Barney Davis

Barney M. Davis, CEO and founder of MIKA Sports Association, began with a love of basketball from a young age. He worked as a youth counselor at a local YMCA, and became a teacher at several schools, starting at Goddard High School, then J.H.S. 57 and Middle School 324 in Brooklyn. He started coaching the girls’ basketball team at J.H.S. 324 and later formed a team at Penn Wortman Recreation Center in Canarsie. In 1988, after visiting Goldwater Hospital- a specialized hospital for paraplegic and other disabled patients- Penn Wortman girls’ basketball was then renamed to M.I.K.A (honoring a young patient who left a lasting impression).

Throughout his coaching career, Coach Davis would lead some of his players to various championships - two NYC PSAL Championships- at both Paul Robeson and Medgar Evers High Schools and winning tournaments throughout NYC Summer Leagues. He also started the Dr. Martin Luther King Girls Basketball Tournament. Coach Davis helped many of the female athletes in his program obtain basketball scholarships to numerous colleges, such as Howard University, Seton Hall, UMass, Georgetown, and North Carolina State, to name a few. Some of his girls were even fortunate enough to play professionally overseas and in the WNBA.

It was always more than basketball for Coach Davis. With essay writing and inspirational quotes, Barney saw the importance of challenging his athletes to “make change or be the change.” He is a legend in the eyes of many. He will never be forgotten.