positive with their lives. Devin said sometimes the most difficult connections can be between parents and their children. By providing positive reinforcement and lessons outside the home, the program might be able to reach kids in ways parents could struggle with. 

Devin said they do not shy away from tough subjects. Racism is still prevalent in today’s society, and the Parks ask their students how certain interactions driven by prejudice make them feel. He said the kids are honest, and he often uses their input to remind the group how anyone would feel being disrespected because of their skin color or other difference. 

“These kids know from day one, hatred will not be tolerated. Any kind of prejudice will not be tolerated. We’re one big family,” Devin said.

Sports has been called the great equalizer for the way it brings people together. Devin said his basketball career allowed him to experience all kinds of cultures. It taught him the value of teamwork and respect for others.

Passing up an opportunity to play basketball overseas following college, Devin remained near Wilmington to care for his father, who had developed lung cancer. He began coaching at St. Gabriel’s Hall, with students who had been kicked out of public school and put in boarding school for 12 months. When he took over, the only teams the school played were from juvenile detention centers. Twelve years later, the school had eight championships, no longer played the detention centers, and sent more kids to college than Simon Gratz High School the year Gratz was No. 1 in the country. 

Devin said the thing he is most proud of during his tenure at St. Gabriel’s was the number of kids he helped send to college. 

“One of my old pastors told me that every kid wants to not only be accepted but to be successful,” Devin said.

Devin and Cordi maintain that philosophy in their teachings. During his coaching career, Devin said he’s never had a player get a technical foul, he’s won multiple awards for sportsmanship and his teams were praised for their efforts during blowout losses. He also emphasized academics, not allowing participation if an athlete could not maintain a C average. 

Growing up in a rough area, the Park twins benefited from their parents’ leadership, and sports helped define Devin’s character.

“Anybody can act right when things are going right; it’s how you respond to adversity,” he said. “Sports helped me respond to adversity in my own life.”

Devin and Darin were smaller than other high school players, but they didn’t let that limit their goals. The induction means so much to Devin because he and his brother are leaving a legacy, and they overcame peer pressure and critics to achieve it. 

Devin’s love for basketball has put him in touch with some iconic sports figures, including the late Daryl Dawkins, the first NBA player drafted right out of high school. Perhaps as a result of earning big money at a young age and not knowing how to manage it, Dawkins didn’t have much saved up.

Devin’s mission was to get him a job with the Philadelphia 76ers, so he formed a friendship with team owner Joshua Harris that led to Dawkins’ employment. Devin began mentoring other athletes on financial literacy and eventually helped some form foundations to give back to their communities. 

Devin and Cordi are now at a point in their lives when they should retire, but the program has extended their time in the workforce. 

“We are going to be here for a while because we don’t look at it as a job; it’s more like our calling,” Devin said.

Tickets for the Delaware Afro American Sports Hall of Fame banquet are $50, and must be purchased in advance. Sussex County residents interested in tickets should contact Clemon Jordan at 302-539-5050. Besides his brother Darin, others to be honored include James Alderman, Ronald R. Allen, Leonard R. Chasanov, Carmen R. Hardcastle, Michael C. Harris, Charles E. Hope, Roderick L. Milstead Jr., Tamara L. Stoner, Marcus Trammell and Adolphus E. Ward.

The Teen Leaders program is free for children 12-16 years old. Anyone interested in the summer camp running June 26 to Aug. 18 can register at ymcade.org/locations/sussex-ymca/camp.