Jon Solomon and Percell Coles have a sports agency that’s gradually building a reputation. The focus is to help basketball players reach their dreams of playing professionally. Solomon and Coles run Self Motivated Athletic Agency.

The agency isn’t necessarily looking for players who had big time college basketball careers. SMAA works with players who have played major college basketball as well as Division II, Division III, or NAIA. You don’t have to come from a nationally known basketball program. You need to have a strong determination, good work ethic and willingness to get to the next level.

Solomon exhibited these qualities as a basketball player. He wasn’t the most skilled player coming out of Hatboro Horsham High School. But he worked on his game and was able to play Division III basketball at Arcadia University. Coles was a basketball standout at Simon Gratz. He was an All Public League star during his scholastic career. Coles played his college basketball at Cleveland State, later playing professional basketball in Europe.

Solomon had already started holding individual workouts. He was working with Corey Rich, a ballhanding expert, who has performed during halftime of some Philadelphia 76ers games as well as the Sixers basketball camps during the summer. He met Coles during one of his practice sessions at LA Fitness in Fort Washington.

“At the time, I was playing overseas,” Coles said. “He wanted to train me. Jon was telling me about his business in terms of helping players that don’t normally get a shot. It was what I was trying to do after my playing career. I built up all my contacts. Jon had one piece. We had the players and the same goals. It’s very hard to find the same person who has the same goals as you. Jon and I got together.”

Solomon had a business plan in place. He had a vision for SMAA.

“My whole goal was to help guys get an opportunity,” Solomon said. “I was one of those guys who worked really hard on my game when I played in high school and college. People don’t understand if you do the right things and have the right training you can be better than other guys in your class. That’s how I came up with the concept. Then, I met Percell. He had been working out. I told him about the idea. That’s how we hooked up.”

SMAA has been in business for almost a year. The agency is planning a trip to China in early April to play in a three-team tournament. SMAA will select from a list of players and the top eight will make the trip. Although most players have college basketball experience, the tryouts are open for the China tour. This trip could lead to an opportunity to sign a professional basketball contract.

So far, the agency has placed three players in South America. SMAA has players in the Philadelphia area and around the country. Kwan Waller, a 6-foot, 185-pound combination guard, from Rockford, Illinois, has been working out with SMAA. He played for Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Illinois and Division II basketball at Kentucky Wesleyan.

“I see the passion and intensity Jon has for the game,” Waller said. “It’s a very good program for players who were overlooked. I’m chasing the dream. I want to play pro basketball. I want to play in the NBA.”

Waller is waiting for an offer from Venezuela.

Solomon has picked up a lot of his training methods from Sam Rines, a long time basketball coach and clinician in the Philadelphia area, and Jay Jameson, who has his own basketball program.

“He’s doing a good job,” Jameson said. “He’s developing a lot of players. He has a good philosophy. Jon knows that in order to be a good player you have to work at it. You have to sacrifice and do the right things. He’s working as an agent as well as a trainer. It’s a lot of work, but he’s doing well.”

SMAA is trying to land sponsors and get some funding for expenses. They make all the contacts with the professional teams. For more information, visit www.selfmotivatedathleticagency.com.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .