WS Chronicle

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BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY 

THE CHRONICLE

The Charlotte Basketball Academy (CBA) out of Greensboro is one of the newest preparatory schools in the area that concentrates on one sport.  The school has high school and post-graduate teams that are always on the prowl for talent.

The CBA is a small, co-ed, high school preparatory boarding school for students seeking advanced basketball sports development training.  According to the school, its aim is to transform the lives of students from all across the globe.  The independent private school accepts academically talented and challenged students in grades 9-12 (along with post-graduate students) who seek admission to top tier universities.

The CBA was started two years ago and began in Charlotte, then moved to Henderson earlier this year. The school has now settled in Greensboro on the cam-pus of UNC-Greensboro, which has provided off-campus housing for the CBA.  They are looking to search the surrounding area for any top talent that wishes to upgrade their skills by attending Charlotte Basketball Academy.

Jamie Foster, head coach of the post-graduate team and a Winston-Salem native, says he was recruited by the school, which used a head hunter, and found the idea very interesting. Things blossomed from there.  Foster is a former assistant coach at Winston-Salem Preparatory and Carver High schools.

“We play a high-level schedule, so most of our kids come to us to improve their recruitment for college,” said Foster.  “They also come to us to work on their SAT scores and GPA (grade point average) as well.”

“I’m from Winston, so I’m a Winston-Salem guy. I just wanted to give the opportunity to some of the kids there and to give a second chance to get some guys to college or just improve their grades. Anything we can do help them get to the next level.”

Foster says that a potential student does not need to be the best player to be able to attend CBA. He says he is confident enough in his skills as a coach to develop whatever skills a player may have and make him a better player.

The school currently has 372 students and 22 basketball players.  This year, the school has a 47 game schedule for the high school and post-graduate teams and travels all over the country playing some of the toughest opponents high school basketball has to offer.  They play their home games at Proehlific Park, at 4517 Jessup Grove Road in Greensboro.

Foster thinks the exposure the students receive by playing on the team is one of the biggest draws to the school.  He says it’s great exposure for him as well. He has been approached by college teams to join their staff as a coach but says he wants to stay close to home because his son, Deshon Byrd, is a freshman at Southeast Guilford high school and wants to develop his son’s skills as a player as well.

To find out more information on the CBA, go to its website at charlottebas-ketballacademy.net or call 336-695-3212.