Wali Jones Helps Kids Shoot for the Stars

Over the years, Wali Jones has developed a passion for motivating countless numbers of kids to stay in school and develop a great love of learning.

The Community Affairs Liaison for the NBA’s Miami HEAT spends almost every day traveling to different area schools to help students realize their dreams through his “Shoot for the Stars” program, which combines motivational speeches and basketball clinics designed to teach kids problem-solving, goal-setting, communication and team development skills.

His messages are simple: “Do the best that you can do,” and “kids don’t fail; plans fail.”

They might be concepts that children have heard before, but it’s the way that Jones delivers his messages and instills them in our youth that is so impressive to see. He uses his background in educational psychology to captivate students and at the same time deliver his points.

But, as the former basketball star admits, having an NBA ring and the backing of two professional sports teams like the HEAT and SOL doesn’t hurt either. As he explains, the children like to partake in “selective listening” and are more likely to lend their ears thanks to the prospect of attaining HEAT and SOL tickets and memorabilia, as well as the opportunity of meeting a player.

“It’s that identification with the professional athletes that lends credibility to what we do,” Jones explained.

And his dedication is so intense that it’s hard to believe he once devoted his life to anything other than this. A 10-year NBA veteran, Jones was a member of the storied World Champion 1967 Philadelphia 76ers, along with teammate Wilt Chamberlain. But even while spending his days on the hardwood, Jones always found the time to venture into the community during his professional career and reach out to those in need.

“Even when I was a player, I always had some job to do in the community,” said Jones, whose love of social service blossomed as a student at Villanova University. “It gave me an opportunity to see how I could make a living after basketball and to see what I could do to help.”

And at the end of his professional career – a time when athletes tend to delve into a more financially motivated line of business – Jones took a different turn and continued on the path of education and inspiration. He furthered his studies in child psychology, counseling and human development and then spent seven years working for the Federal Government and the Department of Education as a Human Development Trainer at the Center for Educational Development in San Antonio, Texas. Supervising a 10-state region and over 400 school districts, Jones was in charge of educating teachers in the fields of classroom management and teaching techniques.

His relationship with the HEAT began soon after, during the team’s 1988-89 season. Jones sent a proposal to Billy Cunningham, the HEAT’s then-owner, to explain how the program he had devised and implemented at the Department of Education, which he called Shoot for the Stars, could help improve the academic scores, attendance and behavior of children in South Florida. Cunningham was convinced that Jones could make a positive impact in the community and soon hired him to serve as the director of the team’s community affairs department.

Fourteen years later, Jones continues to help students reach their goals in the classroom and beyond as the teams’ Community Affairs Liaison. During that span of time, Jones estimates that his Shoot for the Stars message has reached over one million area kids, from Florida City to West Palm Beach.

“It’s a wonderful job,” Jones said. “And I’ve been here enough years that people have said, ‘I heard you speak at a school, and it changed my life.’ It makes you feel good that you’ve made a difference.”

This summer, the schedule of free roving clinics runs until July 30, during which Jones and his staff, comprised of college students and coaches, will visit children at YMCAs, churches and gyms. The first part of the clinic incorporates the HEAT and SOL’s Read to Achieve campaign. During this portion, Jones and his staff read to the children at the clinics in order to foster and encourage a love for reading. Shifting gears for the second part of the clinic, Jones then teaches the fundamentals of basketball, along with the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship – something he calls education through sports. But through it all, Jones’ main goal is to hammer his message home – “If you work hard, good things will happen.”

“Too many kids today are settling for average,” said Jones, who has, in the past, also taken his Shoot for the Stars clinics to foreign countries, such as Venezuela, Bermuda Bimini, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. “They have to put in an effort to reach their goals.”

During the school year, his Shoot for the Stars program takes a bit of a different approach by helping students develop an academic action plan. Jones visits area schools and shows them how to fill out an action plan every nine weeks, in order to help them learn goal setting and time management skills. Through the plan, each individual student can track his or her own progress in achieving personal goals throughout the year.

While at the schools, Jones also captivates kids with his motivational speeches, designed to empower them to achieve their objectives. He also uses his time in the classroom to aid teachers with teaching techniques, neuro-linguistic programming and classroom management.

In addition to his school visits, he also talks to kids in detention centers and jails, hoping to stimulate them into changing their outlook on life and developing a more positive demeanor.

“I chose this field,” Jones said. “I’m from a family of nine, and people in my community gave me a helping hand while I was growing up.”

And ever since arriving in South Florida, he has never hesitated to return the favor to others who might need his help.

“The HEAT is a tremendous vehicle to reach out to the community,” Jones said. “It has been a very enjoyable experience these 15 years.”