SHOOTING for the stars!
BEING NOMINATED FOR FATHER OF THE YEAR WAS A SLAM DUNK FOR ADAM
As a single dad of four who runs his own dry-cleaning business, Adam Desmond doesn’t have much free time.
But when he’s not at home, you’ll find him on the basketball court, inspiring thousands of Aussie kids.
“I was going down a bad track as a teenager, but I became a dad at 17 and that changed everything for me,” Adam, 45, tells New Idea.
“I turned my life around and years later, I saw young people in our area who could be set on that same track I was.”
Adam, who lives in Perth, launched Binar Futures 13 years ago. What started as coaching a basketball team of six kids has now turned into a huge community organisation that helps more than 2000 primarily First Nations kids annually across WA.
Called Binar, which is the
Noongar peoples’ word for meteor, Adam’s dream has always been to give kids a purpose. He’s determined to ensure “no child is left behind”, and inspire them to live out their potential with sport and education.
“I hear a lot of stories from kids who say we’ve made a real impact on their lives; kids who wouldn’t be where they are if they hadn’t had Binar support. It motivates me seeing the kids so happy,” Adam says.
“We’ve got kids through our program who’ve gone on to the National Basketball League and State Leagues, but I still feel our greatest achievement is that 90 per cent of our staff have come through our program and go on to become our leaders and mentors.”
Adam, who is also referred to as ‘Dadam’ by some of the kids, was recently shortlisted for Sports Father of the Year at The Australian Fathering Awards.
The award recipients will be announced on August 29. But win or lose, Adam is proud.
“I’ve always been low-key and don’t want fuss but as time’s gone on I’ve realised it’s not just for me,” he says. “It’s important for my kids and the Binar kids. What we do is a team effort and they’re all proud to be part of it.”