What the Pros are Saying…
“(The Watts) paved the way for alot of us in the community… The hard work (Donald) puts in the community and on the court rubs off on people, its a blessing…” -Nate Robinson
“…Always growing up Donald was a legend at The University of Washington… (Slick and Donald) are here helping kids succeed in life and fulfill dreams…” -Isaiah Thomas
“…Slick is one of the forefathers of this game of basketball in Seattle… I became a better player growing up and working with Donald…” -Jamal Crawford
“Training with Donald Watts has helped my outside shooting abilities tremendously. Watts uses a unique style which enabled me to really understand and apply his method of teaching to my own natural shooting mechanics. I worked with him temporarily before leaving to play professional basketball overseas. My shooting percentage outside the key statistically increased to 68%, up from 56% the previous season. My shooting confidence was so high that I not only shot, but made 3 of 5 3-point shots in the final game of the championship series. I would recommend Coach Donald Watts’ basketball programs, clinics, and individual work to anyone and everyone interested in increasing their current basketball skill level.” – Amber Hall, Professional Basketball Player
“The Watts Basketball’s philosophy of focusing improvement on basketball fundamentals, athletic development, and mental intangibles leads to a successful athlete on and off the court. Donald and Slick excel at these components at every level. Improvement with an eye toward the future is the goal and Watts Basketball accomplishes this.” – Brett Brungardt is the Founder of BAM Testing Brungardt was previously the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of Washington Basketball Team as well as the Dallas Mavericks. Brett knows what it takes to build a well rounded athlete after working with the likes of Dirk Nowitzki and Brandon Roy.
What the Community is Saying…
“Our organization coaches basketball for kids, ages 7-17. Donald conducted a coaches clinic for our group. It didn’t matter if you had beginners or experienced players. He did an excellent job in explaining and demonstrating on the court on how to teach your players to play the game intelligently, to be coaches on the court, to be leaders in practice, in games and in everyday life! Donald’s passion and joy of teaching the game shows in his clinics!” - Al Chinn, Seattle Asian Sports Club
I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate Watts Basketball here at Powerful Schools (John Muir Elementary). The basketball classes are valuable in several ways. They:
1. help build large motor skills.
2. promote the focus and discipline necessary to any serious endeavor.
3. support increased hand/eye coordination.
4. promote personal responsibility.
5. grow an individual’s spatial awareness (where am I, where are others).
6. give the kids a sense of confidence in their efforts and achievements.
7. give the kids an opportunity they might not otherwise have.
These classes are not simply “basketball play time.” The coaches clearly know the game and care for the kids. The kids clearly love the coaches. I hope we can have you here every year. – Rick Davidson, John Muir Elementary School
What the Parents are Saying…
“THANK YOU!!! My daughter, Addie started camp yesterday and had NEVER played basketball before. She was afraid to stay and was intimidated by all of the activity, but she stayed and stuck it out! Today, she was a TOTALLY different girl! When I picked her up she was ECSTATIC about her day! She had gotten “Camper of the Day” and she didn’t want to leave! She talked non-stop the whole way home about how much fun she had – despite being the only girl in her group – and her basketball hasn’t left her hands! THANKS SO MUCH for making this experience a positive one for Addie! With lots of appreciation and gratitude” – Kristen Morrow
“Julia results – quite good – Julia showed significant improvement on the offensive side of the ball throughout the tournament. I think she only had a total 1 or 2 turnovers in 4 games (where previously she would have several each game). She was very active with the ball from the wing position – driving and shooting or driving and dishing. She took significantly more shots each game than she did earlier in the season. She scored in 2 out of 4 games and is feeling much better about her offensive game. Donald, I really want to say thanks for your work thus far with Julia. It has made a significant difference.” -Doug Turner
1 year later:
I’m just writing to say thanks to Donald. Even now, more than a year later I can see his teachings come through in her game. Julia is a freshman in high school now and plays for her varsity team at the Overlake School in Redmond. They’ve only had a few games so far this season, but Julia is doing really well. In their last game Julia scored 17 points through a combination of outside shooting, break away layups and foul shots. The skill that I see so clearly as having been influenced by Donald is when she has a break away layup ¬ her ball handling while making the break away (she’s very fast) and her control in making the layups at full speed are a direct result of Donald’s work with her. It’s funny, when I talked to her after the game, I commented on how great her break away layups were and I asked “where did that confidence come from?”, she replied “from the work Donald did with me”. Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks! -Doug Turner
“My son loves Watts Basketball because he’s come to appreciate the quality of the coaching, while still having a great time. I appreciate it because I see he’s getting a good workout, having fun, and is learning both the physical and mental aspects of the game in a way that is appropriate for his age.” – Harvey Arnone
“…He was just there for the last camp and loved every minute.” – Parent
“My Son had a blast as usual!” – Parent
“What a stand-out basketball camp. it was a buttoned up program – from the detail-oriented check-in, to the professional, highly-skilled warm-up and coaching staff, to the messages about teamwork, dedication and positive attitude received throughout the day. Our son was inspired! We’ll definitely be back for more Watts Basketball.” -Parent
“As a youth basketball coach, I cannot endorse the Watts basketball camp highly enough. The passion and joy of Donald, Slick and the staff are evident from the moment you arrive. They emphasize fundamentals in a way that makes it fun for the campers as they work on everything from ball handling to shooting. They do an excellent job of separating players based on age and ability so that there is plenty of appropriate instruction for any skill level from beginner to select Our girls can’t wait for the next one and will be bringing more of their friends.” -Parent, Coach & Sports Writer
