Educational and Recreational Facility of Fort Worth
"EDUCATION THROUGH ATHLETICS"
2024 BOARD MEMBERS:
DAVID WATERS - ANDREW MACK - BRANDY MCCLEARY JIMMY NEELEY - BK MYLES - DR. ANTHONY JOHNSON
DON WATERS
INTRODUCTION:
The nonprofit organization the Educational and Recreational Facility of Fort Worth, DBA the F.I.R.M. (Family of Intelligent Responsible Men), is devoted to assisting young men and women to reach their enormous potential. The F.I.R.M. organization has been in existence since 1993 and became a 501c3 in 1999. As a non-profit organization, we are built on the foundation that bringing education and athletics together, serves, guides, and develops the youth of today. The organization specializes in serving individuals ages 8-25 to reach whatever their personal goals are, whether it is becoming a professional athlete, a college graduate, an entrepreneur, or a well-trained member of the workforce through an industry-based certification or military training.
The VISION
Mission Statement:
Motivating and guiding youth and young adults to be productive citizens through mentoring, life skills, community involvement, and basketball activities. Providing hands on learning experiences that instill the core values of discipline, respect, teamwork, and responsibility.
Purpose Statement:
The Family of Intelligent Responsible Men (F.I.R.M.) aims to create opportunities for young people to achieve their educational or athletic goals by cultivating a culture of hard work and humility.
How We Work
F.I.R.M. has assembled a learning environment with specific focus on developing athletic skills, life skills, and social skills. We strive to provide a solid platform for improving the choices and the development of successful men and women of character. The program staff provides support, guidance and expertise in these respective fields and will also intervene in circumstances that could interfere with student success. The staff are experts at providing resources and support outside of the academic arena that could hinder student achievement. The entire staff has the over-arching responsibility of identifying potential barriers to graduation, develop and implement individual intervention strategies, and work with students to develop a graduation and achievement plan to include the best program to meet the student post-secondary goals. The F.I.R.M. addresses the Following Themes: Athletic Training/Mentoring; Behavior Intervention/Rapid Response; Intentional Case Management; College and Career Readiness; Community Collaboration; Homelessness and Hunger; Student Employment; Post-Secondary Persistence; Job Preparation. Recruitment Targets: First Generation College Students; Second Generation College Students from Single Parent Homes; Black; Latino; Homeless; At-Risk Population; Aspiring Student Athletes. Program Areas: Tarrant County. The F.I.R.M. has had many successes, the program needs monetary donations to provide opportunities for these participants. We look to our dedicated community to help ensure that we impact many more young lives, Please Donate!
2024 AAU SCHEDULES
F.I.R.M.17U & 15U BOYS
Tournament Location Date
War Before the Storm DFW March 22-24th
2 Cities GAS0 DFW April 5-7th
Summer Preview GASO DFW April 19-21st
Spring Champions GASO DFW April 26-28th
2 Cities GASO San Antonio May 10-12th
GASO Madness DFW May 17-19th
JAZZY Invitational DFW May 31- June 2nd
Dallas Showtime DFW June 14 – 16th
Primetime Qualifier DFW July 6-7th
Summer Champions GASO DFW July 11-14th
Fed Ex Explosion DFW July 19-21st
Primetime Nationals DFW July 24-28th
MORE THAN BASKETBALL...
Developmental Assets:
1.Family support – Family life provides high levels of love and support.
2.Parent involvement - Parents are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school and extracurricular programs.
3.Service to others – Young person serves in the community 2-4 hours a month
4.Adult role models – Parents, adults, and F.I.R.M. leaders’ model positive, responsible behavior
5.Youth programs – Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in the community
6.Achievement motivation – Young person is motivated to do well in school
7.Responsibility – Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility for actions and fulfills their commitments to the programs they participate in.
8.Planning and decision making – Young person knows how to plan and make appropriate choices.
9. Resistance skills – Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations and seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.
10. Personal power – Young person feels he or she has control over “things that happen to me” and feels empowered to control their own destiny by using the tools the F.I.R.M. Organization provides as the framework for successful futures.
