Athletics
Sports create confidence, discipline, teamwork, and consistency — the raw material every future is built from.
See it in action501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Lewiston/Auburn, Maine
Building The Workforce Of Tomorrow.
Connecting young people with opportunity through sports, mentorship, education, and community.
LiveLVA Action
Basketball is the first doorway
On The Ground · Lewiston/Auburn, Maine
Real Kids. Real Coaches. Real Mornings In The Gym.
Everything on this page started with people showing up for each other on a court in Maine. These are ours.
150+ young people · Founded 2025 · Still growing
The Framework We Build On
HOPE — Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences
HOPE shifts how we look at young people — away from measuring only risk and adversity, and toward the positive experiences that help every child grow into a thriving adult.
A framework from the HOPE National Resource Center at Tufts Medical Center.
The Four Building Blocks
We didn’t bolt this on. Every program we run exists to put one of these four within reach of a young person in Lewiston/Auburn.
- 01
Relationships
Safe and supportive relationships within the family, and with other children and adults.
L.V.A. coaches who show up every week, and one-to-one mentor matches with adults who stay.
See the program - 02
Environment
Safe, equitable, and stable environments where children can live, learn, and play.
The L.V.A. — a safe, competitive place to be all season, open to every young person in Lewiston/Auburn.
See the program - 03
Engagement
Opportunities for social and civic engagement that build belonging and connectedness.
Community service, events, and youth-led local projects — leadership practised in public.
See the program - 04
Emotional Growth
Opportunities for emotional growth, where children feel supported through difficult events and emotions.
Leadership workshops, goal setting, and coaches who talk about more than the scoreboard.
See the program
The Challenge
Thousands of young people don't know where their careers begin.
Local businesses struggle to find reliable young workers.
Communities need stronger pathways between education and employment.
Great Falls Youth Corp exists to
Our Mission
More Than A Program. A Pathway.
One continuous line from a first practice to a first career — walk it step by step.
- Discover
01Find the door. For most of our youth, it looks like a basketball court.
- Compete
02Learn what showing up — every day, on time, ready — actually takes.
- Learn
03Life skills, study habits, financial basics, real-world readiness.
- Lead
04Captain a team. Run a drill. Look out for a rookie.
- Work
05Interviews, internships, certifications, first paychecks.
- Give Back
06Return as the mentor you once needed.
Then the line starts again — with you as the mentor.
The Method
How We Build Futures
Four load-bearing walls. Every young person we serve stands on all four.
Mentorship
Positive role models provide guidance and accountability, one relationship at a time.
Workforce Development
Resume building, interview skills, certifications, and career readiness — taught like a playbook.
EmploymentThe Payoff
The payoff: connecting prepared young people with local businesses ready to hire them.
Our Flagship Program
Limitless Value Association
Founded in 2025, the L.V.A. is a basketball league run like the pros — stats, interviews, highlight reels, livestreams — that quietly doubles as a leadership school. Basketball is not the purpose. It’s the doorway.
150+ playersFounded 2025Players from across Maine
Community Basketball
LVA Game Day
Youth Training
Team Building
Court Sessions
LVA Founders
LVA Action
Coaching
Basketball is where relationships begin. Everything else grows from there.
Athlete
Leader
Volunteer
Professional
“Basketball was just the door. Opportunity was always the destination.”
— Yasin “Yasmo” Mohamud, LVA Founder
The Journey
Nine Milestones. One Line.
Every young person draws it at their own pace. This is the route we help them follow.
- 1
Join L.V.A.
Walk through the first doorway — the court.
- 2
Meet A Mentor
Someone who shows up for you, on and off the floor.
- 3
Community Service
Discover what it feels like to be needed.
- 4
Leadership Training
Learn to run the huddle, not just play in it.
- 5
Career Exploration
Visit real workplaces. Meet real professionals.
- 6
Internship
First badge. First desk. First site.
- 7
First Job
A paycheck earned with skills you built here.
- 8
College Or Career
The pathway forks — both directions lead forward.
- 9
Mentor The Next Generation
The line comes full circle.
Then it starts over —
For Businesses
Build Your Future Workforce.
The dependable young workers you can’t find are already here — they’re just still on the court. Drag the line and look again.
Tomorrow
Today
Drag the seam
PartnerMentorSponsorHireProvide Internships
Community Impact
Measured In People.
0+
Players Reached
0+
Years
Coaching Experience
0+
Years
Community Experience
2025
LVA Founded
Every number above is a real person from Lewiston/Auburn and beyond — and this sheet is only the first draft.
Stories
Transformation,
The FounderYasin "Yasmo" Mohamud
AthleteFounderCommissioner
His friends had nowhere to play through a cold Maine winter — so he built a league from scratch. 150+ players later, it became a movement.
Read the full story“Basketball was just the door. Opportunity was always the destination.”
The BuilderSteve Milks
D1 Athlete25-Year CoachCity Councilor
From the Cornell football field to 25 years of coaching to three terms on the Auburn City Council — a career spent building people.
Read the full story
The ProofWol Maiwen
D1 PlayerEntrepreneurAmbassador
A Division 1 court taught him discipline. Business taught him opportunity. Now he shows young people the path runs further than they think.
Read the full storyGovernanceOne Board.
One Board.
Many Nations.
Our leadership is proudly connected across American, Somali, South Sudanese, Chinese, Canadian, and Swedish communities — a board as diverse as the young people we serve.
United StatesSomaliaSouth SudanChinaCanadaSweden
Select a member to read their full biography on the leadership page.
Get Involved
Four Doors. All Open.
Whoever you are, there’s a doorway into this work with your name on it.
Every Future Starts
Help us build stronger communities by investing in the next generation — starting right here in Lewiston/Auburn.