By Aaron Allen
Seattle Medium
Over the years, the exterior of the Rotary Boys and Girls Club in Seattle’s Central District hasn’t changed much. It’s brick and mortar still maintains its 1970s flare, the kind of flare that gives the feeling of optimism a community gets when a new edifice is erected.
The club which sits at the corner of 19th and Spruce is home to Seattle Style Basketball, a program that has quietly put Seattle on the map as a hotbed of basketball talent in the country. Producing such talents as Brandon Roy, Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford and many others Seattle Style Basketball has established itself as Seattle’s bastion of basketball.
Dan Finkley and Darryl Hennings, co-founders of Seattle Style Basketball, have dedicated their lives to the mentoring and enabling of young boys and girls to become the best they can be not only in the game of basketball but in life.
When Finkely and Hennings started the program they had only one team. Today, the program has over 180 players, both boys and girls, and 25 coaches. And now, just how it was when they first got started, it’s all about the kids.
“The program was never about us, the coaches,” Hennings states enthusiastically. “It is always about the development and growth of the children, surrounded by a safe environment, to development themselves as athletes and people.”
Because of their experiences and the lack of opportunity to fully take advantage of sports growing up Finkley describes his reasons for taking on this endeavor and providing children with opportunities to compete that they did not have.
“I wanted our children to have opportunity,” says Finkley. “When I wanted to play sports being bused outside of my community, the opportunities just weren’t there, at least not in playing time, particularly I just transferred to a new school, the Black positions were filled.”
“Because coaches had established relationships with the kids from their neighborhoods, kids like us, coming into the schools at ages fourteen, just starting high school, we didn’t have the relationship, so our opportunity to play was selective,” added Finkley.
When you enter the world of Seattle Style Basketball, as a young person it will be expected of you to not only learn the game of basketball Seattle Style, characterized by an up-tempo defense and aggressive offense, which, according to Finkley, some refer to as a form of “Street ball.”
“We can be a bit aggressive,” says Finkley. “But Seattle Style also teaches young people to be the best they can be both on and off the court as well.”
Tracey Smith’s son, Joshua Smith, one of Washington state’s most decorated players and a McDonald’s All American in 2010, started playing with the Seattle Style club in the sixth grade. According to Smith the program was instrumental in helping her son build up his confidence.
“Rotary not only helped my son develop as a player and athlete, but I am very grateful to both men as they also helped Joshua develop in to a more confident young man,” says Smith.
Hennings and Finkley use the lessons that they’ve acquired through their own experiences and convey them to the young people helping them to not only become good ball players, but responsible, respectable and productive people in their community and in their lives.
In the late 1990s Finkley and Hennings, who both grew up under the influence of Seattle’s Central District and South Seattle, decided it was time to give back in their own way. Finkley, a manager for Pepsi and Hennings, a paralegal looking for a new edge, both, seasoned youth basketball coaches, came together and built a program whose primary goal was the growth of the children who become involved.
When it came time to turn the visions into reality, with the help of sponsors and investors Finkley and Hennings began building opportunity. Finkley believes, “no one can do things on their own.”
“I thank our sponsors and especially Darryl Hennings for help me bring a vision to fruition,” says Finkley
As The demographics of the Central Area began changing over the years due to gentrification Seattle Style’s search for talent spread throughout the Puget Sound.
“Families and their kids started moving out of the CD, reaching areas like Rainier Beach, Renton, Federal Way and Tacoma and we needed to let them know and be aware that we are still here, that we are there for them,” says Hennings.
Seattle Style Basketball has made an impact as it uses basketball to elevate the confidence and awareness of children, particularly Black children regarding their potential to achieve in every field of human endeavor not just basketball or sports.
Smith says, “their work allowed Joshua to attend college for free as well as Joshua being a shy young man became a more confident person both in front of the press and engaging with his peers.”
Finkley and Hennings make it a part of their program to not only instill the fundamentals of basketball but also by making themselves available to their player, having an open-door policy, and being there for their athletes beyond the court. This philosophy also played a key role in helping to strengthen the program.
“There were times when our kids needed us outside of basketball,” says Finkley. “I’ve played the role of uncle, counselor, and mentor for some of the kids that have come through our program.”
“We are there when kids might not have had a place to go, or were in need of gear, shoes and we find a way to make it happen or find help,” added Finkley.
Prior to Seattle Style Basketball it was difficult for many Black players in the area to assert their place and skills in the AAU basketball arena, but Seattle Style Basketball gave them the opportunity and platform.
Neighborhood rivalry’s and politics played a major role in their decision to start these teams.
“You have to have a good heart to do this, it is tough,” Hennings states. “The perception of what we do is completely different than the blood, sweat and tear we put in to what we do.”
As their reputation grew the opportunities for them to compete with elite AAU teams around the country grew and the need to rely on other AAU team that previously made it difficult for Black athletes was nullified. For example, according to Finkley, in AAU’s early days Black ball players were not always welcomed to programs across on the Eastside.
“AAU started on the eastside and they were very wary and selective on which kids from the neighborhood — inner city kids they called us — could play and that went against our vision so we decided to start our program,” recalls Finkley.
Because of the commitment Finkley and Hennings showed the community for the past 20 years, Seattle Styles Basketball has grown into one of the top programs in the nation impacting the lives of hundreds of young aspiring basketball players. Young people from across the state if they love the game of basketball know that if you want to become a complete student/athlete Seattle Styles Basketball will give you the opportunity and provide that tutelage.
“It was gratifying to know, I saw the rapport that was being built with the kids, I saw in the long term what happens as a result of that rapport that was built,” said Hennings.
