Founder's Mission

Just when it seemed that Whitney was going nowhere fast, he was inspired by Morgan Wootten, a legendary coach at DeMatha High School in nearby Maryland.  A week long basketball camp at St. John's High School in Washington was a fork in the road for Whitney.  “Coach Wootten taught us that if you want to make something out of your life, you have to do what's right and not follow the crowd,” Whitney said. "Wootten stressed being good on the court and off the court.

He said that for every hour you put on the court, put an hour in the classroom.  I began to realize I wasn't doing right and started to change.  I got hooked on basketball.”

“I didn't hang with the deadbeats anymore.  When I had free time I went to the basketball court.  I had a purpose.  I got good enough to stay out of trouble."  Thirty-nine years after that camp at St. John's, Whitney is banking - literally and figuratively - that his brainchild, Slam Dunk for Life, will have the same powerful influence on the lives of inner-city boys and girls in San Antonio.  Slam Dunk for Life is a series of tuition-free basketball camps for at-risk students in grades 6 through 8.

"Basically, we use basketball as a hook to teach life lessons," said Camp Director Jerry Tyson, a former San Antonio high school coach.  "The integrity of the camp and the coaches is outstanding.”  The Slam Dunk camps stress education, preparation, dedication, integrity and perseverance.  “We learned what each one of those words means," said Aisha Symon, an eighth-grader at Davis Middle School.  "I learned that if you're dedicated in life, you can accomplish anything."

The Mission
Slam Dunk for Life’s mission is to improve the physical, mental, and social health of at-risk youth in the Greater San Antonio area.
 
The Vision
SDFL aims to establish a model youth development program through the provision of character-building activities that promote important life values.  We strive to increase the number of at-risk students obtaining higher education.