Hartford — Kevin Ollie prefers to dream while he's awake.

And he's has ambitious dreams.

One dream came to fruition on Monday when the UConn basketball coach officially opened Kevin's Kourt, a wheelchair accessible court, at the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford on Sigourney Street.

"This is a beautiful time for me and a beautiful time for my family," Ollie said during a short ceremony also attended by Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin and Sam Gray, Jr. president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club. "If you ever had a dream and see it come to life, this is how I feel now.

"... Anything you imagine, anything that you dream of, you can do it. I'm not a person that likes to dream while I'm sleeping. I like to dream while I'm awake. And I'm awake now."

After his remarks, Ollie helped hang the last net on the 10 stations. Baskets were at several different heights and colorful backboard shapes varied from curved to regulation size.

It was an emotional moment for Ollie, who hopes to build more inclusive courts around the state. Ollie beamed as he watched children and a few adults play on the first Kevin's Kourt.

"This is what I want to do," Ollie said. "This is what I believe in. ... It's about being a bright spot in a lot of young kids' lives. That's my ultimate goal. That's why God put me on this earth, to be a blessing to others.

"And I've been fortunate to be blessed and be the head men's basketball coach of the University of Connecticut and win national championships and all that stuff, but nothing takes the place of this."

Ollie became interested in helping athletes with disabilities after UConn teammate Steve Emt was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed in 1995. He raised money for a specially equipped pick-up truck for Emt, who's gone on to compete in several wheelchair sports, including racing in the New York City Marathon and curling, earning a spot on Team USA.

Blessed with a generous heart and a giving spirit, Ollie remains committed to his charitable cause. He's trying to set an example for his players.

"It's about giving back, that you give the gift but you also ultimately get a gift because you find somebody that you can really be a blessing and a miracle to," he said. "And that's what I want our kids to aspire to become."

Ryan Martin, a professional wheelchair basketball player, participated in Monday's event. He runs his own foundation that offers programs to prepare athletes with disabilities to succeed.

"Courts like this are super important just for the inclusivity factor," Martin said. "A lot of times when it comes to sports, kids are told, 'No, you can't play.' But this court fosters the idea that everybody can play together. ... It gives people a chance to stick out for all the right reasons."

Ollie announced that the Kevin Ollie Charity Classic will tee off Aug. 21-22 at Lake of Isles in North Stonington. The event, which donates all its proceeds, will go to future Kevin's Kourts.

"This is just the start," Ollie said. "With the birth of my kids and this, it's probably one of the highlights of my life."

News and notes

• Ollie worked with some incoming freshmen on Monday. "I was yelling at them," Ollie said. "That's just me. We've got a lot of energy and a lot of young guys. We've got some guys coming back. I was so happy to see Amida (Brimah) and Rodney (Purvis) come back." Brimah and Purvis tested the NBA draft waters before returning. ... Newcomers Christian Vital, Alterique Gilbert and Mamadou Diarra are on campus. Vance Jackson and Juwan Durham, who is still working his way back from a second knee injury and maybe a redshirt candidate, will arrive later this month. ... Gilbert is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder suffered in April. "Function-wise, he's ahead of schedule," Ollie said. "But we don't even want to think ahead of schedule. We want to make sure he's 100 percent healthy and 100 percent confident that he can play the tenacious defense that he did." ... Ollie on Steven Enoch playing for Armenia's Under-20 national team in the FIBA European Championships in Greece in July. "It's a home run for UConn men's basketball, home run for him and his career, confidence-wise. It's going to be awesome." Enoch is up to 262 pounds and in great shape, Ollie said. ... An assistant coach on the USA basketball U18 team, Ollie will be in Colorado for tryouts starting June 13 and be in Houston for training camp beginning on July 11.

g.keefe@theday.com