Although Father’s Day was celebrated in June, here at Sun Youth we think that fathers (and mothers) should be celebrated year-round.

Meet Shawn Bowen, one of our Hornets basketball coaches who volunteers while raising his five children. He is one of many volunteers who makes the Sun Youth Hornets basketball program possible for 120 children a year. His involvement with Sun Youth started when he played basketball for the Hornets in 2001-2002.

“I had heard that Sun Youth had an excellent basketball program and I wanted to be part of it,” Shawn says.

Today he coaches because his only son Antoine plays on the Mini AAA team. Antoine has already won three championships.

This summer Shawn will be coaching his son in the organization’s AAU-12 summer team who travel and play in tournaments in the hope of getting the kids scouted. Shawn also runs his family business, Centre Vida Sana, a recreation company hosting a summer basketball camp and after-school programs in many schools. Shawn credits his wife Nora Jones with his active lifestyle: “Without her none of this would be possible.” He sees his future in coaching as helping to develop local talent, working with younger kids on their fundamental skills.

A lot of the groundwork that has made our country a hotbed for basketball is due to volunteer coaches like Shawn who spend their weekends traveling to games and weeknights coaching kids. He spends as much time with his four girls who enjoy rock climbing, dancing, and riding bikes. Shawn says being a dad is “the more rewarding part of life.”