We had the good fortune of connecting with Darius Westmoreland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Darius, what do you attribute your success to?
I believe the most important factor behind the success of my business is the authenticity that it is founded on, and how that authenticity permeates throughout the organization.
SkyWest is founded on brotherhood. This concept of brotherhood began over 15 years ago when Ski took me under his wing and treated me like his little brother. He kept me out of trouble and gave me mentorship and guidance. Now, all these years later, we founded Skywest on the same principals of brotherhood, showing each and every person in our organization authentic care and support.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started working in the film industry in 2018. I have been blessed to work on numerous shows and Films such as Walking Dead, Sunday Best, Young Rock, Heels, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, and more. Also in 2018 my best friend and business partner Schulyer Neely started Restoration Community Basketball League. This league was an attempt to bring young men closer to God and to help have a positive affect on their lives overall. We utilized my background in film to create high quality media surrounding the league. This made the league appealing to all levels of talent. In 2021 we went into full business with this league, and SkyWest Sports Academy was born. The name is a mash=up of Schulyer aka Ski (pronounced Sky) and the first part of my last name West (Westmoreland).
As stated earlier, we pride ourselves on the authenticity of Brotherhood and that sets us apart. What also sets us apart is our product. We basically provide an NBA experience for the community. Our program includes: Try-outs, Draft, Media Day, Full Regular season, All-Star Weekend, Playoffs, Championship. and Awards Ceremony. We also host a weekly show, that talks about games, stats, rivalries, Top 10, etc.
We have become very successful as we have become one of the top leagues in the city. It was not easy to get to this point. We have faced a lot of competition along the way. We even had issues getting guys to show up to games if they had another game in rival leagues at the same time. We’ve also had instances where people have wanted us to abandon our formula and operate more like other leagues. However, we stuck to the way God gave us to run the league and we have experienced great success.
We want the world to know that every week at SkyWest we are breaking stereotypes, coming together in high-level semi-pro competition, and building a culture of men that will be equipped to lead our community into the future.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The funny thing is, I don’t go out a whole lot. However, I would definitely recommend the Battery in Atlanta. They have a lot of interesting things there, Such as the Braves Stadium, Silverspot theater, Sandbox VR and more.
There are also other fun things we’d do here, such as Hawks games, Falcons games, Ipic Theater.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to shout out my business partner, Schulyer (Ski) Neely. He is the Co-Founder of SkyWest, and this company would not exist or continue to thrive without him.

I also have to shout out my parents. I would not be where I am without them! They have created so many environments for my gifts and creativity to develop. I would not be who I am without them.

Also, I have to shout out my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without him, I am nothing! He has been guiding my steps and opening doors. His favor truly follows me everywhere that I go.

Website: https://www.skywest-basketball.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skywest_basketball?igsh=MTRpc3BhdmF1eHU4dw==

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWestBasketball

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