My name is Clifton Thomas, affectionately called "Coach Bo". I was Born November 12, 1954. I graduated from New Hanover High School in 1973. I was Honorably Discharged from the USMC in 1977 and went on to graduate from UNCW in 1981 with a BS degree.
I began playing basketball at age 6 for the Boys Club. At 16, I began working there and assisted basketball Coach Earl Jackson. At 18, I became the club's first player coach. My love and passion for coaching was so intense that my greatest challenge became coaching against my mentor, Coach Jackson, daily. After losing in this year long challenge, Coach Jackson asked me, "Why I was coaching against him?" It was this moment that I realized that I needed to become a student of the game. I finally beat him and he asked me, "What changed?" I told him that I stopped coaching against him and just coached the game. From that day on, Coach Jackson then allowed me to do all the coaching.
I began the Spartans Basketball Association in 2008. I began to notice that no one was trying to help the kids labeled as "bad kids". I grew into the idea that God had anointed and ordained me to help these very kids. My passion quickly became one of proving to, and showing everyone that these kids only needed to be given a chance. As a result of beginning the Spartans Basketball Association with these troubled youth, many of them have moved on to become successful adults.
My philosophy is to never leave a kid behind. I have taken the sport of basketball and utilized it to teach the kids basketball as a life skill. Playing basketball teaches the kids how to work with one another, how to depend on others, how to share with others, how to support one another, how to get along with different personalities and how to respect authority.
I am so grateful at having the opportunity to create and use Spartans Basketball Association to make a difference with actions and not just words.
Without Further Ado...
