LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A successful Louisville youth program is back for the summer.
Supporting children in West Louisville athletically and academically, the DELTA Foundation uses sports to help its participants while also focusing on academics, mentorship and even job training. DELTA stands for Developing Educated Leaders Through Athletics.
Anthony Wheat III started coming to DELTA when he was just 8 years old and struggled with reading.
“When I got here, I was struggling, didn't want to read no books," Wheat said. "But ... they made me understand why reading is important. If you can't read, you can't do math, you can't do science; you need reading in life."
Six years later, he said he feels more confident in reading and has developed a passion for basketball.
"If it wasn't for me coming to DELTA ... I probably would not be playing basketball as well," Wheat said. "So I say most of my life, my basketball career has been here, and it's a great place to be.”
Former teacher and coach Wes Hinton founded the DELTA Foundation and said he understands the needs of children in West Louisville. The foundation's motto is, "Nobody touches the court until they touch the classroom."
“Any parent that has a kid in basketball, volleyball, knows how expensive they can be," Hinton said. "We offer all that for free, but the academics are non-negotiable ... we're one of the only independent nonprofits in Louisville that offers 100% free summer camps, after-school programming and tutoring.”
With more than 250 participants, the foundation offers an array of programs for elementary- through high-schoolers.
“Music, art ... we even brought in a mental health component where our kids can get group and individual therapy," Hinton said. "But (it's) really offering things that kids are interested in or we think we could benefit from them, outside of just sports and education.”
Hinton said the program gives parents peace of mind.
“You've got the tutoring, you've got the sports leagues, so our parents are grateful," Hinton said. "They know when they bring them here, it's not, 'Hey, it's a three-week camp,' and then it's over. It's like, now, they're going to have them all summer going right into the after-school program.”
Marrion Brown is in his third year at DELTA and said the program has motivated him to do better in school.
"We learn new things, (do) fun activities," Brown said.
Wheat said he hopes to become a mentor for the foundation.
“I would love doing it," he said. "If this would be my first job, I would love it.”
Hinton added he hopes to broaden its resources into different parts of the city, serving every child in Louisville.