Coach Packie- Chief Training Officer

Recently, Coach Packie has had the amazing opportunity to work with some professional athletes from his favorite local championship team The Golden State Warriors and the 2 time MVP. Packie has worked with children age 6 and older to professionals players both here and overseas. He has a unique approach to teaching and making sure the game is always enjoyable. Many young athletes are passionate about basketball and he wants to help not only ignite that fire, but allow it to grow so that it never burns out.

Coach Packie attended Holy Names University and received a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and Sports Management.

Danny LaFortune - Player Development Coach

Coach Danny was born in Maryland and raised in the East Bay. He attended College Park High School, and then went on to play at Diablo Valley College over which time the league honored him to the all academic first team. Danny graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During his time at UCSB, he was dedicated to the basketball program and was able to actively provide knowledge to players while also refining his skills from experienced division one coaches. Upon receiving his degree in Sociology, Danny is looking to advance as a skills trainer and is also interested in pursuing a career in sports management. He enjoys training players at all levels while offering a style that will foster an everlasting love for the game of basketball. Danny is honored to be part of the UPB team and excited to impact players on and off the court. Click here to learn more about Coach Danny.

Annelise Ito - Player Development Coach

Coach Annelise was born and raised in Berkeley, California. She attended Campolindo High School playing varsity for three years. Annelise then attended Diablo Valley Junior College after suffering a knee injury. She transferred after one year to UC Riverside in Southern California. Annelise helped lead her senior team to become undefeated Big West Champions with a league record of 16 - 0. Annelise graduated with a degree in Public Policy. After college, she returned home to the Bay Area and started training with Packie at UPB to head overseas. Quickly signing a contract to play in Oliveira De Azemeis, Portugal for one season. Annelise had a breakout rookie season that was cut short by a season ending knee injury. Following the end of her professional career, Annelise took a step back from basketball to pursue other career opportunities. Currently, Annelise is teaching Special Education at Mills High School here in Millbrae. She is also completing her Masters at San Francisco State University. Annelise is excited to be back at UPB working with the incredible clients, families, and staff. She hopes to provide encouragement and insight through first hand experience for all of the athletes here at UPB.

Joey Hewitt - Player Development Coach

Coach Joey was born and raised in Lafayette, California where he attended and played basketball at Acalanes High School. After graduating in 2015, he went on to play college basketball at Whitman College where he was a 3 time All-Conference player and All-Academic student. He is the winningest D3 College Basketball player ever with a career record of 112-10, and ranks 3rd all time in scoring at his school, amassing over 1500 career points. He then went on to play professionally in Australia, England, and Mexico, while also getting his Master's degree in Sports Psychology during his time in England. Joey is passionate about the mental side of sports and helping athletes train their mind while training their basketball skills. Improving confidence, reducing nerves and anxiety, and responding to mistakes are a few focuses Joey takes pride in when working with athletes. He hopes to continue developing in the Player Development world and integrate his Sports Psychology expertise at UPB.

Walter Lum - Player Development Coach

Coach Walter was raised in San Francisco California and attended Lick-Wilmerding High School. Currently, Walter is playing for Whitman College in Washington and is the starting point guard for his team. Walter is a passionate player and coach that loves spreading the game of basketball to all. Walter looks forward to being able to help develop the next generation of players while also applying new techniques and skills to his own game. 

Mitchell Smith - Player Development Coach

Coach Mitch was born in Lafayette, CA and played high school basketball at Acalanes High School. After graduating from Acalanes, Mitch went on to play two years at Diablo Valley College where he was awarded honorable mention and all-academic first team. After receiving his A.A degree, Mitch transferred to UC Berkeley where he received his B.A in Environmental Economics and Policy while also working as a Team Manager for the men's basketball team. Mitch worked closely with both the staff and players to elevate their levels of success on and off the court. Along with his experiences in skill development and training with division one caliber players, Mitch has also worked with ages ranging from kindergarten through high school. Mitch has aspirations of becoming a Graduate Assistant at a division one school while pursuing his masters degree in Educational Leadership. Coach Mitch has a desire to cultivate a sense of love and joy for basketball for all players he works with. 

Nick Kanno - Player Development Coach

Coach Nick was born and raised in Mililani, Hawaii. He attended Mililani High School, then continued his playing career at Holy Names University. After graduating with a bachelors degree in Business and Finance. Nick started his coaching career at Kamehameha School and at Punahou School. In addition, Nick coached Hawaii’s West Coast Elite AAU team and worked under Derrick Low at PROformance Hawaii Basketball. In 2021 Nick moved back to the Bay Area and is excited to join Coach Packie and the UPB family. Nick values developing genuine relationships with players and feels it’s paramount in helping maximize their potential on and off the court. 

Miles Klapper - Player Development Intern

Coach Miles was born and raised in Hillsborough and recently graduated from Serra High School where he was a three year Varsity starter and named MVP and 1st Team all WCAL this past season. Miles has always been passionate about basketball and has been training at UPB and with Coach Packie since 7th grade. He has interned the past two summers at UPB and has also held coaching and training roles for Next Level Basketball. Sports and various independent camps. He is excited to share his love of the game and pass along the knowledge he has acquired from so many amazing mentors over the years.

Ryan Miles - Player Development Intern

Coach Ryan was born in Burlingame, California, raised on the south side of Chicago and moved back to the Bay area after 7th grade. Ryan played high school basketball at San Mateo High School where he was able to achieve being the conference leading scorer. From there he earned a scholarship to play at Clarkson University in New York where in his 3rd year Ryan was top 5 in scoring,  earned Liberty League honor roll four times and averaged over 15 points with a shooting split of 45/38/77. Ryan is currently in the last year of his collegiate career pursuing the portal in hopes of committing to a school close to home. Overall as a trainer, Ryan wants to challenge young hoopers on a day-to-day basis to achieve their optimal potential while also developing a deep passion for the sport.

Bianca Turner- CEO

Bianca Turner and Coach Packie Turner started UPBasketball in Oakland, California in August 2016. She grew up in Oakland and graduated from Santa Clara University with her Bachelors in Business Marketing. Bianca is passionate about creating an environment that teaches hard work and mental toughness. Each UPB program is designed with the athletes in mind. She strives to create fun and challenging opportunities for UPB athletes to grow. If you have any questions please feel free to send her an email at bianca@upbtraining.com.

Ruta Savickaite - Director of Basketball Operations

Ruta was born and raised in Lithuania. She moved to the United States in 2012 where she attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, TN. She played at Western Kentucky University for two years, during those two years the team made it to the NCAA tournament both years. In 2015 Ruta transferred to the University of Southern Indiana, where she finished her playing career and earned a Bachelor's degree in Sport Management. After graduation, she accepted a graduate assistantship position with Wichita State's women's basketball team. During two years with WSU, she was assisting the head coach with recruiting, marketing, player development, game-day operations, and scheduling. She graduated from Wichita State in May 2019, after graduating with a Master's degree Ruta moved to the Bay Area in June 2019 to pursue her career in sports administration and coaching. Currently Ruta is in charge of day to day operations at UPB, while working remotely from Lithuania. Click here to learn more about Coach Ruta.

Madisen Carter - Operations Manager

Madisen was born and raised in Sacramento, California. She went to Antelope High School where she was the head of the sports section for the school’s news team, Titan TV News. In 2016 she moved to Phoenix, Arizona to attend Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Journalism and a certificate in Sales and Marketing Essentials in May of 2020. As a sports reporter and journalist at ASU, she covered high school sports in the Phoenix area, ASU Athletics, the Arizona Fall League, and more. Madisen recently graduated in May of 2023 from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU with a Master’s Degree in Sports Law and Business. Madisen takes care of day-to-day operations at the training facility and runs UPB's social media accounts. Click here to learn more about Madisen.

Karla Mora - Front Desk Associate

Currently, Karla is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Finance and Accounting at Menlo College. She attended Mills High School, where she excelled academically and developed a strong foundation for her future endeavors. Beyond her academic endeavors, Karla also possesses a deep-rooted passion for working with children. She is particularly drawn to UPB, an inclusive and welcoming environment that resonates with her values. As she continues her college journey, Karla is determined to make a lasting and positive impact on the lives of the young athletes she works with.