Special Needs Academy is designed to support the special needs athlete and youth to grow and develop their abilities through consistent structured sports, and
social interactions. We offer strength and skills training for basketball for all types of abilities, in
addition to coaching on etiquette and good sportsmanship. We will support you or your
special needs athlete to be able to grow and develop at any level physically, socially or ability.
Various strategies are used to encourage and engage athletes during the training sessions Including
Benefits of the training to athletes with special needs include, physical fitness
The academy also provides social engagement and volunteering opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities and intellectual developmental disabilities in the community in an inclusive setting.
Quarterly training for athletes and their families focused on nutrition, exercise and healthy living by inviting guest speakers and educators from the community.
Athletes have the opportunity to participate in vocational activities during fundraising events. Saving Soles for Kids hosts year round activities in gathering shoes, pairing, packing, and inventorying.
Our athletes learn to work together, and with the community developing relationships and by giving back. Year round we have opportunities to yabba dabba.
Athletes participate in giving back to the community by participating in the monthly
Assistant coaching and peer mentoring opportunities are available to those athletes that demonstrate leadership skills or abilities.
Rodrick Matthews will serve as a director for Saving Soles. Rodrick was an outstanding player in high school at Cole High School in San Antonio and attended Prairie View A&M University on a Army ROTC scholarship. He graduated with a BS in Industrial Engineering. He started the XrossOver Basketball Academy in 2008 while working as an Engineer at Abbott Labs. Rodrick also co-founded the basketball training academy Kingdom Performance in 2014. Rodrick's passion to help kids birthed the motivation to give back to those less fortunate and Saving Soles was born. His wife, currently living in Ethiopia, serve as the coordinator for distributing the donated shoes in this area.
Keith Spencer will serve as co-director for Serving Soles. Keith received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Texas-San Antonio(UTSA), where he contributed in charging the dynamics of the roadrunner basketball program. In 2008, Coach Keith graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He then signed a contact to play professional basketball for De Friesland Aris in Holland.
Keith has worked with kids as a coach and also co-founded Kingdom Performance. Keith serves on the board of another non-profit working with special needs children and adults and has prided himself on charity. Keith has been married to his beautiful wife Natasha for 6 years and they have a 5 year-old daughter, Sarai.