Dear Family & Friends,
I would like to personally thank each of
you who have allowed me to work with your children both past and present for
nearly 22 years. It continues to be a lifelong adventure and journey for me and
my family.
I often remember and never will forget
the children and the parents who were a big part of our family who have since
gone home to be with the Lord.
This letter is being written to give
those of you who are new to Hoop Hunter Basketball Inc. and Building Believers
Inc. I wanted to share an up close look at who I am, where I came from and what
has lead me to be a Servant Leader in Sports.
My
Family & Siblings:
I was blessed to be raised in a Christian
home with both parents. I’m the third child of five, having three brothers and
one sister. Today, we remain best friends and accountability partners and
communicate with each other several times a week. We pray together and share things that we learn
from studying the bible as we help one another get through life’s peaks and
valleys. I play the drums and a little piano; two of my brothers play the
guitar; one is a minister of music; and my sister sings.
My
Parents:
My late father is Jimmie L. Hunter III.
He was the gentle giant of our family and lost his life due to a hit and run
accident in 2001. My mother, Katherine Hunter is still the rock of our family.
Although she worked a lot, she made sure that all her children were bathed,
clothed, feed, educated, well-mannered, well-spoken and loved. Some of her
famous quotes were, “Don’t forget where you came from”, “Each One Teach One”
and” Respect your elders.”
Receiving
Christ:
I came to know the Lord as a young child.
As a child, I was a good student, make good friends and was taught to honor,
respect, obey authority and make wise choices.
As a teenager, I faced some of
the same types of peer pressure that teenagers do today. I survived but it
wasn’t easy. I often thought I would
become a pastor, but God had other plans for my life.
Growing
Up:
Growing up and being a student-athlete
was challenging. I learned how important it was for me to stay
on my knees praying for God’s help. Many times, there was a big contradiction
as to what was being taught in my home (treat others the way you want to be treated-Golden
Rule) versus the reality on the street.
This caused me to work extremely hard in the classroom as well as in
athletics. My parents always told me that getting an education was the most
important thing that I could do and that no one could take it away from me. So,
I worked hard to be the very best that I could be. I went the extra mile and it
paid off.
Athletic
Career:
After a successful academic & athletic
career ( 2 conference championships 88’ & 89’ and 1 NCAA appearance: 88’ UNT vs North Carolina) at The University
of North Texas, my career took off like a rocket ship. First, I was chosen to
participate in the PIT (Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: top 60 player in country evaluated by all NBA
representative); attended 2 Dallas Mavericks Free Agent Camps; Drafted by
Wichita Falls Texas of the CBA (NBA affiliate); Played Professionally in
Argentina and was later an assistant coach at UNT under Jimmy Gales.
After
College & Professional Basketball:
After my athletic career, I became
interested in giving back to children from all walks of life and communities
(after all I am a product of the city of Dallas Parks & Recreation
Community Programs). Traveling throughout the world, I encountered a variety of
different cultures, personalities and customs. Remembering those adults who
mentored me as a child while both of my parents worked; led me to want to move forward by teaching children basketball and helping them navigate
life’s journeys. It was that thought, but more importantly the actions that
followed that led me to personal training that would change my life forever.
My
Purpose Being Unveiled:
At the age of 33, I had finally reached
a point in life where I felt led to do something very radical. “I wanted to make
a bold change and do something good that I could feel proud of”. I was tired of
being an unfaithful person as I searched for that perfect career, perfect
relationship, perfect car, perfect neighborhood, and perfect image. So, one day I drove to Dallas to take some
fruits and vegetables to my grandmother. After a deep and heart-felt
conversation with my late grandmother, Lusinda Ward January (who was in a wheel
chair) on her front porch; she shared the most profound words with me that day
that changed my life forever. She said,” Go inside the house and get that Big Black Book.”
I knew before I went in the
house that I would be getting the B-I-B-L-E. She said,” baby, I don’t care how many
degrees you get or how many books go up on your book shelf; If you want to have
complete happiness, you must make a commitment to read this bible daily. Pray and obey the written words and you’ll
discover your purpose in life and have complete happiness.” She then said,” I
dare you to trust it.”
Perseverance, Determination &
Commitment:
For 8 years I conducted private &
group training, weekend clinics, summer celebrity basketball camps and coached highly
competitive boys & girl club teams in Argyle, Texas. I did this while working in the private sector
as an air freight sale representative and later as a chemical sales account
manager. Those years prepared me for the next steps in my life.
Fully Surrendered- Steps Ordered
-Purpose Revealed:
After faithfully surrendering my life to
Christ (33 yr), God showed me my purpose and lead me to refocus Hoop Hunter
Basketball and Building Believers as a Christian Youth Sports
Organization. He also told me not to be ashamed and to be prepared to be ridiculed
because I have taken a bold stance to recognize Him as the source of our
existence.
Accepting My Calling:
Accepting my calling to be a servant
leader in sports was easy. It has been
the best decision I’ve made aside from accepting Christ. My source for
happiness is my faithful walk and obedience to God’s Holy Word.
“I
was called to meet the needs of children and families through sports with
player, group and team developmental training.” Ultimately, it’s not about the
game, as many seem to believe. It’s
about reaching and winning souls to Christ. God does honor hard work, commitment,
perseverance, and dedication.
I pray that each of you will continue to
pray for me and continue to support HHB & BBI. Daily, I pray for each of
you and truly do care about every single one of you. I pray that together we
can continue to please God by honoring His word while participating in sports
and life. Remember, only what we do for Christ will last!
Deon
