By Rich Brown

rbrown@joplinglobe.com

Scott Schulte is a man of many hats ... especially when it comes to basketball.

The first hat this Webb City man wears is that of a coach and it is through mentoring elementary, junior high and high school players that he comes to adding a number of other hats to his repertoire.

Schulte, a 1979 graduate of Missouri Southern where he played basketball himself, decided to form the Skywalkers about 15 years ago with the idea of bringing youngsters together to train them to be good players, emphasizing a strong team concept. But he soon found his organization would require much more than just a coach’s expertise.

Other hats would have to be worn. Schulte, who migrated south from St. Louis after attending Kirkwood High School, felt his strong Christian faith and principles that had guided him through life could be used in a meaningful way to help many of his pupils beyond the scope of basketball. Thus, he assumed the hat of a Christian adviser. In so doing, he also took on the role of a motivator and counselor, as well as a big brother and father figure.

The Skywalker Academy has come to be recognized today representing all those concepts and, at the same time, holds the distinction of being among the finest training grounds for young basketball players of any around.

“We teach life lessons,” said Schulte, who guided his Skywalker 17-and-under team to second in the nation at the 2000 national AAU tournament. “I love getting kids who people are giving up on or don’t think can make it or are having confidence problems. I get them in here and say ‘hey, man, let’s go to work.’ You would be surprised what can happen if you start doing the right things.”

Schulte and his staff have been doing the right things for a long time, while stressing what he calls the foundational F’s of the Skywalker Academy—first things, forgiveness (faith), fear of the Lord, family, friends, focus and, the two latest additions, faint not and fight (determined effort).

“We stress that there are many life lessons that can be learned playing this game,” said Schulte, whose wife, Cherrie, helped him the first few years of the academy. “John Wooden (Hall of Fame coach from UCLA) said ‘Sports don’t build character; they reveal character.’ That is what we are working on with our program. We view a personal relationship and commitment to Jesus Christ enhances your focus on playing this game correctly and giving him glory for the abilities and lessons learned.”

Schulte, whose son, Drew, and daughter, Cara, learned the game through Skywalkers, was introduced to a basketball coaching environment at an early age.

“When I was in high school, I did a lot of basketball camps in St. Louis with Ed Macauley (college and pro standout who was named MVP of the first NBA All-Star Game),” he said.

That set the stage for the structured environment that has become identified with the Skywalkers.

“We break down the game into small parts to work on individual skills and then work on putting the pieces together to understand total team concepts,” said Schulte, who volunteers as the athletic director of the Joplin Boys and Girls Club, which, in turn, allows him to use the facilities for Skywalkers. “Each player receives a homework sheet for ball handling, dribbling and shooting drills that must be done daily. We stress and teach players that they need to play hard with intensity and passion. They need to do things right all the time, not just some of the time. We stress that the way you practice is the way you will play.”

He said what it boils down to is getting the youngsters ready to play on their school teams.

“I have had only one kid in 15 years try out for his team who didn’t make it,” he said. “I want to tell you ... that jarred me. I have talked to his coach and his parents and found what the issues are, and the kid is not going to give up. He is going back and keeping at it.”

The ultimate tribute to Schulte and his Skywalkers may have come last year.

“We got beat by a team after playing hard and when the game was finished the kids came over and asked ‘Hey, how can we get on your team?’” Schulte said. “We asked why would you want to join us since you just beat us? They said, ‘But you guys are the Skywalkers. We’ve heard of the Skywalkers.’”