The St. James announced today that David Dickerson, one of the country's most accomplished youth basketball program builders, will lead its basketball program. The program will be the most comprehensive basketball developmental program in the country, featuring learn-to-play, intermediate and elite skills programs for boys and girls, youth and adult leagues, middle school, high school and college summer leagues, camps, clinics and showcases as well as elite local and national tournaments.
"We're incredibly excited to begin building a truly comprehensive basketball program under Dave Dickerson's leadership," said Kendrick Ashton, co-founder and co-CEO of The St. James, the 450,000 sq. ft. sports, wellness and active entertainment destination set to open in September in Fairfax County, Virginia. "The Washington region has the best basketball in the country, and we're committed to building a program that will positively build on the great basketball culture and legacy that has been fostered and advanced so consistently in this region since the days of Earl Lloyd and Elgin Baylor."
A Washington area native, Dickerson was a star point guard at St. John's College High School and Montgomery Blair High School, where he led the team to a Maryland State Championship. He went on to be a four-year contributor at Hampton University, where he teamed with NBA great Rick Mahornin some of the most successful seasons in the program's history.
Dickerson began his coaching career working at the legendary Washington Metropolitan Basketball Camp, which was founded and led by the Washington area's two most accomplished high school coaches, Morgan Wooten and Joe Gallagher. Over the past 20 years he's become one of the leading youth basketball coaches in the country, serving as a co-director and coach of the Fab Frosh, Super Soph and Junior All-American camps, a coach for USA Basketball, the NBA Players Association Top 100 as well as the Gatorade Jr. NBA camps and clinics.
As founder of HoopKidz/HoopElite, the premier basketball development program in the region, Dickerson has coached and trained more than 17,000 boys and girls and helped more than 200 student-athletes earn basketball scholarships.
"Dave's depth of experience as a player and a coach, knowledge of the game and ability to teach both beginners and elite players are all exceptional," said Craig Dixon, co-founder and co-CEO of The St. James. "His talents, national reputation and relationships combined with a first-rate basketball venue and complementary programmatic offerings, including high-performance training, will make our basketball program one of the best in the country."
To launch the program, The St. James will be hosting a free Basketball Introductory Clinic on September 9 for players of all abilities ages 5-17. Participants will spend a day of fun on the courts with the skilled coaching staff of The St. James basketball program, working on individual skill development and small group training in various elements of the game.
The St. James will also be hosting its first Best of the Best Showcase, an elite, invitation-only high school and middle school skills showcase, on Sunday, September 16. The showcase, which will feature top national and local players, will provide participants with an NBA skills combine experience as well as advanced skills sessions and competitive game play led by the region's top high school coaches.
The St. James also announced its inaugural The St. James Elite Classic, a boys and girls national high school tournament invitational, which will be held on Saturday, December 15, through Sunday, December 16. The tournament will feature the best local and national high school basketball programs and many of the top players in the Class of 2019.
"We have the opportunity to build something truly special at The St. James," Dickerson said. "It's amongst the most exciting opportunities I've ever had the privilege to be a part of, and I very much look forward to building a broad and deep basketball community from the very youngest players to the country's most skilled to veteran lovers of the game like me."
The St. James Basketball Program will provide opportunities from beginning to advanced play for both boys and girls just learning the fundamentals to adults seeking high-level play. With access to a four-court courthouse, high performance training center, top-tier sports medicine care from onsite MedStar clinicians, professional coaching and more, players will have all the resources to develop their skills on the court to the elite level. Highlights of The St. James Basketball Program include, amongst other offerings, the following:
- Instructional basketball for players ages 3-13
- Individual training and skill development
- Youth basketball leagues for ages 7-17
- Middle school, high school and college-level summer leagues
- Middle and high school elite combines and showcases
- National high school invitational tournaments
- Shooting leagues for youth and adult players
- Basketball camps focused on developing a wide range of skills
- Adult basketball leagues at competitive and recreational levels for men, women and co-ed teams
The St. James is hosting an event for families and athletes to meet the coaches leading its sports programs on Wednesday, August 15. For more information, contact David Dickerson at david.dickerson@thestjames.co or 703-239-6870.
About The St. James
The St. James, the premier sports, wellness and active entertainment destination brand in the country, is set to open a flagship 450,000-square foot complex on a 20-acre campus in Fairfax County, Virginiain September 2018. The complex will offer the most comprehensive combination of sports and wellness venues and programming, lifestyle amenities and family centered active entertainment in the country. For more information, please visit thestjames.co.
