Today we’d like to introduce you to William Kelly.
Hi William, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I have always loved basketball, starting at an early age. I used to watch Detroit Pistons & Shock games as a kid and wondered if I would have a professional career in basketball. Fast forward to my adult years and I found out that as much as I loved playing the game, I loved the behind-the-scenes side of basketball even more. I started working as an account executive for a local men’s team and realized how powerful bringing the community and basketball together truly was.
It’s a great platform to give back to your community and provide a high-level competitive event. After working in the men’s basketball industry for several years, I decided to look into opportunities for women basketball players. I quickly realized that there were little to no opportunities for ladies like there are for men. So my vision shifted to women’s basketball, with me wanting to provide the same opportunities for the women’s game and I connected with Mr. Willie McCray of the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League (WBCBL). It was the only league I saw for women’s basketball outside of the WNBA. We realized we had the same vision and I started the 1st pro women’s team in West Michigan, The Grand Rapids Galaxy. After being apart of growing a team from the ground and realizing the impact of creating a platform to display professional women to inspire young girls, my vision grew bigger. As years went on Mr. McCray decided he was going to retire and I wanted to keep the legacy he created and take it further. I then purchased the WBCBL and re-branded it to the WBDA in 2018. Making me the youngest pro basketball league owner at just 27 years old. The WBDA is the largest women’s basketball league with over 40+ teams across the US, with teams in Canada & Mexico also. We take pride in being a part of the history of women’s basketball since 2003 and we look to continue to grow and provide opportunities all around the world.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of the challenges I/the WBDA have faced is keeping up with our growth. As we continue to grow, we need more staff to be able to handle all of our regions to keep things flowing smoothly. Once we announced that we are looking to fill positions, there have been a large amount of interest to work with us. One of the main obstacles/challenges would be just fighting for industry equality. With women sports receiving a different treatment than men’s, the challenge has been being heard and seen along with being taken seriously. It’s a bigger fight than just ours, it’s for our entire sport. You see on the news the differences in compensation for WNBA players and you turn the channel to see the difference in hospitality the women’s collegiate teams received during Final Four. Our goal is to continue promoting and fighting to give women an equal platform both on and off the court by displaying different levels of professionalism, so we continue to inspire the next generation.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the CEO/Owner of the Women’s Basketball Development Association (WBDA).
Contact Info:
- Email: admin@wbdapro.com
- Website: https://www.wbdapro.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbdapro/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/WBDApro
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxL3Sjbx-LYxcoVWf2FrfMg
Image Credits
Hyvee Arena
