Banners are not given.
They are earned.
Eight sessions on our own parquet, inspired by the 80s Boston Celtics — the team that won by outworking everybody, talking on every possession, and refusing to give up the ball. Your athlete leaves September a louder, tougher, smarter teammate.
ATLAS Basketball Academy is a youth basketball development program in Las Vegas for ages 7 to 14. We run month-long evolution phases instead of one-week drop-off programs. Banner Season is our September phase.
Sep 9 – Sep 30 · 8 sessions
Las Vegas, NV 89119
No tryout. Beginners welcome.
Two coaching labs
This is what a session looks like
Ninety minutes. Nobody standing in a line waiting for a turn. Watch a night on our floor.
Your athlete does not need to be good yet.
In 1979 the Celtics won 29 games. They added one rookie, changed how hard they played, and won 61 the next season. Nobody arrives finished. That is the entire point of a phase.
- No tryout, no evaluation to get in, no experience required.
- Labs are about pacing, not ranking — nobody is the “bad” group.
- 7-year-olds are not put in drill lines with 14-year-olds.
- First-timers every single phase. Your kid will not be the only one.
- Parents are welcome to stay and watch, or drop off. Your call.
- Not sure yet? Come to one session for $25 before committing to a month.
Not a camp.
The drop-off week
Five mornings of scrimmages. Everyone rotates through the same stations, nothing is measured, and on Friday it ends with a t-shirt and no way to tell if anything changed.
The evolution phase
Four themed weeks, one skill per week, twelve homework drills between sessions, weekly grading, a live leaderboard your family can watch, and a championship night where the awards are earned.
What we build
Those Celtics teams did not out-talent the league every night. They out-worked it. Every week of Banner Season takes one habit that made them champions and drills it until it is a reflex.
Get It Back
Takeaways. The 1984 Finals turned on one stolen inbounds pass by a guard who never stopped reading the play. Taught live in 3-on-2 and 4-on-3, where the defense earns points for stops — steals, deflections, and the discipline not to foul.
That’s Mine
Boards. Boston’s front line treated every miss like personal property. Boxing out, tracking the ball off the rim, going up with two hands and coming down with it instead of a foul call.
Send It
The outlet. Bird could turn a defensive rebound into a layup at the other end before the defense had turned around. Rebound to first pass in under a second, then sprint the lane.
Mic Up
Talk. That team went 40-1 at home partly because five players called out everything before it happened. Calling screens, calling help, calling out your own mistake first.
Championship & Awards
The last session of the month. Championship games, every award handed out the same night, and the Champions Wall updated before families leave the building.
This part is for you.
- You do not get a banner for showing up. You get one for taking something that was not yours yet.
- Rip the ball back. Own every rebound in the gym. Throw the outlet that beats everybody down the floor.
- Be the loudest player in the building — and watch it actually work.
- Twelve homework drills. Every one you finish moves you up a board everybody can see.
- September 30 is Banner Night. Championship, awards, and your name goes on the Champions Wall.
Bring a voice. Leave with a banner.
Where does your athlete train?
Athletes are placed by skill, not by age, so nobody is stuck in a drill built for somebody two feet taller. The ages below are guidance. Coaches make the call on night one, and it is about pacing — not about who is better.
Rookie Lab
Coach Adrian Mercado, NASM-CPT. Footwork, hands, and effort built before anything flashy, so the fundamentals hold up when the game speeds up. Most athletes here are new. That is normal.
Rotation Lab
Coach Jaire Roberts. Boston won because every player knew their job before the ball moved. Rotation Lab is reads, versatility, and owning a role when the pace picks up.
Designed by a doctor.
Run by hoopers.
Dr. Julian Penaranda is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. He spends his days fixing the knees and ankles that youth basketball breaks — so he built a program that stops doing the breaking. The coaches run the floor. The science runs underneath it.
Adrian Mercado
Rookie Lab. Teaches movement first — the footwork every other skill gets stacked on top of.
Jaire Roberts
Rotation Lab. Reads the game two passes ahead. Las Vegas Aces court attendant and practice player.
KJ Johnson
On the floor. Grit and defense. If your athlete starts coasting, KJ notices first.
Kwe Riddles
On the floor. Soft-spoken right up until he is not. Basketball is music to his ears.
Founder, ATLAS Hoops
Most youth basketball is glorified babysitting with a scoreboard. ATLAS is a skills lab. Every phase is built around what a 7 to 14 year old body can actually hold up to — not drills copied off a whiteboard — so athletes get better without getting broken.
Twelve drills. One leaderboard.
The work does not stop when your athlete leaves the gym — and neither does the scoreboard.
12
Homework drills across the four pillars, each named after a player from the era. Filmed at home on a phone, uploaded to your athlete’s own folder.
3
Days to submit. Every drill drops on a non-session day and is due three days later at 11:59 PM PT.
1
Live board. Attendance, streaks, Connector nominations and homework all feed one ranking families can watch all month.
The ladder
Start wherever you are comfortable. The deeper you commit, the less each session costs — and only full-month registrations unlock homework and the leaderboard.
Capacity is 30 athletes across the whole phase, not per lab. Not sure which lane fits? Email atlashoops702@gmail.com or call 702-948-8937 and we will tell you straight.
Earn your banner
Boston hung banners instead of building trophy cases. Every award is handed out on Banner Night, September 30 — and every winner goes up on the Champions Wall for good.
Straight answers
My kid has never played organized basketball. Is this too advanced?
What if we miss a session?
Do I stay, or drop off?
What should my athlete bring?
Is there a waiver?
Are 7-year-olds really training with 14-year-olds?
Is the homework mandatory?
What happens after September?
Everything you need
5:30–7:00 PM, doors 5:15
Sep 9 – Sep 30, 2026 · 8 sessions
6560 Spencer St, Suite 145
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Open in Maps
Ages 7–14
All skill levels · no tryout
Rookie Lab and Rotation Lab
The rafters are empty
Eight sessions, four pillars, twelve drills, one Banner Night. September fills at 30 athletes and then it is closed.
