TALL BUSINESS : 6-8 Darin Weeks Plays Decent Basketball for Kearny, but the Company Comes First

On the court, Kearny High School basketball player Darin Weeks is what coaches politely call a “solid contributor.” In other words, he is an average player who can come off the bench to score a few points, block a shot or two and get a couple of rebounds per game. Nothing spectacular, just steady.

But get him off the court, and Weeks, 17, is positively unstoppable. The senior is a prime-time, in-your-face, wham-bam businessman. When it comes to vending machines, Weeks can take it inside and finger-roll you through the coin slot.

Weeks and his partner, John Pappas, own and operate La Jolla Vending Machine Company, a rapidly growing firm with about 75 accounts in San Diego County.

“From San Marcos to San Ysidro, we’ve got ‘em all,” Weeks says with a laugh.

Darin’s older brother, Mark, and Pappas started the company a couple of years back, but Mark dropped out about a year ago. Darin decided to join forces with Pappas, and since then the company has been moving up, growing from four accounts at the time Darin became involved.

“We want to have a lot more than that,” Weeks said.

Weeks, by all accounts, is mature beyond his years. In fact, Dr. Joe Tafoya, the Kearny principal, thought Weeks was an alum when they met last fall. At 6-feet 8-inches, he has a commanding presence but is a personable, easy talker.

“He’s a very sharp young man,” Tafoya said. “He’s as poised as any businessman I’ve seen.”

The ability to communicate effectively is a plus, because Weeks handles the business side of the company. Pappas, 19 and out of school, does much of the service on the machines and keeps them stocked.

“We both make decisions regarding finances and how fast we want to expand,” Weeks said.

Weeks and Pappas buy products--from soda to cigarettes, candy to chips--through JK Enterprises. They have received help from InterOcean, a manufacturing company near Kearny High that allows them to use some warehouse space.

During the week, Pappas keeps an eye on machines that need to be stocked regularly. On Saturdays, the partners load a battered lime-green van and service their accounts.

Weeks attends class from 8 a.m. to noon weekdays and usually has basketball practice at 2 p.m. He tries to get some work done before and after practice.

Finding time is an obvious problem, but Weeks is always on the lookout for new business. But, Weeks said, “Vending is very competitive. Most people try to keep a low profile. You don’t want to step on too many toes.”

With his aggressive approach, Weeks has made a few waves in the county. Though he said La Jolla Vending is still small in comparison to the competition, he added: “I think everyone has heard of us. Word spreads.”

A typical account for Weeks and Pappas is at a business or apartment complex and involves a soda machine and a new $3,500 computerized snack machine with digital readout and a bill changer. Weeks said a company that allows him to place vending machines on its premises usually receives a percentage of the profits.

Thus far, the two entrepreneurs are making good money, though most of the profits go toward expansion.

“I have everything I need,” Weeks said with a laugh when asked about his income. “Sometimes we decide we need a raise, and sometimes we don’t.”

Weeks recently was profiled on Channel 10 and said in the interview that his goal was to make more money this year than his principal and teachers. Though he was just joking, he said the goal would be attainable if he chose to pay himself more.

“A high school principal in this county makes $55,000 to $70,000,” Tafoya said. “If he makes better than $70,000, he’s making more than any principal in the county. He’s probably making more than most superintendents.”

Weeks receives school credit for his work, though for a time Kearny officials hesitated because they were uncertain about the vending business.

“I had to go through a lot of trouble to get credit for work experience since I’m working for myself,” Weeks said. “They thought it was like a newspaper route, and they don’t give credit for that. But they checked into what I was doing, checked with my parents and found out I really was working.”

Darwin and JoAnn Weeks say their son has always shown an interest in business.

“When he was 7, his dad built him a play store with a cash register,” JoAnn said, “and within a week Darin set up a business in the garage and tried to sell candy to his friends. I think they ate more than they sold. Then one day, we got a phone call from the newspaper, and we found out he and his brother had tried to buy an ad.”

His father added, “He’s always looking for an angle.”

Darin said he’s uncertain how long he will continue in the vending business. He plans to attend college--perhaps San Diego State--in the fall and major in business.

“I’m not sure what I’m looking for yet,” Weeks said. “Real estate fascinates me. I might see what I can get into with the money I have. I’d like to buy an apartment building or a house and rent out the rooms.”

Not surprisingly, his coach says Weeks’ outside interests have hurt him this basketball season.

Bill Peterson--whose team is ranked sixth in The Times’ San Diego County Top 10 and plays La Jolla at 4:45 p.m. today to decide the City Western League title--said Weeks could be an excellent player if he devoted more time to the game.

“In the 10th grade, he averaged 17 points a game for our junior varsity,” Peterson said. “But our JV coach had him list his priorities in life, and basketball was seventh.

“Last year, (starting center John) Williamson got hurt late in the season and Darin came in and in one game had 20 rebounds and blocked 7 shots. That’s a school record for blocked shots. I was licking my chops thinking about this season.”

But during the summer, Weeks plunged full time into his vending business, and his game suffered.

“It’s a shame, because he has a lot of ability,” Peterson said. “But he’s a great kid and contributes any way he can.”

Weeks lacks polish on the court, but he isn’t as awkward as many long, lean high school players. He jumps well, possesses a nice touch in close and plays an aggressive defense.

But the sport is mostly a diversion for him.

“Basketball never has been a top priority,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed working. Coach kept telling me, ‘You don’t want to work now, you’ll be working until you’re 65. Enjoy your youth while you have it.’ But I’m getting a head start on everyone else.

“If I had as much devotion to basketball (as to working), I wouldn’t have any trouble getting a scholarship. People come up to me and say, ‘Darin, if I had your height I’d be awesome.’ They say I could play in the NBA. But the NBA is only good for 10 years. If you’re really good, you can make a lot of money. But most average players make $200,000 or $300,000. I don’t doubt by the end of my life I’ll be making that much.”