Dorian Williams — Founder & CEO, National Federation of Middle School Sports

Dorian Williams is an educator, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for student-athletes with a career in education spanning nearly three decades. Since entering the field of education in 1997, Mr. Williams has dedicated his life to creating meaningful opportunities for young people through the power of sport.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Williams recognized a significant and long-standing gap in the recognition and support of middle school athletics across the United States. It was this observation — and his unwavering belief that middle school students deserve the same competitive opportunities afforded to athletes at every other level — that ultimately inspired the founding of the National Federation of Middle School Sports.

Mr. Williams holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Livingstone College, where he also served as a college basketball coach. His experience both in the classroom and on the court gave him a unique and well-rounded perspective on the role that athletics play in the academic and personal development of young people.

In 1997, Mr. Williams founded In Time of Need Incorporated, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to serving and uplifting communities in need. That same spirit of service led him to establish Hoop Dreams Athletics, an AAU program that has transformed the lives of more than 1,000 student-athletes by helping them secure millions of dollars in college scholarships. Through Hoop Dreams Athletics, Mr. Williams has proven time and again that with the right platform, resources, and guidance, young athletes can achieve extraordinary things.

At the heart of everything Dorian Williams does is a single, driving passion — to use the power of sports to change the lives of middle school students. The National Federation of Middle School Sports is the newest and boldest expression of that mission, and Mr. Williams remains committed to ensuring that every middle school athlete in America has the opportunity to compete, grow, and be seen on a national stage.

“My passion is to use sports to change the lives of middle school students.” — Dorian Williams, Founder & CEO, National Federation of Middle School Sports