When Alvin Storrs realized he was doing something that did not truly make him happy, he decided to put an end to it.

The Grand Valley State University student quit his Laker basketball career and now has his own clothing line.

Through his clothing, Yacht League, Storrs aims to guide individuals to pursue their passions instead of conforming.

“I felt that a lot of people, myself included, do things for the wrong reasons,” he said. “I feel like society holds people back. I wanted to start my clothing line my freshman year, but people told me it would not work. I got to a point where I wanted to do what I wanted and believed in.”

Storrs said he is not a fashion expert, but he creates the ideas and clothing styles in his mind and has others help him with drawing out various designs. Currently, there are seven different short- and long-sleeved T-shirts and sweatshirts under the Yacht League brand. Some of them have motivational phrases written on them, such as, “Never Settle.”

“My passion is expressing how I feel and what I believe in,” he said. “We are working on expanding and would like to eventually have business casual things as well. For now, everything is gender-neutral.”

Storrs works together with his former Laker teammate, James Nelson, who now attends Davenport University.

“Alvin and I have been best friends since 2007,” Nelson said. “We are both involved in the decision-making, event planning, etc. The best thing about working with Yacht League is being part of something positive. It is new and its very innovative; the concepts behind our brand mean a lot and provide a sense of motivation.”

Originally from Northville, Mich., Storrs had been playing basketball since he was 3 years old. He started playing for the Lakers during his freshman year at GVSU, but in recent months the senior decided it was time to call it quits.

“It was a big decision that I made to move on and walk away from basketball,” Storrs said. “I had things going on in my life, and I got to a point where I was really unhappy. I felt like it was something I needed to get away from; it did not coincide with what I wanted to do at the time.”

Storrs was determined to make his passion become a reality.

“The whole team was very supportive,” Storrs said. “The coaches were great, and everybody understood. I still care a lot about those guys on the team, but I did not feel it was fair for me to be on the team when it was not as much of a real passion for me, as it was for the other guys.”

To purchase Yacht League items, visit www.yacht-league.com, or follow the company on Twitter, @yacht_league.

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