Coach – Basketball
Anthony Hawkins was born and raised in Lexington, Ky. As a child, he lived in East End. He was one of many who flocked to the Charles Young Community Center. It was a safe place and had great role models, mentors, and community leaders.
At age 12, Anthony’s family moved to West End across from Douglass Park. He played in the Douglass Park Baseball League, organized by Mr. McElroy Madden, and in the Dirt Bowl Summer Basketball League.
In 1975, Anthony caught the coaching bug at age 16. Working as a free lunch worker, he organized a youth basketball team at Bluegrass-Aspendale Park to compete in the End of Summer Competition held annually at Douglass Park.
Anthony, also known as “Hawk,” and Robert Owsley started the Junior Dirt Bowl Summer Basketball League in 1978 for teens ages 14-17 at the Carver Community Center. They organized annual games with the Lexington Junior Dirt Bowl and Louisville Youth Dirt Bowl All-Stars.
In 1980, Anthony, along with Ed “Money” Williams and Scott Ferguson, started the Sun Bowl Summer Basketball League for kids ages 10-13 at the Charles Young Community Center with volunteer coaches, scorekeepers, and referees. As a team incentive, before the start of each season, they painted the court the colors of the prior season’s champion.
The Junior Dirt Bowl and Sun Bowl were such successes that Mr. John Will “Scoop” Brown, Lexington Parks and Recreation District III Superintendent, had both leagues added to Parks and Recreation programming. Youth, teens, and parents are still enjoying these leagues today.
Over a 44-year span, Anthony coached basketball in the following organizations – Mary Todd Junior Pro (founded by UK Coach Adolph Rupp), Junior Dirt Bowl, Sun Bowl, Northern Elementary Girls League, Kentucky Lightning Women’s Semi-Pro, United States Basketball of America, Youth Basketball of America, and the Amateur Athletic Union.
He is a previous recipient of the Mayor’s “Time Out for People” Award and the YMCA’s “Am I My Brother’s Keeper” Service Award. Along with coaching, Anthony was also a KHSAA Basketball Official for more than 20 years.
After moving to Virginia in 2017, Anthony met his wife, Seekqumarie (CQ Marie), in 2019 and retired from coaching that year. They have been married for four years and are proud parents of a baby girl, Mya Marie Hawkins.
While living in Lexington, Anthony wore many hats for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. He was employed at the LFUCG Juvenile Detention Center and served as Gainesway Center Director, Winburn Academy Center Director, Winburn Summer Fun Camp Director, Dunbar Center Director, and Kenwick Summer Camp Director, Athletics Supervisor, and Athletics Manager. He is currently employed as a recreation supervisor for the Virginia Department of Corrections.
Anthony taught his players that the skills required to perform in sports should also be used in life, such as self-discipline, determination, goal setting, and always giving 100%, every second of every minute of every hour of every day of their lives. Not only did he teach these goals to players, but Anthony also lives by this motto as well. Through his multiple years of work at Parks and Recreation and coaching many youth in basketball, Anthony has made a positive impact on thousands of lives in the Lexington, KY, community.
