“During the whole weekend, I would just pause for a second and have a moment of gratitude. I used to play with [Plum] and she really challenged me as a player and really helped me a lot, so now being able to be around her as she does kind of the same thing for current student-athletes was just super cool to see,” Johnson said.

The NBA regular season has come to an end and the playoffs have begun. The league's biggest stars will take center stage in hopes of hoisting the Larry O’brien trophy and fulfilling their championship dreams. With the Play In tournament wrapping up this week and first round matchups starting next week, we are excited to see how the playoffs shake out and which stars will perform for their teams.

“What I love about UPB is that they have so many different classes. From the time when [Aiden] couldn't even pick up a ball or dribble to where he is now, they have classes and options for kids at all different levels of experience,” Torrent said

With summer just around the corner, we are excited to announce our upcoming summer camps! Each camp will feature a different focus for young hoopers to expand their knowledge of the game while also honing their physical in game skills. The fourth camp this summer is a 5th-9th Grade Camp that will take place from July 29th to August 1st.

With summer just around the corner, we are excited to announce our upcoming summer camps! Each camp will feature a different focus for young hoopers to expand their knowledge of the game while also honing their physical in game skills. The third camp this summer is a third through seventh grade camp that will take place from July 22th to July 18th.

“Keeping it fun, making it to where little kids can start to enjoy being on the court is the number one thing. Planting those seeds early by making the experience fun, while they're also learning and seeing themselves improving fuels their passion,” Lui said. “That's where Little Hoopers comes in because the kids are very impressionable and providing them a great space and a safe space for them to learn and have fun will lead to them being becoming more passionate [about the game.]”

“I think young girls watching this [tournament] gives them that platform to dream big and see how it's possible and that these women were once young girls like they were and they all had a dream and all worked towards something,” Johnson said.

With summer just around the corner, we are excited to announce our upcoming summer camps! Each camp will feature a different focus for young hoopers to expand their knowledge of the game while also honing their physical in game skills. The second camp this summer is a third through seventh grade camp that will take place from July 15th to July 18th.

One of the most exciting events in all of basketball is right around the corner. This year’s NCAA March Madness Tournament kicks off on Thursday, March 21st with the first round of 64. After an exciting college basketball season, we are looking forward to the Cinderella stories, upsets, nail biters, and all the excitement that this year’s tournament has in store. We are also looking forward to watching college players define their legacy and realize their potential as hoopers as every tournament players from around the country become household names. This week we caught up with UPB’s player development coaches and picked their brain on what they are looking forward to most and also their keys to success when filling out their brackets.

With summer just around the corner, we are excited to announce our upcoming summer camps! Each camp will feature a different focus for young hoopers to expand their knowledge of the game while also honing their physical in game skills. The summer camps will kick off with a first through fifth grade camp from June 24th to June 27th.

Parents play a vital role in the development of an athlete’s skill set and the love they have for a game. Whether it’s shooting hoops in the front yard or debriefing after a game, parents can leave a lasting imprint on how passionate their athlete is about hoops by simply getting involved. There are countless stories of parents and moms, in particular, at all levels of basketball paving the path and bringing out the best in their athletes. It is with this spirit in mind, that UPB is excited to host the Mom’s Basketball Clinic with the Women’s Coaching Alliance on Sunday, March 24th from 4pm-5:30pm.

The power of basketball is priceless. The sport’s impact is felt in all facets of life whether it be teaching athletes skills on and off the court or bringing families closer together through both watching and playing the game. The latter is especially true for the Buecker family and their athletes: Ferdi, Lorenz, Konsti, and Theo. As long-time members of the UPB community, the Buecker family’s love and passion for the game has grown as their athlete’s basketball journeys are just beginning.

Allen has embraced being a part of the UPB community and admires the welcoming environment UPB fosters from coaches to players to parents and families. As a Player Development Coach, he strives to spread his love for the game and make a positive impact on the athletes he trains with by fostering a fun and joyful playing environment. To Allen, having fun while playing the game and developing a love and passion for the sport is integral to elevating one’s skill set.

“I was super grateful and just felt blessed to be able to have this experience. The NBA All-Star weekend is a pretty big deal and being around athletes who are at this moment in their careers was just super cool to see,” Johnson said.

With the talent level reaching an all time high in the NBA, the rosters for the various games and challenges are stacked with up and coming stars. The influx of young talent into the league has created a lot of buzz in the league as a new generation of hoopers are becoming household names and rising to stardom. The star studded lineup for this weekend’s festivities will include multiple players who have trained at UPB with Coach Packie Turner.

Her ability to work on her craft and play for two teams at once is a testament to her dedication to the game and her drive to continue improving. Through the guidance of helpful coaches, such as Sue Phillips, and role models, like Teresa Weatherspoon, Fisher has learned a great deal about how to pave a successful basketball career. Her biggest lesson: let her game speak for itself.

The future is bright for Mission Rec Center Rebels star Lea Escobar. As Escobar wraps up her eighth grade year and final years playing AAU ball, she strives to continue elevating her game and chasing her dreams in the sport she has fallen in love with. Escobar has been playing basketball for as long as she can remember. She first picked up a basketball in second grade and has been playing for the Mission Rec Center club team in San Francisco ever since.

As Kelly begins his next chapter in basketball as a Player Development Coach at UPB, he seeks to share his experience and insight to the next generation of young hoopers. He understands firsthand the importance of the mental side of the game and how a confident mentality is integral to finding success. He admires how UPB athletes focus on attention to detail and hone their skills in all aspects of the game from the physical skill sets to mental practices. As a Player Development Coach, Kelly seeks to instill good mental skills habits in his athletes that can be applied both on and off the court.

The high school women’s basketball season is underway, and Menlo-Atherton high school is looking to repeat their success from last season when they finished undefeated in league. The Menlo-Atherton Bears will be leaning on sophomore guard Luisa Tava, a transfer student from Pinewood School, this year as they seek to win out in the Peninsula-South conference and compete for a CCS title. After an impressive 3-0 start to the regular season, Tava and the Bears will look to continue stacking wins and building team chemistry for a deep playoff run.

The Thanksgiving and Holiday camps at UPB, led by player development coach Hannah Johnson, were a major success. Johnson focused on three main goals as she coordinated these camps: challenge athletes, improve individuals, and have fun. Each three hour camp session was carefully crafted with a balance of skill specific drills and fun competition amongst campers. As future camps loom near, Johnson and UPB player development coaches look to build on their success running these sessions and strive to implement new ways to help athletes grow their game and have fun playing ball.