BASKETBALL ACADEMY HISTORY

High school athletes can always inspire the fans and do their best to garner a win for the home team, but when the talents of young athletes are taken advantage of, there is a problem. In the mid-90s a number of basketball tournaments were organized around the athletic talent of Baltimore City Public School (BCPS) students. Many people were disenchanted because tournament promoters were pocketing the funds, leaving the students and the school system with no benefits. The athletes were doing well on the court, but many were not performing well on the SAT exams, not getting scholarships, and not eligible for Division I basketball, due to their academic status. It was time for a change.

In 1995, Bob Wade was the Assistant Director of the Department of Recreation and Parks in Baltimore. The former coach was tired of seeing student athletes being taken advantage of by tournaments, such as the Charm City Classic, which generated funds, but did not support the Baltimore communities. He called upon former Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Walter Amprey, voiced his concerns, and let him know that there was a solution. Wade recommended that Baltimore City start a tournament of its own with an academic component that would ultimately make a difference in the lives of these youth. Dr. Amprey gave him the green light and Wade began forming the committee.

Wade contacted his long-time friend, Dr. Warren Hayman, who over the years had run three academic programs for Wade’s athletes. He helped him secure an athletic study hall at Dunbar High School, and academic camps at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and at the University of Maryland at College Park. At UMBC they formed the Bob Wade Academic Camp.

The duo began calling people in the community that would help them organize the Academy, such as state officials, community leaders and organizations. Once the committee was formed, they approached former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke, who fully supported the concept and helped them find financial support to generate seed money.

In June 1995, the committee hosted two meetings at a Recreation and Parks site, where the original partners – Recreation and Parks, BCPS, and the 100 Black Men of Maryland, Inc. – all met. The wheels were in motion for the first annual event, and subsequently, the 100 Black Men of Maryland agreed to allow the program to use its 501(c)3 status.

Due to Mayor Schmoke’s major commitment to this program, the committee decided to name the program in his honor – the Mayor’s Basketball Academy. From January 9-11, 1997, the Mayor’s Basketball Academy held its inaugural program, offering academic courses, a basketball mixer, cultural enrichment and service learning opportunities to students throughout the region.

At first, high school administrators were not pleased with the program because it took students away from the classroom for two school days. However, through the years, coaches and principals have embraced the program because the academic workshops and cultural enrichment programs have helped their students excel in the classroom and in life. Some of the workshops have included: SAT Prep, Rites of Passage, College Admissions, Health, Computers, Substance Abuse, Banking, and more. The students have also earned service-learning hours by participating in programs at the Delta Head Start Center, the Baer School for Special Needs, senior citizens homes and the Ronald McDonald House.

The Mayor’s Basketball Academy has had some changes over the years. First, the Academy lost support when the new mayor did not fully embrace the program. In 2002, the Bureau of Recreation and Parks withdrew as a partner. At that time, the committee decided to change the name to the existing Basketball Academy.

In addition, the Academy originally brought teams in from New York, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania, which garnered extensive travel and lodging costs. Now, the Academy limits the 20 boys and girls teams to those in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. This includes schools in Baltimore City and the District of Columbia, as well as those in Baltimore, Prince George’s, Harford, Howard, and other surrounding counties. The combination of crossover games between many of the top Baltimore City teams, and highly competitive teams from surrounding counties, has proven successful. Currently, the Basketball Academy has its own 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.

What hasn’t changed is the overarching commitment to the Basketball Academy by the committee, the students, the schools, and community organizations. In 2000, the Baltimore Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. signed on as an official partner of this long-standing program. Plus, a range of companies, including State Farm, HP, Comcast, 92Q, ABC Channel 2, M&T Bank, and many more have sponsored the event. In many cases they’ve not only provided financial support for college scholarships, but they have provided workshops for the students, as well as in-kind services.

Many of the students that have taken part in the Basketball Academy have learned new skills and gone on to college. Scholar athletes are awarded savings bonds for outstanding academic achievement. There is also a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award presented and participating students receive Academy apparel. It’s proven to be a successful program, offering students, administrators, parents, and the greater community more than just a game. When the students soar beyond the hoop, they take a proud community along for the ride. The Basketball Academy has proven that Athletics + Academics = A Win/Win Combination.