Posts by Pat MacAdams
2023 Spring/Summer AAU Tryouts!
AAU TRYOUTS for our 9th Year of DBA DRIVE Basketball – This Weekend!
We will be forming teams for boys and girls starting in grade 4 through 8 and highly competitive High School teams (9th – 11th) again this spring/summer with DBA Drive Basketball. Last year we formed both Tournament and Travel teams that participated in high level AAU events and/or NCAA Recruiting Period events. Our tournament teams play local & Bay Area tournaments while our travel teams will also play outside of the area in Los Angeles, Reno, & Las Vegas.
In recent years we’ve had 18 highly successful teams in our and have repeatedly sold out fall and winter sessions as well. Thus, we intend to field another 18 teams for boys/girls and will be selecting top players from our tryouts to form one-to-two teams per age level and approximately 6 High School teams.
This is a tryout for a competitive AAU basketball club team and not everyone is selected for a team. We will be having multiple tryout dates but it is highly encouraged that you come to the first available tryout in your age group and suggest you attend multiple tryouts so that our coaches can get to know you better.
DATE/SITE: All tryouts are at Pioneer HS Main Gym
- High School Session I:
- Wednesday 2/15
- Pioneer HS Main Gym
- High School Boys 9th through 12th grade
- 7:30pm – 9:00pm
- High School Session II:
- Saturday 2/18
- Pioneer HS Main Gym
- High School Boys 9th through 12th grade
- 10am – 11:30am
- Make-up Night:
- By Appointment only, email coach@dbadrive.com
- Held at Pioneer HS Small Gym, Weeknights
Register here for all tryout sessions, one-time fee will register you for any/all sessions. Come get 2-3 workouts for only one $20 tryout fee!
REGISTER ONLINE for tryouts and Bring your Basketball! We encourage you to attend any and all tryout sessions as your $20 fee covers all sessions. CLICK LINK TO REGISTER FOR TRYOUTS HERE
Coach Denker will conduct a Q/A period with information about our AAU teams, tournaments, registration, and team formation at both tryout sessions.
Do you have questions about AAU basketball and DBA Drive? Come to tryouts to ask Coach Denker your questions or email: Coach@dbadrive.com
COACH CHRIS DENKER
Chris has a wealth of experience in the basketball industry accumulating over 27 years as a coach, scout, advance scout, video editor, clinician, consultant, writer, and administrator. Coach Denker is a 14 year veteran of NCAA Division I basketball coaching. He was a highly successful Head Coach of the Santa Clara University and Colorado State University women’s teams. In five seasons as Head Coach he averaged nearly 20 wins per season and his teams reached post-season tournaments in four of those five years including the NCAA Tourney as well as one NIT Final Four. He was part of 5 WCC championships in 9 seasons with Santa Clara.
Chris has coached professionally and internationally, serving as Head Coach and Director of Operations for the Eugene Chargers of the International Basketball League. He was selected as one of the Head Coaches of the 2007 IBL All-Star game. Chris spent the 2008 season abroad as Consulting Director and Coach of the Barnet BBC, London where he was the Head Coach of every team in the club (Women, Jr. Men, Cadets). He also spent one season on staff at Archbishop Mitty HS where they won the WCAL, CCS, & NorCal Championships and were CIF state runner-up.
Coach Denker and his company, NetScouts Basketball, provide scouting and consulting to college and professional teams in NCAA, NBA, and International basketball around the globe. Over the past four years he has been Head Coach & Director of several men’s and women’s professional teams representing the USA in international competition & tournaments in Asia. His teams include players from the NBADL, WNBA, and former NCAA all-stars. He has helped lead the USA All-Stars to wins over National Teams from Australia, New Zealand, China, Denmark, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Brazil, Canada, and more.
Chris has also conducted numerous camps and clinics in the USA, China, and England. He has been an individual skill development instructor for male & female players at all levels, from youth & high school, to college & professional athletes. He specializes in shooting, footwork, and offensive skill/position development and has worked with individuals, groups, teams, and large enrollment camps. He also provides consulting to coaches regarding playbook, scouting, video, and game planning.
COACH KEN KEISER
Coach Ken is a fixture in Almaden athletic circles. His energy and effort to help young boys and girls in Almaden Valley achieve athletic goals is second to none. Ken has over 12 years of coaching experience not only coaching basketball but also baseball & soccer. Ken played basketball at Bellarmine Prep where he graduated & went on to San Jose State University.
Basketball has been a big part of Ken’s life and he began sharing his knowledge with young players in 2003 and has coached countless teams in the past 11 years. Not only has Ken been a Board Member and Chapter President of the Almaden NJB for 10 years, he has also coached over 20 teams in division, All-Stars, and All-Net level competition for both boys and girls. Besides his work with NJB, Ken has coached AAU basketball, was the 8th grade coach at Bret Harte Middle School, and has been successful every step of the way not only in wins & losses but in his ability to teach kids to reach their potential and play together.
Ken took this strong knowledge of fundamentals and team play and advanced to the high school level where he coached at Leland High School. In three years with the Chargers, Ken served as the Head JV coach, the Assistant Varsity Coach, and was elevated to Head Varsity Coach of the Leland girls program. Ken also runs a successful basketball camp at Pioneer HS every summer, something he has done for over six years.
Ken coaches both boys and girls teams for DBA Drive.
COACH & MENTOR DWIGHT POWERY
Dwight brings over 12 years of coaching experience in the NJB league, where he has coached All-Net teams in 10 of those years. His experience started with girls (his youngest daughter in the 3rd grade) and then transitioning to coaching boys. Many of his teams have played in the championship game, while 2 of his teams went down to the NJB National tournament and brought home the championship titles. While teaching the tactics and strategies of basketball, Dwight’s positive approach to the game and his focus on each player’s strength, lends itself to get the most out of the player’s ability. Dwight’s strengths are in the psychological and mental part of the game and to prepare them for practice, for the game and for life. On the sideline, you will see Dwight not only coaching but mentoring his players to improve in every aspect of their game and their attitudes.
COACH CHRIS VALENTINO
Chris brings a wealth of basketball coaching experience to DBA:
Leland High School (June 2013 To Present)
Girls Varsity Associate Head Basketball Coach and Girls JV Head Coach (November 2013 to Present)
· Responsible for player development, scouting opponent games and creating game plans for all varsity contests
· Communicate with college coaches recruiting student athletes from Leland.
Prospect High School
Girls Varsity Head Basketball Coach (November 2012 to Present)
· Develop in and off season fitness programs for student athletes
· Responsible for player development, scouting opponent games and creating game plans for all varsity contests
· Communicate with college coaches recruiting student athletes from Prospect
San Francisco Pro Am
Women’s Head Basketball Coach (June 1997 to Aug 2014)
• Head coach for college and professional women athletes in summer league
Pro-Am season runner-up 6 times
Coached 8 exhibition games against college teams with wins over Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco, University of Reno, and San Jose State
Coached over 65 professional women players who either played or went onto play in WNBA and Foreign Professional Leagues
Responsible for recruiting players in compliance with NCAA Division 1 rules
Create and establish skill development programs for college and professional players
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory High School
Freshman A and B Boys Basketball Head Coach (November 2009 to March 2012)
Varsity Assistant Boys Basketball Coach (November 2009 to March 2012)
· Boys freshman B Head Coach 2011-2012
· Boys Freshman A Head Coach 2009-2010 and 2010-2011
· Responsible for creating 90 player development programs, with an emphasis on enhancing basketball skill set in boys basketball program
· Five players from prior freshman teams were varsity players, two starters, on 2011 California State Runner-up Champion 3 From our state champion team are playing D1 basketball and 4 others playing D2OR D3.
COACH DREW MUSCATELL
Drew is bringing his basketball coaching and playing skills to DBA. From 2009 to 2013, he has served the University of Oregon’s Women’s Basketball Summer Skills Camp Coach. He was also a Oregon’s Women’s Basketball Team practice player. Currently he is a staff member and video coordinator for San Jose State Women’s Basketball.
COLLEEN MAGARITY
– Director of Operations Big4 HHH Girls Lacrosse
-Head Coach of William Penn Charter Girls Lacrosse
-Northwestern University 2011
-2x IWLCA All American
-Plays Professionally for the Philadelphia Fire
-Big 4 HHH 2027/2028 Head Coach
BILLY MCKINNEY
-CEO and Founder of Big 4 HHH
-Big 4 HHH Head Coach 2021
-Head Coach of Germantown Academy Boys Lacrosse
-Denver University 2006
-Coached Collegiately at Saint Joseph’s University, Lafayette College, and Haverford College
-Played Professionally for Philadelphia Barrage
MIKE RASTIVO
-Director of Operations Big 4 HHH Middle School
-Big 4 HHH Head Coach 2024
-Assistant Coach of Germantown Academy Boys Lacrosse
-Saint Joseph’s University 2018
-2016 USILA All American
CHARLES GIUNTA
-Big 4 HHH Head Coach 2022
-Saint Joseph’s University Assistant Men’s Lacrosse Coach
-Saint Joseph’s University 2017
-2017 Senior CLASS Award Candidate