EMU Today

While growing up on Detroit’s east side near McNichols Road and I-75, Marvin Skipper (BS11) dreamed of pursuing a better life for his family by playing basketball professionally. Although health issues ended those ambitions, Skipper has made an impact on more people than he could ever have imagined.

Life wasn’t easy for Skipper, who acted as man of the house for his sister and single mom in a neighborhood, where drugs, crime and poverty are the status quo. Basketball became his escape from street life.

At 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, Skipper excelled in the sport for Detroit Pershing High School. In 2006, Prep Spotlight Magazine named him the top power forward in Michigan, while the Detroit Free Press made him an honorable-mention All-Metro selection. Scouts also noted Skipper’s on-court performance. That’s when his dreams took hold.

“I had aspirations of playing in the NBA,” says Skipper, who turns 30 in May. “I felt I had the talent to make it. Then I’d become the meal ticket for my family. I wanted to help them get out of the ‘hood and find a better life.”

He took a step toward that goal by signing a letter of intent in November 2006 to play for EMU. Then-Eagles Head Basketball Coach Charles Ramsey, who began scouting Skipper when he was in the 8th grade, said he’d bring “added size and strength to the post” for the 2007-08 season.

But Skipper’s lofty hopes came crashing down before he could even take a shot on the Convocation Center court.

In the summer before entering Eastern, Skipper’s doctor referred him to a cardiologist for stress tests and a cardiac catheterization to evaluate some abnormal heart rhythms. The screening was a precaution, Skipper says.

“During my sophomore year at Pershing, I passed out during a basketball practice,” he says. “I thought it was because I hadn’t been eating well. I had a few dizzy spells as a senior. I generally felt fine and had already signed my letter of intent, but my family doctor wanted me to get checked out before going to Eastern.”

Skipper’s heart stopped twice during the catheterization procedure. Doctors reacted quickly to save his life. Later, surgeons installed a defibrillator in Skipper’s chest to keep his heart beating regularly.

While the medical device has helped Skipper maintain good cardiac health, his medical condition snuffed out his chance to play basketball for Eastern and beyond.

The university graciously allowed Skipper to keep his four-year scholarship. He also attended basketball practices and had a team locker as a medical redshirt. But Skipper soon realized he’d have to find a different route to success.

“Basketball was all I had known since I was 6,” he says. “My first couple of years in college were super hard. I had to find myself. I wouldn’t say I was depressed, but definitely in a funk.”

With the support of the Eastern basketball coaching staff, his teammates, and university administrators, advisors and faculty, Skipper earned a bachelor’s in Communications and Media Studies. He assisted with sideline and courtside reports for WEMU during Eastern football and basketball games.

“When basketball ended, my goal became earning a college degree,” Skipper says. “I’m the first person in my immediate family to go to college. I didn’t want that opportunity to slip away. The entire university helped motivate me. People told me everything would be alright.”

Today, Skipper works in Columbus, Ohio as a regional parts and service representative for Fiat Chrysler. His mother and sister moved out of the old neighborhood. But Skipper never forgot the people who remained behind.

“I still wanted to help the people where I grew up,” says Skipper. “I wanted to give them hope. I asked myself, ‘What can I do now that I would have done had I made it to the NBA?’”

In 2015, Skipper founded Youth are Bigger than Life (YABTL), a nonprofit that provides mentorship, academic and financial workshops, and a healthy recreational outlet to kids in Detroit’s inner city. Skipper’s mother, Adrain Caldwell, is a YABTL member.

The organization’s goal is to reduce the Detroit Public Schools dropout rate, help youth avoid gang activities and give kids the skills to build a foundation for future success.

“When I mentor kids, I tell them about my Eastern experiences,” Skipper says. “College was one of the best times of my life. I lived away from home, made new friends and expanded my view of the world. I also made connections that help with networking.”

For the past three years, YABTL has also held a free annual grocery giveaway in December. The nonprofit has engaged sponsors who supply food for the holiday season. Needy families can get turkeys, canned goods and fruits and vegetables at the event, held in the Detroit Pershing parking lot. An annual charity basketball game at Pershing, which Skipper helps organize, also raises funds to purchase food for the giveaway.

“In 2016, we gave food to 200 families,” Skipper says. “That grew to 220 the next year and 275 last December. We didn’t have food drives like this when I was growing up. The Pershing boys basketball team also hands out food at the event. It’s how we teach them the value of giving back.”

Skipper also wants to raise funds to open a recreation center in his old neighborhood.

“The rec center we had closed when I was 10,” he says. “I envision something like a boys and girls club—a place where kids can not only learn the value of teamwork by playing sports, but also learn about responsibility. Kids could come do their homework, learn how to dress for a job interview, or learn the importance of establishing good credit. Informal courses like these can really impact their lives.”

Continuous life improvement drives Skipper, who wants to pursue a side career as a motivational speaker. He shares stories of his own success with the kids he mentors.

“I basically tell them if I can make it, you can make it,” he says. “Cherish and enjoy life. Touch as many people as you can and be a blessing to others.”

Visit youtharebiggerthanlife.com to learn more about the nonprofit organization and how to join them in helping at-risk youth.