“When we get together, we do great things.”
Whitney Williams is one for inspiring words when it comes to Tulsa’s newest sports club.
She and her husband, Michael, manage the Route 66 Basketball Team, an Oklahoma-based fitness, training and skill development program for middle-school boys. The local couple started the team in spring 2024 to promote athleticism and character development among sixth and seventh graders across the Tulsa area.
“We just wanted to give back to give boys the opportunity to really learn how to play basketball,” Whitney, head coach, said. “We make sure they do good in school; they’re very active in their community as well, and we just wanted them to be all-around young men.”
She and Michael, team administrator, relocated to Tulsa from Canada three years ago in June to further pursue their careers, with Whitney working in management consulting and her husband serving in renewable energy development.
The Williamses soon started devoting their extra time to hitting the basketball court with their son, Aidan, a rising Amateur Athletic Union player who trained under his mom, a former high school standout. It wasn’t long, however, before they extended the invitation to other young players across the Tulsa area, eventually growing the group into the title-winning team it is today.
“We felt like there’s a lot of investment in developing Tulsa for the future,” Michael said. “People who were likeminded in their faith, likeminded in how they wanted to raise their kids, likeminded in what they want from their community, and basketball was just a way to deepen those relationships.”
Tournaments and travel
The husband-and-wife duo fully sponsor Route 66, covering the costs of all uniforms and equipment, personalized and team training, coaching, and event/tournament registrations for all the players, including Aidan, now following in his mom’s footsteps.
“Route 66 is not just a place where I can enjoy basketball and win,” the 12-year-old guard said. “I like how it has helped me grow as a player and a person, and I really enjoy taking that journey together with my mom.”
Aidan shares that sentiment with his fellow guard Cooper Cowley, who said he enjoys playing for the team “because it’s a fun, competitive group. We get to play in our hometown and travel to big-time tournaments in different cities.”
Cowley’s enthusiasm for the road has followed him and his teammates to a variety of championship games, earning victories at the Texas Brawl Classic in Duncanville, Texas, last year and the Spring National Invitational in Tulsa this April, to name a few. What’s more, the team has nabbed first place in 14 of the last 16 tournaments it has entered.
Rising success
Their rising success — now the No. 12 ranking in the country, according to Grassroots 365 — stems from the unique dynamic the players share as an ethnically diverse roster from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
“They communicate with each other, they check on each other, they find ways to link with each other,” Michael said, “and that, we think, builds rapport, it builds confidence … on the court by spending time off the court.”
Whitney added, “It’s just a really good group of young men. They just fight until the last second, and they never give up, and I think I’m very proud of them for that.”
The Williamses challenge their players during routine practices throughout the week at both Holland Hall and Victory Christian gymnasiums, where they undergo rigorous training to perfect their craft.
Many of the Route 66 players are also multisport athletes and excel in other activities outside the basketball arena. Some kick a soccer ball while others throw a baseball, but it’s ultimately their hoop game that truly anchors them to a common goal.
“It’s about being a part of something bigger than yourself, accomplishing things with your team that you couldn’t have accomplished on your own,” forward Porter DeSautell said. “Everyone on our team is competitive, but we all work to make each other better.”
Looking to the future
Since starting Route 66, the Williamses have partnered with local leaders such as Oklahoma Roots Basketball Head Coach Noah Chee, Victory Christian Girls Basketball Head Coach Haleigh Lankster and Arkansas Razorbacks Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kelsi Musick.
They, among others, have continued to collaborate with the Williamses to help grow the league and compete in different events like the upcoming 2025 Texas Brawl Championship in September, where they will vie to defend their statewide title.
When asked what she’s excited about moving ahead, Whitney replied, “Just more opportunities, just getting the boys ready to go compete, just being around great young athletes.”
Michael added, “They’re hard workers, and I’m excited going forward to see how that hard work continues to pay off.”
For more information about the Route 66 Basketball Team, visit route66hoops.com.
Art Haddaway is a journalist and photographer with over 20 years of experience covering a variety of topics for various publications and organizations. He is also the author of “Reflections of an Editor: Insights & Observations of a Small-town Newsman.”
