Originally Published 2011
Local hoops legend Allen Williams and Shorecrest Head Coach Daryl Blume’s Basketball Warehouse doesn’t just change player’s games, it changes lives. The game-changing facility started four years ago by sheer accident when Shorecrest’s high school gym was under construction. It was a blessing in disguise.
“The Shorecrest gymnasium was being demolished for a new facility in the offseason and Coach Blume wanted a place for his son, Luke Blume, to further his shooting development,” Williams said. “Daryl showed me the vacant warehouse gym with a concrete floor, one newly installed hoop and a shooting gun for Luke and his buddies. When I walked in my eyes lit up and I said, ‘Wow. We can really do something with this place.”
The rest is history.
Today, the Basketball Warehouse has blossomed into a playground for middle school and high school kids who want to elevate their games. The spacious 5,000 square foot building with an 80-foot hardwood floor is equipped with three shooting guns, scoreboards, two VertiMax training systems, strength equipment and
six rowers.
It’s no longer just a typical old warehouse. The transformed Basketball Warehouse is situated right in the heart of Pinellas County and ready to serve its community.
“To hear those balls bouncing is such a blessing,” Williams said. “We have over 300 kids in our program now. So many kids out there play, but their skill set isn’t refined. Some kids can’t afford basketball trainers and there’s no pickup basketball anymore. We wanted to bring the inner city and suburban kids together, give them a place to play, hangout in a nice environment and raise their game.”
Most evenings and Saturdays, an army of kids, ten years apart in age, can be seen performing shooting drills, two ball drills, u-shaped crossovers, hang dribble drills and recreating game situations with hip hop music blaring over the speakers. The kids are visibly enjoying hanging out in their domain. Even Louisiana Tech’s Kenny “Speedy” Smith, the NCAA’s No. 1 assist leader, and other NBA stars use this
phenomenal facility for training.
The Basketball Warehouse also molds the lives of these kids off the court, one of Williams’ goals. Before leading the University of North Alabama to the Div. 2 National Title and playing professionally overseas, Williams was one of those kids.
“I was one of nine kids in a single parent home and we had nothing,” Williams said. “I had to work night shifts scrubbing floors at Albertsons after basketball practice and I almost flunked out of school. I knew I didn’t want those hardships for my kids and I wanted kids to have better opportunities than me.”
“Playing ball can save these kids lives and keep them out of trouble. It’s about teaching them life lessons through basketball. It’s about teamwork, being unselfish, and developing work ethic. To see these kids grow is unlike any other feeling in the world.”
The Basketball Warehouse also offers after school academic support and a place where kids can do homework. It’s all about bettering the kids.
“We want to affect these kid’s lives in a positive way,” Williams said. “We’re not looking for the next Lebron James. We just want each kid to become the best possible player he or she can be. When you walk through that door, you’re family.”
That family includes the Warehouse Ballers, the AAU travel basketball team(s) of the Basketball Warehouse. There’s no state funding for this program, it’s a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization run entirely through donations.
“We work with less fortunate kids, because at the end of the day we want to help these kids and get them better,” Williams said. “If some families can’t afford the cost of AAU travel team expenses for their son or daughter, we’ll take care of it. All the money goes for each player’s expenses and $1,000 will cover the cost of all fees and tournaments for the six-month AAU season.”
The Basketball Warehouse also offers private training sessions at negotiable rates and conducts clinics two nights a week of additional training during the AAU season. It’s a place where the premiere high school kids from all over Tampa Bay come to train in the off-season. The camaraderie that spawns from the competition of the high school players serves to ignite their passion and desire to enhance their game.
“I was really shy when I came here and now I have a lot more confidence in my game,” said student Emily Stevens.
The facility’s growth has been backed solely by outside donations, with nearly $100,000 raised to date. This speaks volumes about people’s trust in Williams and Blume, and more importantly, their worth to the Pinellas basketball community. If you’re a middle school or high school baller, this is the program that will take your
game to the ultimate level.