Today, we’d like to introduce you to Andy Nicholson.
Hi Andy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always loved to jump, and I fell in love with basketball at a young age. I wanted to be able to dunk more than anything in the world. I watched the NBA dunk contests every year and dreamed of the day I would be able to dunk and compete in dunk contests like my hero, Michael Jordan.
I tried all kinds of training methods, including ankle weights, strength shoes, filling up my backpack with weight, running hills, jumping rope, etc. But this was back in the 80s – long before the internet and the information available today on how to jump higher. My success was fairly limited, especially for how much work I put into it and how badly I wanted to fly. I only dunked a few times between the ages of 18 and 29, and it had to be the perfect day when the stars and planets all aligned and I had enough adrenaline to put one down.
In my 30s, I got the classic “dad bod,” and so was one of those skinny-looking guys with a belly! I kept playing basketball, but my dreams of dunking were now behind me. Or so I thought.
At age 39 and in full mid-life crisis mode as I was about to turn 40, I saw a video on YouTube of this incredible dunker named Jacob Tucker, who played for a small DIII college in Illinois. The NCAA decided to allow a player not from a D1 school — a “Dark Horse” to participate in their college slam dunk contest. Jacob was selected to compete and actually won it! He is only 5’10” (an inch shorter than me), and the dunks he could do absolutely blew my mind. Seeing this lit a fire for me, and my dream of dunking returned, and it became a complete obsession.
I found a training program online and got to work. I created a YouTube channel and a blog to share my journey and help track my progress. 11 weeks later, I dunked for the first time in 10 years! This made me hungrier for more. I kept training and started landing new dunks I had never made before and was jumping the highest of my life as an “old man” in my 40s.
At age 43, I hit a plateau and felt I needed a new goal to push myself further. I decided my new goal would be to compete in my first dunk contest! At age 44, I achieved that goal, competing in the FitCon Dunk Contest in Salt Lake City in April 2016.
Throughout this journey, I was sharing my training and progress on YouTube and then on Instagram. Through social media, I became friends with some of the best dunkers in the world. In 2017, I was invited to Florida to participate in a mega dunk session with several pro dunkers. For five days, all we did was dunk, watch dunking videos, talk about dunking, eat, sleep, and then repeat. It was one of the funniest things I had ever done.
During this trip, it occurred to me as I was talking to Jordan Kilganon – who I believe is the best dunker of all time (including NBA players and my hero Michael Jordan) that there are so many people who would love to be doing what I’m doing right now. This is like being at a camp for dunking — but that camp doesn’t exist! But it should! So, I’m going to create it!
In 2018, I launched The Dunk Camp, and we held our first camp in Lehi, Utah, with about 50 athletes. It’s a unique camp where you learn directly from the best dunkers and vertical jump trainers on the planet. I don’t know of any other camp like that where you get to meet and learn from the very best in that sport.
We’re now seven years into this, and we’ve had athletes from over 30 countries and nearly every state in the US come to The Dunk Camp. Last year, we got to work with the NBA during All-Star Weekend, another dream come true.
The best part is we’ve now helped over 20 athletes get their first dunk and many more hit dunks they have never done before. The joy that comes from helping others achieve their dreams feels just as good or even better than when I dunk the ball myself. It’s the best feeling!
I’m now 52 and still dunking, and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon!
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Putting on any event like this is no easy task. There are always unexpected things that happen. I’ve had to learn new things that I didn’t have much experience with, or that are difficult.
Things like finding sponsors, managing a large group of people with very diverse personalities, finding the right locations, negotiating contracts, managing a budget, and one of the hardest things for me — telling people “no.”
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Dunk Camp is simply a camp completely focused on the most beautiful and athletic feat in all sports and the dream of every player who has ever stepped on the court – dunking a basketball.
We bring together the best dunkers and vertical jump trainers in the world for four days of intense training on every aspect of jumping and dunking to help athletes accelerate their progress toward making their first dunk or taking their dunking skills to the next level.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I recently read Atomic Habits and loved it. I also read the Book of Mormon every day and listen to other uplifting and inspiring talks and podcasts. How and what you think is so important, so I try to make sure I am surrounded by things that uplift and motivate me to improve in each part of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thedunkcamp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedunkcamp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedunkcamp
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedunkcamp
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Thedunkcamp
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedunkcamp
