About Us

The Phenomenal journey began in 2016 with the birth of Ohio Phenom Academy (OPA) when Darryl “DP”

Peterson asked his son Darryn “Bucket Jones” Peterson where he wanted to play AAU. The options were

unlimited for the young phenom. He stated, “I do not want to go anywhere and play, I want people to want to come play with me.”

A short time after that the concept of “Building Phenoms” was born by curator, Darryl “DP” Peterson. When he looked around at the future of the youth in his community of Stark and Summit county, he resolved to establish the Ohio Phenom Academy, a youth development program that gives urban youth a clear foundation, structure, and regimen to attain success.

In order to sustain the academy a 501(c)(3), LLC and insurance was secured. The vision was for the program to represent a sports, health, and wellness academy that develops holistic approaches in providing unique

experiences through athletic training, competitive sports, and life skills programming for the betterment of

youth and families in our urban community. O.P.A programs function as year-long wrap-around services

designed to fill a niche’ between local educational institutions and their youth sports programs.

Educators, coaches, trainers, and volunteers collaborate to provide a diverse needs-driven, standards-based program to youth in 1st through 12th grade. At the time, our program provided for 500 students. Our staff has been trained by the Amateur Athletic Union to ensure the safety and well-being of our athletes and program participants.

The general scope of our program is built on three dynamic pillars:

Athletic Training

● Provide fundamental skills practice to enhance athletic performance

● Vertimax training

● Hand/eye coordination drills

● Plyometrics

Athletic Coaching

● Provide athletes an opportunity to play in a team sport

● Train athletes in strategies, skillsets necessary to play a team sport

● Provide entry, travel, and accommodations for athletes to compete in regional sporting events

● Field trips to regional competitive sporting events

Life Skills

● Provide educational modules on bullying, hazing, and harassment

● Offer tutoring services to support academic performance

● Educational field trips to college campuses

● Provide opportunities for community outreach whereby participants can also earn credit toward

the cost of the program

● Provide educational modules on nutrition, health, and wellness

● Provide educational framework to teach and reinforce social etiquette

● Reinforce goal-setting, time management, and teamwork

Along this journey we had many phenoms compete on nationally ranked teams in grades 3rd through 8th.

Players made reputations for themselves amongst national ranking services. Darryn “Bucket Jones” leads the way in exemplifying the definition of a phenom, “a person who is outstandingly talented or admired, especially an up-and-comer.” He is currently ranked as a top 3 player in all of the national scouting services. As his father would say, “separation is in the preparation.”

The brand has also produced many trend setting fashions that continue to be on backorder. These fashions

include bucket hats, hoodies, shorts, sweat suits, etc. The swag is phenomenal or as our phenoms say, “stupid”. The demand has been so phenomenal that a website is under construction to allow for these items to be more readily available for the world market.

As the brand continues to grow a new vision was born for Phenom United which has a daily commitment to

grow youth to represent the best innovators and creators for the future by providing access to mentorship and unique educational experiences. From the beginning, the main focus is to teach skills to enhance lives through opportunities that separate them from the challenges facing them everyday by preparing themselves for future greatness—Separation through Preparation. Growing elite phenomenal youth is the mission driving this program. Phenom youth came from every level of the Stark & Summit communities, regardless of their background or environment. A “real-time” journey that documents each Phenom participants growth, environment, and evolution through education.