“You don’t coach basketball players; you coach people who play basketball.”
Those words, once spoken to Ismail Hassan from a coach, are both the focus and the goal behind Dribble Dreams Foundation, the Milton-based basketball non-profit the University of Guelph student founded in 2023 to empower underserved youth and make the sport more accessible.
“Sports can be expensive,” Hassan says. “No kid who wants to play should be unable to.”
More than just a basketball camp, Dribble Dreams offers kids between the ages of six and 18 mentorship, life skills and mental health support.
In its first year, Dribble Dreams put 50 kids, eager for opportunities they had previously not been afforded, on the basketball court. This year, the six-week summer camps registered more than 250 boys and girls.
“It’s not just about playing the sport,” he says, “but using it as a vessel to create opportunities.”
A grassroots basketball non-profit goes global
The opportunities he speaks of are not just limited to the kids but have opened doors for Hassan and the team of volunteers who have contributed to the foundation’s success.
The 6’5 guard, who enters his fourth year of study this fall in the Sport and Event Management program at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, took on every role in the foundation’s first year, from marketing to program operations to admin. One of the most important skills Hassan has learned as a leader is how to delegate and trust his team to help him with the growing workload.
“I’m privileged and grateful for this experience where I’m directly applying those skills, starting a non-profit and scaling it internationally,” he says. “What I’m learning I am also applying in a real-world sense.”
Among the volunteers are other varsity players and coaches who share their skills on the court and off, including some players from U of G’s women’s team. “We want to create equitable opportunities,” Hassan says. “Kids need to see that kind of representation.”
Dribble Dreams started in the basement of Hassan’s parents, who immigrated to Canada from Kenya. In 2024, due to the success of its programming and fundraising efforts, the foundation expanded to offer basketball and educational clinics for youth in Nairobi. “That was such a full circle moment for me,” he says.
In Kenya, more girls registered for the camp than boys. Dribble Dreams brought T-shirts, jerseys, water bottles, hydration drinks, bags and basketballs to more than 50 budding players. This year, Dribble Dreams will do the same for youth in neighbouring Uganda. “For a lot of them, this is their first experience playing basketball,” Hassan says.
The University pitched in too, donating school supplies, hygiene products and Gryphon basketballs, and funds from the annual Lang vs. Laz rivalry basketball game against Wilfred Laurier University were also donated to Dribble Dreams. “That was all possible because of the University of Guelph,” he adds.
Scott McRoberts, director of athletics at U of G, remembers the early days when Hassan came to his office to talk about the concept of the foundation. “I am so impressed by the passion, commitment and drive Ismail and his team have shown,” McRoberts says.
“This is what the U of G experience can bring and it provided space for Ismail to connect his passion for sport, with academic learning and giving back to the community,” he adds. “I am so proud of how this has grown and the drive Ismail had to make this a reality for so many youth in two different countries. It also gives me great pride as U of G staff to see the University get behind the initiative as well.”
Supporting mental, physical health through basketball
In the early days, GoFundMe and community donations helped Dribble Dreams come to life. Today, the foundation is supported by local businesses and grants from the Town of Milton’s community fund as well as Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program. “When you have good intentions, you find a lot of support,” Hassan says.
Ismail Hassan on the court as a Gryphon
That support has made basketball accessible to more than 600 kids in the past three years. “Youth who were just like me,” he adds.
“If I hadn’t played sports, I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” Hassan explains, pointing out that access to sports improves children’s mental and physical health, their performance in school and builds a sense of community.
“I’ve developed so many skills just by being physically active,” he says. “Sports keep you disciplined, and being a teammate keeps you responsible for your behaviour.”
In addition to Dribble Dreams, Hassan volunteers with the Junior Gryphons basketball program, served as a mentor to first-year varsity athletes through the Gryphons Student-Athlete Mentorship Program and has organized basketball clinics for children and families affected by cancer in collaboration with Campfire Circle. He has also used his platform to speak at high schools and events like Shoot4Change as an advocate for equity in access to sports, social change and youth leadership.
His efforts have been recognized with the OUA’s Ken Shields Award for outstanding achievement in basketball, academics and community involvement (Hassan is the second Gryphon to earn the conference-wide award) as well as a King Charles III Coronation Medal.
“If you can impact even just one person’s life, you never know what kind of difference that can make,” Hassan says. “To see the direct impact Dribble Dreams has had is so fulfilling.”