Character is what you do when no one is looking.

-H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Why is Joe Dumars so great?  Outside of the fact that he is my favorite player of all-time, there are multiple reasons that hold deeper meanings.  First, he embodies the traits of hard work, humility, and quiet confidence that I want to pass on to each student.  The second reason includes a story, and was one of my inspirations for creating Five Star Shooting Academy.

One summer, I had the opportunity to be a part of a basketball camp run by Joe Dumars in Flint, MI.  As most now know about the talent from Flint, there was a collection of pretty high-level talent at the camp. To my surprise, he had been watching me, and at one point he pulled me to the side to offer words of encouragement that I still carry with me today.  He told me that I reminded him of himself, and that I was just as good as the “hyped” players. He told me to keep doing what I was doing, and I would be successful. 

The key component of this story was how the one on one interaction impacted me as an individual.  Kids involved in sports today attend tons of camps, tournaments, and practices, but rarely receive any detailed, individualized instruction that will make them a better player.  And that’s where Five Star Shooting Academy comes in.  My focus is to provide a fun, custom-tailored training that will allow each student to grow fundamentally at a faster rate.

My name is Kirk Williams, trainer and owner of Five Star Shooting Academy.  I have been playing basketball at a high level for twenty years, and I have been working individually with basketball players for five years.  I decided to create Five Star Shooting Academy after spending numerous hours with young players who were full of potential, but lacked the desire to learn the fundamentals of basketball.  It's a reflection of our society, but many young players today are more interested in making someone look bad during a dribbling display, or are content with dropping their head and bull rushing the rim without looking at who is open. Sounds like selfishness doesn't it?  And you are probably thinking to yourself, "Kirk, isn't shooting the most selfish part of basketball?" Yes and no.  A deadly shot, combined with the concepts of court awareness, teamwork, and unselfishness will produce a complete player. The expression of the latter three concepts are largely based on the internal make-up of the player. These skills can be honed at a young age and combined with good shooting ability.  My training not only focuses on shooting, but involves mental training, confidence building, and positive thinking.

By believing passionately in something that does not yet exist, we create it.

-Nikos Kazantzakis