An ex-military man and single father of four daughters, McMillan experienced firsthand what discipline, tough love and athletics had done for him and his family. He decided to return the favor by becoming a coach: baseball, basketball, recreation leagues, AAU, you name it.

McMillan understands that the bottom line is not about wins and losses but the life skills lessons taught along the way.

McMillan, and dedicated others like him, are the difference makers in keeping the Durham Bull Youth Athletic League alive and kicking. The Little League for Durham's inner-city kids began its 13th season last weekend at Long Meadow Field of Dreams Park and Scarborough Field on Liberty Street in Durham. Sponsored by Durham Bulls baseball, the league has introduced the game to thousands of at-risk kids over the years.

McMillan, who's been with the DBYAL since the beginning, coaches 5- and 6-year-olds. That's the age most activists say is crucial in the mentoring process.

"If you can get them at 3, you need to get them," said McMillan, who also works at the Durham Department of Veteran Affairs. "I'm a firm believer in sports because it worked for me. I was a little knucklehead, but athletics kept me from getting in trouble."

Twenty-two teams comprised of kids ages 5 to 12 will play every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through June. (Durham Parks & Recreation runs the league for teenagers.) The DBYAL is also Cal Ripken sanctioned, which means coaches must be certified under Babe Ruth rules; players can qualify for an all-star team; and teams can compete for the Little League World Series.

The engine that makes this monster machine run is Herb Sellers, a former Durham Department of Parks and Recreation employee. Sellers co-founded the league in 1997 when it was called the Bull City Baseball Association after a merger between the South Durham Youth Athletic League and the Durham Bulls Baseball League.

It's Sellers' passion, drive and love for the kids that keep coaches and staff coming back year after year. But you'll never get him to admit it. Humble, and a man of few words when it comes to accolades, Sellers is all about providing for "his kids." It takes others to speak on his behalf.

"Herb has always been able to disregard the negative [from other people] and keep the league going," said longtime friend Virginia Cross-Shahid who's now the league's secretary. "He has made it worthwhile. Just to hear him talk about the children and what he wants for them, you can't help but feel it yourself."

Cross-Shahid's grandson, Karim Wando, 8, is in his second season with the league; it's already made a difference.

"He's done so well with it -- learned how to score and play well with others; there's a lot of structure," Karim's mother, Kristen, said. "I didn't realize how much of an impact it would make."

Although the league was formed for Durham's at-risk kids, which usually means inner-city and minority, Cross-Shahid says it's time to change that brand of thinking. She makes a valid point.

"In this day and age, any kid is at risk for something," she said. "We need to touch as many kids' lives positively as can possibly happen."

For more information about the DBYAL, visit www.dbyal.webs.com