Douglass Community Sports (also known as DC Sports) is an all-volunteer registered non-profit based in Plano, Texas. They operate under AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) within Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri Kansas, and Washington. DC Sports' mission is to enrich and build character within kids through athletics. DC Sports offers a variety of sports year-round, including some seasonal sports. Levels of play start at recreational and go up to Elite. The coaches are all volunteers and believe in giving back to the communities they serve. The coaches, parents, and kids are the reason why DC Sports believes to have been so successful in their programs. They are able to provide the highest level of coaching while keeping dues prices the lowest in the business. DC Sports partners with the communities that they serve.
The History of DC Sports
DC Sports is the combination of DC Kings (boys) and DC Queens (Girls). The “Kings” date back to the ’90s while the Queens have been in existence since the early 2000s. The mission of DC Sports has always been to help underprivileged kids while leaving no child behind. Today, DC Sports serves kids from all walks of life, races, religions, genders, and nationalities. DC Sports prides itself in fulfilling the mission with such a diverse group of teams and coaches. Special coaches, parents, kids, and communities are at the core of their success.
Throughout the years, dedicated volunteers like Coach Jon and Coach Louis created docu-series (small documentaries) to help capture the legacy so that others understand the roots of DC Sports and why they continue to stay committed to cultivating sports in the communities, starting at the historic Douglass Community first.
DC Sports started with a small group of basketball players, inspired by great basketball legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Carl Malone, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (formally known as Chris Jackson). With the world watching great Black athletes, local communities like the Douglass Community was also inspired by the talent it took to be a great athlete. Through disciplined training, constant motivation, and inspiration from team members, mentors, and coaches DC Sports was helping students transition into great players that were starting to become recognized for college recruiting and the opportunity to compete with other teams nationwide.
"People just come up to me and ask me, Coach Jon - What does DC stand for? I tell them Diamond Cut and I keep it moving, but really it's all about the Douglass Community, a neighborhood that was known for when slaves were kept in the early 1800's...that's where it all started from" - Coach Jon
The Growth Process
DC Sports attributes their success to a unique way of running the organization – Success Through Individual Growth, One Player at a Time. With multiple winning streaks in local tournaments, DC Sports quickly became a respected sports organization for their commitment to training, reinforcing sportsmanship on the court, and commitment to their players. (Watch the video: Kids training for upcoming tournaments in Plano)
DC Tournaments
DC Sports and its affiliate Top Gun Tournaments run tournaments in Texas. Tournament sizes range from 200 teams to 40 teams. Regardless of size, the venues are always above average, the referees are some of the best and the completion will be great.
"DC is more than just sports. We're recreating the dinner conversations like picking majors in college, what to focus on, sororities and fraternities. We envision DC Sports operating in more sports and more programs with much larger footprints to equip more communities in the future" - Coach Louis
Exhibit Activities & Questions:
How do sports contribute to society?
How do sports affect American culture?
Who was the first black person in sports?
What are some of the types of sports that DC Sports provides access to athletes?
What are some reasons that sports were important in the black community throughout the decades?
When were blacks allowed professional sports?
Who broke the color barrier in NBA?
Does sport affect our daily living?
How do sports help students?
How do sports affect the local community?
How does physical activity improve your academic performance?
Aside from the skills acquired on the court or field, what other skills do student-athletes learn, and why are those skills important?
Sources:
Coach Jon, DC Sports