You’ve got to answer if God has placed a calling on your life.

So believes Chris Crumpler.

The father-of-two recently quit his job as head of the non-profit organisation Team Street Safe, in order to fulfil his calling as a youth mentor.

As with all things in his life, he says the decision was led by God.

“I was in prayer about what direction I should take in my career and have always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” Mr Crumpler said.

“At first I didn’t know what decision to make because I have a family and you try not to rock the boat when you have children, as far as your livelihood, income and job, but I was so ready to try all these things God had placed on my heart.”

Mr Crumpler worked as an educational therapist in Bermuda’s public schools for seven years.

He serves as a youth director for the Bermuda National Youth Basketball programme.

In total, he estimates he has worked with close to 700 young people.

He recently launched www.chriscrumpler.com and will host a variety of events and programmes designed to “motivate, inspire and change lives”.

His first experience as a mentor came while he was a sophomore in college.

Then a part of the Florida-based chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mr Crumpler was matched with a nine-year-old in dire need of some help in school.

At first they spent their time reading and doing homework, but the State of Florida eventually gave Mr Crumpler partial custody of the child.

“I was just 21,” he said of the experience.

“Kirk was living in the projects and his mom was just 26 years old, unemployed and had five children.

“I started picking him up on the weekends and we would hang out and talk. He would go everywhere with me. He was the ballboy of our home games at Flagler College, where I was playing on a basketball scholarship, and he’d come along with me to church and help out in Sunday school. We still keep in touch to this day through Facebook.”

That experience planted a seed in Mr Crumpler’s life.

He felt another push to become a full-time mentor recently while working with two promising young basketball players — Kieron Burgess and Te’Jour Riley.

Mr Burgess had given up on his dream of playing college basketball and was working at MarketPlace when Mr Crumpler came up with an idea to get the youngster back on track. He got Mr Burgess to meet him at his house each weekday at 6am so they could read the Bible, pray and practice basketball.

Word got out about his efforts and Mr Riley soon came to join them.

Both young men are currently playing college basketball in the United States. (See separate story on Page 11 for more details.)

Mr Crumpler believes his success with youth boils down to being able to relate to them.

He was adopted at three months and found solace in sports, particularly basketball.

After college he went on to become a professional street ballplayer for SKY, an organisation that uses basketball to teach young people about the value of education and staying drug-free.

He said: “A lot of these young people have a dream and just don’t know how to get it and all they need is someone to help them get there.

“I’m glad to be in this position to change lives. I’m also grateful to have a wife [Nicole] who has supported me. My biggest secret in life, I always tell people, is two things: God and my wife. They allow me to function the way that I do.”

Mr Crumpler will host a six-week empowerment series for boys aged 13 to 18 starting next week. He said it’s particularly for young people dealing with peer pressure, identity or empowerment issues or problems with self-esteem.

“We are going to be providing some resources and some tools to not only empower, but equip them so that they don’t have to give into peer pressure around them,” he explained.

“Once it’s over I want to see them leave with a plan, resources, a spirit of empowerment and the will to do.

“I’m excited because I know that we can provide that for them.”

Mr Crumpler continued: “This is what I do and the gift that God has given me and I am using it, so I’m also excited about that.”

The sessions will take place in the games room at SMASH Table Tennis Recreation Centre in Hamilton.

As part of the course, Mr Crumpler will speak about the struggles he’s overcome and what it’s like to be a student athlete. The young men will then discuss the topics in groups and on a one-to-one basis.

“The goal is to help them open up to the possibilities and show them how they can achieve what they want despite their circumstances and resources,” he said.

“The real power to succeed in life resides in them, so I’m just helping to draw that out.”

Mr Crumpler has also partnered with Lamone Woods to launch a television series called Motivational Moments, starting on November 24.

Each week they will air motivational videos from events he’s held over the past year.

The episodes will appear on CableVision Channel 82 or WOW Channel 103, each Tuesday and Sunday.

For more information visit www.chriscrumpler.com.