Our Program Highlights
Who We Are
The SF Champions is an AAU boys and girls basketball program based in San Francisco that focuses on player development. The SF Champions will field teams from the 4th grade (10 and under) through the 8th grade (14 and under)
Philosophy
We believe in challenging potential and holding our players to a higher standard. We will teach the importance of setting goals – improving along the way as individuals and as a team. The focus on fundamentals is part of our objective to teach our players how to play the game of basketball, rather than simply teaching plays. Under our guidance, our player’s will develop a better understanding of how to play basketball.
We will outwork our competitors on the practice court so that we will out-perform them during games. We play pressure man-to-man defense that will place emphasis on communicating and making the opposition uncomfortable. Our offense will be predicated on pushing the ball quickly in the full court and superior ball movement and team work in the half court.
Our players will understand that the meaning of “Being A Champion” has more to do with effort, demeanor, and laying the foundation for success more than it does with wins and losses.
Coaches
SF Champions believe in developing the entire ball player – fundamentally, physically, and most important, mentally. A basketball player is only as good as his on-court I.Q. and we believe that the process of developing the mental capacity of understanding the game is the most demanding and time consuming skill to develop. Through positive reinforcement, our coaching staff believes in building a player up, rather than tearing him down. Kareem Guilbeaux, the founder and director of the SF Champions AAU Program has been coaching basketball at St. Ignatius College Prep and has run his Be a Champion Basketball Camps for the past seven years. Antwan Capla, the Assistant Director of the SF Champions, has been a coach with the Champions since its inception and is a mainstay of CYO Basketball and as a personal training guru.
Select and Developmental Teams
Based on the demand at tryouts, most grade levels will field a Select and a Developmental level team. Select teams will play in more competitive tournaments throughout the Bay Area, Sacramento, and possibly the Memorial Day Weekend Tournament in Reno. Select teams will focus on advanced player development with the goal of preparing these players to play in high school and beyond! Development level teams, which are not as advanced but every bit as competitive, will play in local leagues throughout the Bay Area with the goal to develop that player into a “complete player”.
Speed and Explosiveness Training
In the fall of 2012, the SF Champions partnered with the Saint Ignatius Strength and Conditioning Staff to form the first ever Junior Wildcats Readiness Program. Monitored by certified strength and conditioning coaches with a 4:1 player to coach ratio, this program focuses on the importance of balance, core strength, and the proper technique for introductory-level Olympic-based weight lifting that is the training standard around the country. This Spring/Summer, the SF Champions will introduce an intensive Speed and Explosiveness Training (S.E.T.) Program. This program will include twice-a-week training with certified trainers that will teach plyometric-based exercises that emphasize the fast twitch muscles needed to become an elite-level basketball player!
Redshirt Players
A Redshirt Player is one who can attend and participate in practice, but is not an official "playing" member of the team. However, a player may be allowed to play in a given tournament if the team is low on players that weekend or if the coach feels that the improvement of the player is enough to warrant that player being "moved-up".
Tryouts
Tryouts for SF Champions will be held at St. Ignatius College Prep prior to each season. Tryout schedules will be posted in advance at www.bacbasketball.org. To be considered for SF Champions, please complete the AAU Tryout Application now!
Contacting SF Champions
For more information about SF Champions or if you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to email Kareem Guilbeaux at kguilbeaux@beachampion.org.
