B2B Basketball Is Having An Impact
Among Patrick Basilio’s objectives when he took over the Mililani basketball program seven years ago was to help his players reach the college level.
With six alumni having taken that next step over the past two seasons, Basilio’s mission is in full bloom. His next priority is to expose as many youngsters as he can in the community to the game he loves.
With that in mind, he recently established the B2B Basketball Academy, a nonprofit that provides basketball clinics from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. every Sunday for boys and girls of all ages. And the cost is just $3.
“We wanted to get this going for the kids coming up in the community,” said Basilio, who works for the government as a nuclear engineer at Pearl Harbor during the day.
B2B, which stands for Basic-to-Ballers, holds its clinics year-round – even when the Mililani girls varsity team is in season from November to February. Among the bonuses for youngsters is the chance to be taught by the girls teams, which have been among the state’s best in recent years. (The Trojans went 13-3 last winter, finishing as OIA runner-up to neighboring Leilehua).
“It gives our (varsity) girls a sense of giving back, and it puts them to work as well,” he explained. “That was our mindset. They enjoy it. We rotate them between working with the real young kids and the older kids.”
With a large contingent of elementary-aged school children, the Sunday clinics are heavy on teaching basic fundamentals of basketball. “The girls demonstrate the drills and teach the young ones the right way to do things,” Basilio said. “There’s a heavy focus on dribbling, passing and shooting. We also do a lot of game situations for the older kids. We’ve had a great turnout – we’ve been averaging anywhere from 40 to 70 kids. The parents really appreciate it.”
Among the Trojans who have gone on to play college basketball over the past two years are Nayla Long, Taylor Babbitt, Kayla Wright, Kira Arruda, Kaylee Torres and Kapili Amamalin. Former Mililani players are often among the instructors at the B2B clinics.
“Sending players to the next level has been one of our biggest accomplishments. Taylor (Babbitt) has been coming back to help. They (college players) provide inspiration for the up-and-coming kids in the community.”
