Coach’s Corner: The Elite Hoops Origin Series

PART 2: THE BIRTH OF ELITE HOOPS

After that first season coaching my daughter’s 4th grade travel team, I was hooked. I wasn’t just showing up to coach games—I was studying. Watching film. Looking up drills. Reading books on player development. I’d always known the game as a player, but coaching required something different. A different lens. A different patience. A different kind of leadership.

I knew how to play, but I had to learn how to teach.

What started as a volunteer opportunity quickly became a passion project. I began investing time—not just into the kids I was coaching, but into myself. I wanted to get better. I needed to get better. Not because I was chasing wins, but because these kids deserved a coach who truly cared about helping them grow.

Around the same time, my twin daughters started picking up a basketball too. They were just in first grade, but I could already see it—the natural athleticism, the coordination, the spark. They loved the game, and I wanted to make sure they had the right foundation from the very start.

So I started organizing. Creating opportunities. Getting them into leagues, skill sessions, anything I could find. And as I looked around, I realized something: there weren’t many consistent, development-first programs in our area—especially for girls.

There were clubs that charged high fees, prioritized wins, and often catered to already-established players. But where was the space for the ones just starting out? The ones with raw talent, big hearts, and a love for the game—but without the polish yet?

That gap was too obvious to ignore. And it planted the seed.

I didn’t want to just coach anymore. I wanted to build something.

Then came a turning point: I was laid off from my job. It could’ve been a setback, but honestly—it felt like the universe giving me a window. A chance to take a risk. A reason to finally bet on myself.

So I did.

That’s when Elite Hoops Basketball Academy was born.

I didn’t have a fancy business plan. I didn’t have funding. What I had was belief—belief in the power of basketball to shape young people. Belief in my ability to connect with kids. Belief that if I stayed focused on development, consistency, and creating a positive environment, families would come.

And they did.

We started small—one team, one clinic, one gym rental at a time. But it grew. Word spread. More parents started reaching out, not because we were winning every game, but because their kids were enjoying basketball again. They were improving. They were excited to go to practice.

That’s when I knew: I wasn’t just running a basketball program—I was building a community.

A place where kids could learn, compete, and be part of something bigger than themselves. A place where players of all levels could find support and structure, regardless of their background. A place where development was the goal—not just trophies.

Starting Elite Hoops wasn’t about ego. It wasn’t about proving anything. It was about impact.

It still is.

Every practice. Every game. Every clinic. It’s all part of the mission:
To build confident, resilient young athletes who love the game—and themselves.

Let’s keep building.