Smith has been with UPB for a few weeks now and is helping with group training and private training. He said he has enjoyed seeing the variety of different athletes that come into the gym from division I college basketball players all the way down to three year olds. He said group training has been his favorite part so far, being able to interact with a lot of different athletes and helping them improve throughout the sessions.

WME Basketball recently announced the athletes that are officially signed with the agency. Get to know more about the talented players that Coach Packie has been working with since the beginning of April!

The Sacramento Kings had a surprising season this year as the team finished third in the Western Conference during the regular season, and made their way into the playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons. With a young and talented roster with players such as De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Keegan Murray along with new additions during the season such as Kessler Edwards, the Kings finished the 2022-23 season with a final record of 48-34, the team’s best record since 2005.

WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, said that last season, the league had its most viewers in 14 years. With 36 athletes coming in from the draft, those of which participated in a record-breaking viewership season, this upcoming season has a lot of buzz and anticipation around it.

“When my name was being announced as the sixth pick, it was just like, ‘Oh my God, that's me,’” Jones said. “I was trying to read [the Commissioner's] lips as she was going to announce what name it was. So as I saw the H being formed coming out, I was like, ‘Oh my God, it's gonna be me.’ It was just so exciting getting to stand up and hug the people closest to me.”

Professional athletes are adept at dealing with these stressful environments through years of practice and training. It is a process, so patience and persistence are also very important skills to harness when overcoming stress.

“Thank you for everyone all these years, old and new, for being a part of our family and helping us build something special in the community. For all of our donors thank you, we appreciate your belief in us and what we do.”

Basketball is a mental game. Take a look at some of these tips to instantly help you play better on the court.

Jones posted to her Instagram account on Monday, “Thankful for my years at stanford. Thankful for my people, without you I wouldn't be who I am. Thank you for continuing to keep me grounded and hungry. Ready for the next chapter.”

“It was a bit of a surprise at first [being traded,] it was something that I wasn't expecting. But you know, It all happened so fast. I can't believe how fast it happened but I'm glad to be here in Sac. It's my first day here at the facility and everybody seems cool, so I think I'm going to like it here,” Edwards told FOX40 News reporters back on February 9th.

“Last year, our motto was ‘unfinished business.’ I think this year with most of the key players being seniors, you know, we just want to go out with a bang,” Somvichian said. “ I guess our motto [this season] would be leaving our mark, leaving our mark on history, making sure that nobody will ever talk about Oakland Tech Basketball without talking about our team.”

“First off, it's an honor… [to] go out there and compete in that and then obviously to be my first one as well was really cool. Growing up going to All-Star Games and watching to now [being] a part of it was pretty surreal,” Williams said.

“We have made it our life mission to help children learn the values of hard work and leadership through sports. We want nothing more than to continue to grow our roots here in this community,” Packie and Bianca Turner.

“I feel [that] the mental side of sports, mental training and sports psychology made me realize that basketball is just, you know, a microcosm for our everyday life,” Hewitt said. “How we deal with our problems in basketball is exactly how we deal with our problems in everyday life. So we can use that platform as an advantage for us and as a way to learn more not only about ourselves as players but ourselves as people.”

Unlimited Potential Basketball is excited to introduce its newest Front Desk Associates, Alyssa Smith and Karla Mora! Both Smith and Mora have recently joined the team, and we are excited to see all of the positive and welcoming energy they bring into the facility.

I believe the athletes have thoroughly enjoyed their time and have learned a lot through the process,” Anastasieska said. “Some have sent in emails expressing their enjoyment and how much they have learned, and others have expressed their desire for the program to continue through additional months as they love it! It has been great to receive this feedback.”

“My favorite part [about training at UPB] is probably working with the coaches and seeing how I improve after each session, [and] I like how the coaches challenge me in many different ways,” Rudolph said. “One of my favorite parts is the competitions with Coach DyShawn because he always challenges me and makes it really difficult for me to beat him.”

“That's [my] favorite part of my job, just going on the court [and] actually getting to talk to the kids. I know all their names, and then I get on the court and actually get to know more about them, so that's nice. And you know, I get to help him out with basketball too,” Ballout said.

Adding visualization to an athlete’s workout plan is beneficial because it increases concentration on the game, reduces pressure leading up to the game and enhances an athlete's ability to perform certain skills in different scenarios. When an athlete visualizes their success, it promotes confidence within themselves and leads to future success in the task they are trying to accomplish.