PITTSTOP HELPS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THE CBC

PITTSTOP HELPS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THE CBC

The Chicago Basketball Club (CBC) is an elite basketball and speed, strength and agility training company. This company provides basketball skill training, as well as strength and conditioning sessions, speed and agility workouts, and stretching/mobility training for players of all ages and skill levels ranging from beginner to the NBA. They also host various events such as invite only open gyms, charity events, camps, and more. The Chicago Basketball Club has various locations for their sessions all around the city of Chicago, including Lincoln Park, Hyde Park, Hinsdale and the South Side. They have recently partnered with the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center (DePaul University) to provide individual and group training sessions designed for players of all ages and skill levels. The mission of the CBC is to train and grow Chicago basketball players into the best players they can be, and to transform the way the world views and plays basketball by constantly innovating and more efficiently outworking the competition.

All of the coaches at the CBC have played at the college and/or pro level. The organization also has worked with over 30+ collegiate players, including over 30 NCAA Division 1 athletes, over 20 professional players, and various highly national ranked high school players. CBC also aims to provide Chicago’s underserved youth access to both a safe environment and mentorship both on and off the court. Through basketball, the coaches are able to guide players to remain engaged academically as well as athletically. They also teach their athletes how to use basketball as a tool to help them succeed off the court and in life.

Pittstop got a chance to interview Dylan Kremer, one of the co-founders of the CBC. Pittstop asked him about the CBC’s recent basketball camp and coat drive, where I was also able to volunteer and help out, as well as what the mission of the event was, and what the next step is for this awesome company.

What was the mission of the camp and coat drive?

D: The mission was to make sure we were giving back to the community in other ways than basketball. Partnering with Salvation Army for the food and coat drive was great, and we were able to get over 500 jackets and canned foods which was great. Another goal was to really help the youth of the city and teach them how basketball can be used as a tool off the court, which is why we brought in speakers who played basketball at a high level, and they talked about how they used their basketball platform for more than just the sport.

What did and do you hope to accomplish from these events?

D: To give as much as we could to Salvation Army and the Roc center in terms of donations, and to make sure we can impact as many kids as possible, whether it was one or 100 kids, we wanted to help everyone who wanted and needed help.

How long do you plan to keep this going?

D: We are going to work on doing two to four charity events a year, and have operation basketball, another charity event, go on for two events a year as well.

Do you hope to draw the attention of athletes locally and nationally to help contribute to your cause?

D: Yes, absolutely, that is a key part of our mission. We want all athletes in the city of Chicago, such as Jabari Parker who is engratiated in his community, to help out in the community and to give back to the community.

On the basketball side, what did you train these kids on specifically?

D: The first day, we broke out into stations that worked on specific skills, such as ball handling, attacking the basket, defense, rebounding, and other areas of skills. On the second day, for the first half of the session, we did the skill groups again, and the second half we did small-sided games, and shooting contests. So day two of the camp was aimed towards bringing out the competitive side of the athletes.

What's the next step for the CBC?

D: Next step is to continue to work with other players around the city and to do events with these athletes this coming new year and in the summer. Another goal is to continue to build the skills and performance training of these athletes, and to continue to do as many charity events as possible.