Southwest Deaf Optimist Club (SWDOC) and Arizona Desert Fire Basketball (AZDF) was established in the spring of 1995 by a group of Deaf basketball players, most of them with college basketball experience. The goal was to create a team with the ability to compete in Men's Top Division basketball leagues. Without having much play time together, we surprised ourselves and won several league championships while competing against former college and pro basketball players. For competition with other deaf teams, we participated in the Farwest Athletic Association of the Deaf (FAAD) Regional tournament and the USA Deaf Basketball (USADB) National tournament. We have won 12 FAAD Regional Championships in the last 15 years and 4 USA Deaf Basketball National Champions in 10 years. In 1999, we had the privilege to host the first USADB National tournament in Phoenix, Arizona. The event was sponsored in part by the Phoenix Suns and was hosted at the Phoenix Civic Plaza. It proved to be a great success and the surroundings of the downtown area could not have made for a more memorable tournament. In 2003, AZDF hosted our 1st Regional tournament in Phoenix with the support of Sunnyslope High School.
Our Mission:
To facilitate the opportunity for the youth of our community to enhance and develop their skills and talents in basketball.
We believe in the famous saying:
"A Sound Mind is in A Sound Body"
We are committed to provide the opportunity to our youth to develop their social skills, including self-confidence, personal identity, and sense of affinity.
Our main goals are:
To promote and further develop our youth's ability in sports. Keep the youth away from Juvenile Crime and Drugs, through sports of basketball and parent's involvement. By providing after school programs,
basketball clinics, and deaf basketball camps, we help create a positive environment for the young people to grow in.
To encourage and foster:
» Fair Play
» Good Sportsmanship
» Teamwork
» Healthy Competition
