For years Kirk and Aileen Downing planned and saved so they could fulfill their dream to build a basketball court in the backyard of their Lutz home for their sons, Denzyl ’20 and Dwight ’21.
But when the time finally came to make their dream a reality, the Downings had second thoughts. Their hesitance wasn’t about whether they should build the basketball court, but rather, where they should build it.
In the end, the Downings decided to make a significant donation to Academy at the Lakes so that the court could be built on the McCormick Campus. The court, located in front of the Academy gymnasium, will be 60 feet by 85 feet with a sport court topping and will include six new basketball hoops.
“It was an idea Aileen and I came up with together,” said Kirk.
Athletic Director and Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach Tom Haslam believes the impact of the Downings’ generosity will be enormous.
“The new all-purpose court will enhance every aspect of Academy’s physical education and athletic programs,” said Haslam. “The court will be used for everything from everyday P.E. classes and fitness training to after-school practices for competitive sports teams.”
The Downings’ journey at Academy began nine years ago when they enrolled Denzyl in Junior Kindergarten. The family’s connection to the Wildcats’ basketball program started years later, when Denzyl and Dwight attended Coach Haslam’s basketball summer camp.
“It was the summer right before Tom started as the Athletic Director at Academy, and the only two kids enrolled in the camp were Denzyl and Dwight,” said Kirk. “They absolutely loved it. After that our boys would always do the after-school enrichment program and they continue to attend Coach Haslam’s basketball camp.”
As his boys got a little older, Kirk started thinking about the bigger picture.
“Two years ago I started coaching three local i9 basketball teams from ages 7 to 15,” he said. “I wanted to give Academy kids the opportunity to play in a team environment at an even younger age. Once I started coaching, one of the things that I noticed was that Academy’s outdoor court could use some improvement.”
“Another thing that solidified our decision to build the court at Academy instead of at our home was one weekend when I stopped by campus and I saw one of our students practicing by himself. It made me think that students like him will have regular access to an actual court.”
The Downings’ decision to make their donation to Academy was influenced by their strong belief that a student’s education should be about more than just academics.
“Both of my parents were high school teachers, and with my dad also being a high school coach, he instilled in me that sports along with academics really helps to build character,” said Kirk. “We really like the fact that (at Academy) the kids can be well-rounded by doing sports, fine arts, and getting a great education.”
By aligning their passions with philanthropy, the Downings will positively impact not just their own children but generations of Wildcats to come.
“We hope our boys learn from this that when you believe in something and have the opportunity to do good in the community that’s what you should do,” said Kirk.
Added Aileen: “We always wanted to have a basketball court at our home … and now we will.”