Program Details

The Kings began at King Elementary in Des Moines, where Derek Carr, Darien Carr, and Reed Mells built a friendship through basketball at recess—games on the blacktop that quickly drew in more kids.



In 1998, Bates Carr and Ronald Mells formed the team for the Boys & Girls Club league. With no kindergarten division, the Kings played up in first grade and didn’t win a game that first season—an early challenge that shaped the grit, resilience, and community-first culture that still defines the program today.