Our brand new 18,000 square feet, 80-bed dormitory hosts two student lounges, a fully equipped kitchen, an onsite laundry facility, and more.
DME Academy is lucky to have a roster of talented coaches leading its sports teams. From those who have professional sports ties to those who have been honored at the national level for their coaching abilities and leadership.
Join us in welcoming Wesley Person to our DME Academy coaching staff. He will be joining us as the Head Coach of the DME High School Regional Team.
Wesley’s incredible resume boasts 11 years as a player in the NBA spending his first year in the league with the Phoenix Suns, going 23rd overall in the 1994 NBA Draft. His accolades include leading the league in minutes played, three-pointers taken, and percentage made during the 1997-98 season and spending seven years of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wesley also spent one year of his career playing under Dan Panaggio, DME co-founder, in 2003 when he was playing for the Portland Trailblazers. Dan Panaggio was the assistant coach at the time.
When asked about being coached by Dan, Wesley said, “Dan was a player-coach. He was the type of coach you could talk to and confide in. He is approachable and was always there for everyone. Not only was Dan one of the most humble coaches I had the pleasure of playing for, but he always had a reason for his decisions on and off the court.”
When his playing career came to an end, Wesley transitioned into a coaching role, spending the last 22 years mentoring the next generation of athletes. Most recently, Wesley was the head coach of the Greenville High School Tigers in Greenville, Alabama where he was named 20201 Coach of the Year.
Wesley’s passion for teaching basketball IQ and mentoring athletes has made him a successful and beloved coach. Being part of the lives of the kids who are members of his team is his way of giving back to a sport that gave so much to him.
“I have a different coaching style for each athlete. As a coach, you have to identify the best practices of each player – how to communicate with them and what they need to improve on so you can help them take their skills to the next level,” says Wesley, “If athletes put in the work, it gives them a higher chance of advancing their career. I’m always looking ahead at how I can prepare them for whatever is next.”
Wesley’s coaching philosophy is simple: teach an athlete once and your job is done. When coaches give athletes the tools to be successful, it enables them to figure out how to adapt their playing style to what’s needed to succeed. It also guarantees they won’t make the same mistake twice.
Even with a history of winning on high-school, collegiate, and national stages, Wesley considers the ultimate win seeing his players be successful in life and being given the opportunity to choose where they want to take their careers next.
“It’s great when the team wins games, but we’re trying to build these kids’ futures. I win when they’re successful.”
DME is excited about the experience and talent Wesley will bring to the DME Academy coaching staff and look forward to the High School Regional Team taking the court soon.
About DME Academy: DME Academy is an elite, multi-sport training and educational institution designed for student-athletes who are looking to reach their ultimate potential, harness their strengths, and achieve their goals. Located in Daytona Beach, Florida, the academy offers a wide variety of programming, servicing 6th-12th grade students. DME is a co-ed boarding school that offers post-graduate programs, year-round camps, tournaments, and team events, including collegiate and professional training.
To learn more about DME and our sports programs, connect with one of our Student-Athlete Advisors by booking a one-on-one call here!
How Mike Panaggio and DME Academy are helping young athletes with the guidance of NBA player, Bismack Biyimbo
On July 31st, Mike Panaggio, co-owner of DME Academy in Daytona, Florida, set off to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa for a 2 week stay. The DME co-founder was accompanied by Bismack Biyombo, who plays in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns and Xabi Zusperreguy from France. The purpose of the trip was to change the lives of young athletes by helping Bismack organize and execute a basketball camp for the youth of the Congo, in which two lucky athletes would be selected to attend DME Academy for the 2022-23 season on a full scholarship.
On what motivated Panaggio to award two full scholarships to DME Academy he explains, “Whoever gives, needs to feel as good as the person receiving the gift of a scholarship. We are looking for two fortunate athletes who want to come to America, have a high degree of respect for education, will put their all into trying something new, and have a certain discipline of family culture.”
The two students who will be attending DME Academy on a full scholarship will be learning benchmarks in English, physicalities on the court, how to adapt to American style of basketball, and how to make lifelong friends with other student-athletes in the US.
For the last two years, The Biyombo Family Foundation has not been able to host any camps due to the sweeping Covid-19 pandemic. Panaggio acted as an assistant counselor to Bismack to make sure that the first year back was an unforgettable experience for the young hopeful athletes.
On the first day of camp on August 2nd, almost 120 kids ventured across the Congo, some traveling as far as 4 hours, to show off their skills to their nation’s hero, Bismack Biyombo. The next 3 days were filled with drills, shooting, working on physical benchmarks and playing pick up games against each other. The last day of camp, August 6th, held the most excitement. The team held an all stars skills competition consisting of a slam dunk contest and 3 point shooting competition to test their accuracy. Both girls and boys competed in the cutthroat competition.
“The final day of the basketball camp in Lubumbashi, with over 3,000 locals watching, was incredibly powerful and touching,” says Mike Panaggio. “It is amazing how everyone shares the same love I have for basketball. We always felt safe and very welcome by the people of Lubumbashi, even though we were the only foreigners”
After exploring the cities of Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Goma, completing a successful three day basketball camp, and making countless memories, Bismack brought Mike and his crew to his mother’s house for a true, homestyle Congolese dinner to wrap the trip up.
Mike was the only one to make the trip from DME Academy this year, but he is hopeful that his son, Matt Panaggio, will accompany him next year to appreciate the Congo and find the next two future DME Academy attendees.
Each year moving forward, DME will sponsor 2 new athletes from the Congo in partnership with the Bismack Biyombo Foundation to give them a chance at a better life.
During the trip, Panaggio, Biyombo and Zusperreguy were accompanied by a video crew. They will be releasing a documentary in the coming months of their experience in the Congo and will name it “The Spirit of Congo”. Watch out for it on the DME Academy social channels!
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Through this strategic partnership, the Florida Gulf Coast League will be hosting its elite lacrosse summer league on the DME Academy Campus in 2023. Here, aspiring women's collegiate lacrosse players will experience an immersive camp, training, and competitive play environment spread out over a two-week period. Athletes from all divisions are welcome and will get access to elite facilities, coaching, and competition.
Athletes will enjoy an all-inclusive experience including housing, uniforms, training sessions (team and individual), gameplay, live streamed games & USALacrosse Certification to be able and officiate girls' lax games in the future.
This 2021 graduate from Virginia Tech holds a program record for best GAA in a career at 10.30
This 2021 graduate from The University of North Carolina played defense and mid for the team. She was a key part of a Tar Heels defensive unit her senior year, allowing only 6.35 goals allowed per game.
This 2017 graduate from the University of Florida won countless awards for her attacking play including the BIG EAST Attacker of the Year in her senior season.
This 2021 graduate from the University of Michigan was a two-year captain and All-Big Ten First Team in her senior year.
Our brand new 18,000 square feet, 80-bed dormitory hosts two student lounges, a fully equipped kitchen, an onsite laundry facility, and more.
Our performance programs cover everything. This includes speed, agility, endurance, mental & nutritional programming, proper rest & recovery methods, and injury prevention.
Made famous for its wide beach and smooth, hard-packed sands, our beaches always get noticed. Beyond that, our boardwalk with shopping, dining, and International Speedway are must-see locations!
With more than 47,000 square feet our professionally maintained facility has the latest training equipment and technology for athletes. Our facility boasts 2 full NBA courts & 5 youth courts.
Athletes will have a variety of options - pancakes, waffles, orange juice & omelettes to keep them energized throughout the day!
Breakfast
Different styles of weight training and cardio to help keep endurance and get stronger!
Strength and Conditioning
Fine tune your skill sets with our position specific training sessions, lead by former collegiate and professional lacrosse players.
Skill Development
Athletes will have the option of sandwiches, smoothies, fruit and protein bars for their lunch!
Lunch
The afternoon athletes will have the chance to grow their skills and play some games with competition from all over the country!
Games
Athletes will have pizza, salad, pasta, and a dessert selection for dinner to keep them full throughout the night!
Dinner
This time will be used for those athletes who want to get a couple more reps in and/or dig into the film learning from the game and or day's practice sessions.
Optional Training Sessions &/or Film Sessions
It’s not every day that a pair of NBA prospects show up to summer camp, but then again, DME Academy’s Summer Prep isn’t your everyday summer camp – it’s an elite training program that was purpose built to help athletes shed the off season rust.
So when DME alumni Keegan and Kris Murray were on campus for their jersey retirement ceremony, campers were more than happy to share the court with them. Keegan, the 4th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and his twin brother Kris, a cornerstone of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ men’s basketball program, led an impromptu coaching session, participated in shootaround, and of course left plenty of time for photo ops and autograph signings.
Athletes in attendance at the month-long, sleep-away Summer Prep Camp have full access to DME Academy’s state of the art facilities, including the 4,700 square foot field house, two full-size NBA courts, five youth courts, performance center, and athletic training rooms. Not to mention the close proximity to Daytona Beach allows for beach workouts under the Florida sun and plenty of team building activities like a fun night at Dave & Buster’s, a bowling trip and game nights in the dorm’s rec hall.
Monday through Friday, campers adhered to a rigorous training schedule that focuses on developing skills, strength, endurance, and basketball IQ. Here’s what a typical day in the life looks like:
The grind doesn’t stop on the weekends. Throughout the course of the summer, DME Academy competed in three tournaments across the state of Florida, including the Battle at the Big House, and a tournament at Mainland High School. In addition to these tournaments, DME Academy hosted an exhibition game against the Bulleen Boomers from Australia. Many of the campers come from all around the world.
At the end of the program, the campers received a personalized report card from the coaching staff. The transcript contains their stats, strengths, weaknesses and a personalized highlight reel so athletes leave camp knowing exactly what to work on throughout the remainder of the off season. An added bonus of the Summer Prep Camp is the media day, which provides athletes with professionally shot photos in order to enhance their presence on social media channels and recruiting platforms.
Are you already thinking about next summer? Click here to learn more about sports camps at DME Academy.
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Kris and Keegan Murray returned to DME Academy this past week. It was a celebration as the brothers were honored with jersey retirement ceremonies. Their numbers — Kris’ number 31 and Keegan’s number 25 — will be immortalized on the walls of DME’s basketball court, showing young student-athletes what can be accomplished with hard work and determination. The twins, born on August 19th, 2000, attended DME at the age of 19, where their careers really started to take off.
“Before coming to DME, we weren’t being taken very seriously because we were always looked at and thought to be on the smaller side,” said Keegan at the Q&A session during the ceremony. “Once we got to DME, I really started to understand how much work I needed to put in to get my game to the next level. DME is great because you will always have the option to get better, whether it be getting shots up whenever you want or getting in the gym at any hour of the day to lift weights at their state-of-the-art facility”.
Since starting their basketball journey at DME, Kris and Keegan have been on a tear in their individual basketball careers. Keegan was just recently selected 4th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2022 NBA Draft after playing two years with the Iowa Hawkeyes where he scored 23.5 points per game on average and won the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward. Kris has his eyes set on the 2023 NBA draft as he returns to the courts as a Hawkeye for this upcoming season where he currently scores 9.7 points per game on average.
The event kicked off with a tour of the facilities, showing off the newly constructed dorms. Admissions coordinator Haleigh Panaggio led a walk through the campus to show off the new beach volleyball courts and the site of the full-sized soccer field that will be completed in the fall.
After the campus tour, the twins spent some time with the young athletes attending DME’s Summer Prep Camp. They answered questions on what it’s like to play at a Division-I school, what their time was like at DME and the sacrifices the twins had to make to get as far as they have thus far. Everyone was in high spirits after lining up for pictures and received autographs from the twins on items including sneakers and playing cards.
The ceremony was attended by past coaches, mentors and even a few of the twins former teammates. Fox 35 Orlando, a local news station was also onsite making sure to document the historical moment for DME.
The event was powerful and emotional, fitting for two players who are forces to be reckoned with on the court, as well as great students and friends off of it. After opening words from Dan Panaggio, Co-Owner of DME, the Murray family answered questions from Halifax Health’s, Kaylee Durrance who was emceeing the event.
“This is a very special day in DME Academy history,” said Dan Panaggio. “Thank you to the Murrays for taking time out of your busy lives to spend it with us. To Keegan and Chris, I have seen a lot over the years – working with some of the biggest names in basketball history. The way you both carry yourselves, on and off the court is a testament to your parents and the type of people that we want to represent DME. You are true examples of young, aspiring athletes that did things the right way. You both displayed hard work, dedication, humility and sincerity in the pursuit of chasing your dreams. We are here today to honor you as role models all athletes at DME should try to emulate”.
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The banners were dramatically revealed to be forever imprinted on the walls of DME, where all future student-athletes can look up and be inspired to make their biggest dreams become a reality.
To learn more about how DME can help you ignite your dreams, check out our programs here!
Lester Stewart Appointed as Director & Head Coach of DME Academy National Post-Grad Team
DME Academy announced the hiring of Lester Stewart as the director and head coach of the national post-grad basketball team. Lester comes to DME Academy from Casper College, where his role as assistant basketball coach was focused on implementing training programs, developing scouting reports and recruiting top-level talent.
During his time at the junior college and NCAA Division-I levels, Lester proved his coaching and recruiting abilities, as well as his aptitude to push talent to the next level. His career highlights include:
“We couldn’t be more excited to add Lester to our team,” said Laura Stegall, athletic director at DME Academy. “His experience at the high school, junior college, and NCAA levels will be instrumental to the progress of our program. He has a keen eye for discovering hidden talent and a unique ability to push players to the next level.”
“My career path has led me to DME Academy where the values and vision are shared, and it’s a blessing,” said Lester. “I will serve each player that has walked and will walk through the doors of DME Academy, and I will help them build on their strengths, accomplish their dreams and reach their ultimate potential. I’m excited to be a part of the DME family, let’s get to work!”
Are you ready to push your game to the next level? Come play for coach Stewart at DME Academy. Click here to learn more about DME Academy’s elite basketball program.
DME Academy is set to retire the Murray brother’s numbers July 28th as the first inductees into DME Academy’s Hall of Fame.
It seems like everyone is talking about the Murray brothers as of late. It’s no wonder, since Keegan was selected fourth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft to the Sacramento Kings after playing two seasons for the University of Iowa. Twin brothers Kris and Keegan spent their PG year at DME, and they have been on an upward trajectory ever since. The duo dominated the 2019-20 season at DME, and that set the stage for the Murray’s to elevate their game in the Big Ten with Iowa. Now in 2022, Keegan will embark on an NBA career while Kris will enter his third season for the Hawkeyes.
At the end of this month, Kris and Keegan will make a celebrity appearance in Daytona, Florida, where DME Academy, will retire the two brother’s jerseys. It will be an all-day event held on Thursday, July 28th, celebrating the twin’s accomplishments both at DME and beyond.
The ceremony will hosted in partnership with Halifax Health and will feature the entire Murray family and a special Q&A so they can share plenty of advice for upcoming basketball student-athletes. “Honoring these two young men was an easy decision for our leadership team. Character, drive and dedication are all characteristics we demand of current and future DME student-athletes, and the Murray brothers are a perfect example of that.. Honoring them both as the first members of the DME Hall of Fame made perfect sense.” Says Dan Panaggio, owner of DME Academy.
Whether the goal is playing professionally, earning a college scholarship or testing the waters internationally, DME is on a mission to support the lives of all of our student-athletes. If you are interested in seeing how DME Academy can help further your education and sports career, get in touch here!
Jalynn Brown has been on a hot streak serving the heat in Florida’s Volusia County. Jalynn Brown, a 6’1″ outside attacker for DME’s Volleyball Club who has asserted herself as a top performer her whole High School career as well as her Club career with DME, has recently committed to play at the University of South Florida for the 2022-’23 academic school year and was named to USAV Florida Indoor High Performance All-Star Roster for 2022, making it her second year in a row!
“Jalynn is the highest level recruit DME has ever sent to play collegiate volleyball and we are extremely proud of all she continues to accomplish on and off the court.” says Laura Stegall, Athletic Director at DME Academy.
“Jalynn is the epitome of what we preach at DME. Stay the course, trust the process and good things will happen. We are super proud of not only her accomplishment of being recruited to a division one school, in particular USF, but we are super proud of the way she handled the process. For a 16-year-old to be recruited by multiple Division I schools and be able to carry the load of responding to coaches, sending emails prior to tournaments and after tournaments, college visits, AVCA phenom program, and remain grounded to her club and high school team is nothing short of amazing.” says Dawn Moses, Director of Volleyball at DME.
Jalynn made the decision to stay loyal to DME after having multiple high powered club teams try to recruit her this past summer. Her loyalty speaks to her character and in the words of her father, Jim Brown, “A handshake in the Brown household means something”.
Congratulations, Jalynn! Your DME Family is so proud of you! We can’t wait to cheer the USF Bulls on while watching you play!
Learn more about DME’s volleyball program here.
Keegan Murray Has Taken The Next Leap In His Basketball Career
photo by Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports
The Sacramento Kings have officially picked former DME star basketball player Keegan Murray for the #4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Keegan is the first DME Academy alumnus who has taken his talents to the NBA after a successful career at a D1 college. The Kings are looking forward to the addition of Keegan Murray who is a 6’8″ 215 pound swingman who just had a breakout sophomore season, putting him at the forefront of this year’s Draft.
“This is a tribute to a young man who has done everything the right way,” said Dan Panaggio, co-founder of DME Academy “His training, education and character development – he has all of the intangibles. Keegan is a credit to DME but more importantly to his family. We are all so proud of him and look forward to continuing watching him grow.”
Murray (21) joins the Sacramento Kings after most recently playing with the Iowa Hawkeyes for the last two years and averaging over 40% on 3 pointers and 23.5 points per game on 55/40/75 shooting splits. He most recently was the recipient of the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. He ranked first in the country in Player Efficiency Rating (37.8), fourth in points per game (23.5), 51st in double-doubles (10) and he was the only player nationally to average 23+ points per game with 8+ rebounds for the 2021-22 season.
Murray, a native of Cedar Rapids Iowa, played a Post grad year at DME Academy in Daytona, Florida where he really started to excel and garner attention from D1 schools, most importantly The Iowa Hawkeyes, which was his dream school. While at DME, Murray averaged 22.1 points per game and 7.5 rebounds.
To take the leap and to start realizing your dreams, apply to DME Academy today by clicking here today!
Led by 3 athletes on ESPN’s Top 100 chart, the DME Academy Girls Basketball team was primed to have a trend setting season; and while it wasn’t the fairy tale ending they had hoped for, there is still plenty for the program to be proud of.
They ended their season ranked #6 in the country with a record of 25-4, plus they added an SIAA State Championship title to the trophy case. In addition to dominating throughout the state of Florida, the program also made its first ever GEICO National Championship tournament berth. Their 25 win season included marquee victories over Monteverde in January, Lake Highland and Central Pointe to win the SIAA and clinch the spot in the GEICO National Tournament.
“This year’s team redefined our metrics for success,” Says Michael Panaggio, Director of Girls Basketball at DME. “We accomplished so much this season, and we really set the bar for what this program is capable of. I want to give a big ‘thank you’ to all of our seniors who have left this program in an even better position than it was in when they found it.”
The squad’s ‘big 3’ proved to be the real deal this season. Even in their semi-final loss, Sydney Shaw (ranked #49) and Amiya Evans (ranked #65) combined for 23 points, while junior Chloe Kitts (ranked #16) put up a game-high 25 points and 13 rebounds.
“Kitts, currently No. 16 in the 2023 class, is a highly sought-after wing prospect,” says ESPN’s Shane Laflin. “She holds offers from every major conference in the country. She is very effective in the mid-range and around the paint in face-up opportunities. As she expands the consistency of her range, her stock will rise even more. She averages 18.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game to lead DME.”
Kitts is set to return for the 2023 season, alongside Michelle Ugwah, Asiana Britt, Janiya Johnson, and Zeryhia Aokuso. A roster bolstered with young talent and compounding years of team chemistry puts another run at a GEICO National Championship in reach.
All eyes are on Daytona Beach for the 2022-23 season. Are you ready to play on the national stage? Click here to get in contact with our team so you can learn more about what it takes to play at DME Academy.