- Justin Harden, former head coach of The Rock School’s national program, is now Director of Basketball OPPS for Forge Elite in Gainesville.
- Forge Elite uses a gym at Vida Springs owned by Greenhouse Church and plans to build a multi-court facility for community impact.
- Forge Elite will start a youth league Sept. 28 with registration due Sept. 11 and aims to begin travel ball in spring, including girls teams.
Justin Harden, who was previously the head coach of The Rock School’s national program since 2009, is beginning a new journey in the area.
He is now Director of Basketball OPPS for Forge Elite, a youth basketball organization in the Gainesville area.
Mackenzie Williams, Ryan Jones and Tim Sikpi are the other owners of Forge Elite.
Williams (Coach Ken) and Jones were on Harden’s National team staff for the past eight seasons. Sikpi was the head coach for the middle school’s seventh and eighth grade team at TRS this past season.
During his time with the Lions, Harden won five state titles and he was able to coach players like former Gator Scottie Wilbekin, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 2014, and Joel Embiid (University of Kansas/Philadelphia 76ers).
They are two of 42 players from TRS who ended up playing Division-I basketball.
“The boys program at The Rock was more than just the national team,” Harden said. “We were able to serve five boys teams (3 High school, 2 middle school) within the school. We hope to have an even greater impact through Forge Elite. We want all of the players in the Gainesville and surrounding areas to want to play for Forge Elite and get that opportunity, so we will try to have as many teams as needed to serve them if we have the coaches and space to adequately serve them.”
Currently, that space includes a place they call home for all of their hoops.
“We have been blessed to use the gym located at Vida Springs at 2925 NW 39th Ave.,” Harden said. “This gym is owned by Greenhouse Church, and we are thankful to partner with them to use this space to reach our community and build strong relationships. We refer to it as the Forge Elite Facility.”
Harden said at some point they are hoping to grow and acquire their own gym space.
“We would love to get into a multi-court facility as we have big goals and dreams to really impact the Gainesville community through the game of basketball for the glory of Jesus,” he said.
From summer camps, basketball clinics, and private training, to travel ball and competitive youth leagues, their mission is “built on faith,” according to their website, and “sharpened by competition.”
“Our mission is to use the game of basketball, the skills we have as coaches and trainers, and the character we have as men to make a difference in the lives of our players and their families,” Harden said.
Harden said the challenge is getting the word out, but they just concluded a successful summer of camps.
“They were great as we were able to do some solid skill work and teach the players how to play the game better,” he said. “We don’t just want them to play games just to ‘have fun.’ We want to teach them how to play so that they may find consistent success, which leads to having more fun.”
Forge Elite’s training program allows parents to sign up for one-hour training sessions in small groups or individually.
“Similar to the camps, this is where we work on skill development but also learning how to play the game better,” Harden said. “We really want Forge Elite players to understand how to play basketball, as having a good basketball IQ can really help separate them.”
A youth league is planned for the fall. Registration is due by Friday, Sept. 11, followed by player evaluations on Saturday, Sept. 12. The league begins on Sunday, Sept. 28.
The fall season will run until Nov. 19, and travel ball is expected to begin in the spring.
“We are really excited to start travel ball in the spring,” Harden said. “Our desire is to create a competitive youth league for players and teams in elementary and middle school outside of the traditional winter season.”
They hope to have girls teams in as many grades as possible as well.
“We believe there is a need for a strong travel ball program in the Gainesville area, and we want to step into that space with a focus on skill and character development, team and program organization, and quality communication,” Harden added. “We have a desire to see girls basketball grow in the Gainesville area as well. As they say, ‘A rising tide floats all boats.’”
Forge Elite is hosting a couple of upcoming events to learn more about their organization.
On Saturday, Aug. 29, they are hosting a free basketball clinic for students in grades 3-9 from 10 a.m. to noon (grades 3-6) and 1-3 p.m. (grades 7-9).
Interested players and parents can register on ForgeEliteHoops.com.