Sophomore Dondrea Tillman was destined to be a basketball player, like his father Benjamin Tillman, who was a former college basketball player at University of North Carolina Asheville. Tillman was a hard worker, which he relayed to Dondrea Tillman. Tillman would spend hours in the gym with his son, working on his shot until Dondrea Tillman became “one of our most consistent shooters,” according to Mr. Daryl Wieland, a family friend of the Tillmans who also coached Dondrea Tillman multiple times in various sports. Tillman was passionate about sports and an involved parent.

“[My dad] taught me everything I know about basketball. He was always a sideline coach; before every game, he would tell me go and do my thing,” said Dondrea Tillman.

“He [Tillman] was at every practice and game.  He was a big fan of youth sports and enjoyed watching the teams play.  He knew the game of basketball and would share with me his thoughts now and again,” said Wieland.

Through Tillman’s life, whether it was teaching Dondrea Tillman the basics of basketball or shouting tips from the sidelines, his father had always been by his side, until his unfortunate passing last spring after a battle with lung cancer. Immediately after Tillman’s passing, Wieland began thinking of a way to honor his friend’s memory.

“[After] Ben passed, my son Jay [sophomore] and I were talking about how we could remember Ben and that’s when we thought it would be great to dedicate a basketball tournament to him,” said Wieland.

A memorial tournament was held for Tillman late last year. The Ben Tillman Memorial Tournament was open to all Loudoun County middle school travel basketball teams. The tournament consisted of twenty three teams spread over four divisions: sixth grade boys, seventh grade boys, eighth grade boys, and one girls division.

Aside from being a passionate youth sports fan, Tillman was a useful spectator to Wieland. Tillman would often relay advice and tips on the game of basketball to Wieland as well as his son, Jay.

“[Tillman] also knew a lot of the players around the county, so he was a good resource I talked to in order to get some insights,” said Wieland.

True to Tillman’s nature, the tournament served an alternate purpose aside from helping to remember Tillman. Wieland found that game intensity was difficult to replicate during preseason practices for the middle school team.

“The year before I coached the sixth grade River Bend [Middle School] travel team, there was a pre-season tournament for the travel teams to see what they had and try different combinations, which made for a better regular season,” said Wieland.

After that tournament ended, Wieland saw the need for a preseason tournament. The preseason duels gave all the middle school coaches a chance to see their competition and figure their own teams out, something that Tillman enjoyed doing. The preseason clash was a “win-win” for all involved. Aside from preserving Tillman’s memory through a game he loved and teams gaining a preview of their competition, the tournament had another lasting impact. All of the proceeds from the tournament went to Tillman’s wife to help their children’s college funds. A total of $6,000 will go towards Marqise Tillman’s current college funds and Dondrea Tillman’s educational endeavors.

“My family was excited and very grateful for [the tournament]. Mr. Wieland is a close friend [to us],” said Dondrea Tillman.

The championships for each division were played on Potomac Falls High School’s main gym floor. The sixth grade boys division champions were River Bend’s own sixth grade travel team. As the team donned their prizes, light blue Nike DriFit shirts with the tournament logo across the chest, their faces lit up with honor. This built up anticipation for next year’s tournament.

“The kids were wearing them walking out of the gym with pride.  We expect that will get others excited for next year as they see their rivals wearing these shirts,” said Wieland.

As Wieland has made plans for the upcoming year, the players, coaches, and parents look forward to next year’s tournament, although acquiring gym space may be a problem, as many teams want to participate.

“We plan to run the tournament next year and for the foreseeable future.  We were told that we may be a victim of our own success as getting gym space is very difficult in the county for a tournament,” said Wieland.

The prospect of too many teams wanting to play may be a challenge for next year’s tournament, but it should be embraced. The tournament will continue to preserve Tillman’s memory and help pay for a possible college career, like his father’s, that could approach for Dondrea Tillman.