For most people, coaching seven elementary school basketball teams would be a feat of monumental proportions. For Douglas Jordan, it’s a typical Tuesday evening.  

Douglas, or Doug, was nominated as an Engagement Champion by Austin Johnson, an Engagement Navigator at Spokane Public Schools. Austin was ready with a laundry list of Doug’s community service achievements on the basketball court and beyond, from volunteering for lunch duty to fundraising for club fees. The true slam dunk, according to Austin, was that Doug does all this without asking for anything in return. 

On Friday, January 17th, Doug met me at Innovia Foundation’s office in Downtown Spokane to chat about his life and commitment to community service. When we sat down to begin our conversation, I asked Doug to tell me a little bit about himself. “How far back do you want to go?” he responded with a wry smile. 

 A retired fuel tax auditor, Doug grew up with dyslexia in a time when the disorder was widely misunderstood. In Doug’s words:

“When I was in first grade, I flunked. When I was in second grade, I flunked. I had dyslexia…but, I had a really great life. I had parents who just loved me dearly, didn’t care that I wasn’t that smart, wasn’t that athletic. I think that was a driving force for me throughout my life.”

After the COVID-19 pandemic, Doug was looking to reengage with his community. His daughter-in-law, a former first grade teacher at Longfellow Elementary, encouraged Doug to come into school and read with her students. 

Before he knew it, Doug became consistently involved with the same class of Longfellow students for over three years. “I did a garden club with the kids. We grew some stuff, and we did some crafts. Then we played kickball and then soccer…I just kind of committed one day a week to whatever I was doing there,” Doug explained. Doug’s most remarkable contribution to the Northeast community came in an unexpected form for a “not athletic kid”: basketball. 

With encouragement from school principals, Doug has leveraged partnerships with Hooptown, the YMCA and local churches to coach numerous elementary school basketball teams. During the 2023-2024 season, Doug directed eleven elementary school basketball teams and personally coached seven of them. This year, Doug coaches 30 fifth graders in his Friends of Rogers basketball club. Friends of Rogers partners with Hooptown and has the support of Rogers High School Head Basketball Coach, Karim Scott. Beyond providing after-school care through basketball practices and clinics, Friends of Rogers also creates incentive programs to improve students’ attendance and offers mentorship from high school basketball players.  

Doug came prepared for his interview with a red folder full of materials. During our chat, he reached into the folder and proudly presented a team photo: eighteen elementary school boys, all gym gear and smiles. Doug enthusiastically pointed to each kid and told me a little bit about their story.

Many of these players have faced hardships at home, with a few experiencing family loss or homelessness. Often, relatives and grandparents step up to fill the role of parental figures. Despite these difficulties, the kids show up to basketball practice every week.

For Doug, it’s not about being the fastest, strongest or best basketball player. His motto is that every kid should “be themselves, do their best and be happy”. Doug pulled another treasure out of his red folder: a collection of hand-made tokens tied together with colorful yarn. Each token reads “Do your best!” on one side, with an inspirational quote on the other. Doug passes these tokens out during practices, alongside self-assessments that get kids thinking about how to do their best on and off the court. Doug acknowledged that his players often carry heavy burdens at home, and that their “best” may look a little different every day.  

“The great thing [about] youth sports and basketball is you bring ten little kids together that might not know each other. That also brings ten families together that don’t know each other”. For Doug, basketball is more than rebounds and assists; it’s another way to build community. 

Though many teachers and families in Hillyard have rallied together for their kids, Doug admitted that he’s often faced challenges in finding support for his programs, especially with fundraising and recruiting volunteers. When he attends tournaments around the city, Doug observes that “it’s pretty evident that people with means are able to access programs, which is great. But Hillyard is not always represented.” Regardless of these setbacks, Doug remains committed to the kids he cares about and the community he serves.  

Doug came prepared with one more item in his red folder: a call for support.  Doug hopes to send all thirty of his players to NBC Basketball Camp this summer. “NBC Camps don’t only provide great instruction on basketball; they also teach goal setting, integrity and life skills, “Doug explained. “This is the type of opportunity I want every one of these kids to have”. He asked that readers consider supporting his cause by donating to Hillyard Built, a community nonprofit.  

My collection of Doug’s tokens

 I’ve propped Doug’s “Do your best!” tokens up in my cubicle, along with his team photo. They serve as my daily reminder to do my best and not be afraid to forge new connections with the community around me.

At the end of the day, we’re all on the same team. 

Sarah Overholt is an Outreach and Youth Program Associate at LaunchNW.