the enforcers · ATLAS Basketball Academy · september 2026
one week. one pillar.both nights of it.
The Enforcers is September’s evolution phase, modeled on Detroit’s title teams — 1989, 1990 and 2004, where the work nobody claps for is what actually won. an enforcer pushes the standard. weekly registration puts your athlete in both sessions of a single week, so a skill gets introduced, drilled, and then tested under pressure inside the same seven days.
that is the difference between a drop-in and a week. night one introduces the pillar and loads the reps. night two raises the speed and makes them prove it.
september teaches defense — and you cannot teach defense without an offense. every rep has somebody on the other end trying to score, so athletes work both ends of the floor. what changes in september is which end we grade.
athletes train in a small-group lab and are placed by skill, not age. coach Adrian Mercado runs the Rookie Lab for beginners (ages 7–9). coach Jaire Roberts runs the Rotation Lab for intermediate players (ages 10–14). the phase is designed by Dr. Julian Penaranda, a Doctor of Physical Therapy — so athletes build skill and protect growing bodies at the same time.
weekly registration is $40 for both nights of your chosen week — the same $20 per-session rate as a day pass, without the four-week commitment. two coached sessions, one pillar, start to finish.
pick your week
every week of september trains one pillar, and they run in order — guard him, help him, claim it, sprint back. one continuous possession. choose the week your athlete needs most, or stack more than one.
stay in front
defensive stance, slides and on-ball containment. beat him to his spot and make him go where you want him to go. the mirror rep is keeping a live handle under pressure.
cover for me
off-ball defense, help and recover, switching, drilled in shell. five defenders on one string, every switch called out loud, nobody guarding alone.
that’s mine
find your box-out, hold your ground, come down with the ball in two hands — and be first to every loose ball. the possession ends when the ball is secured.
sprint back
transition defense. beat the ball down the floor, find a man, protect the rim before it gets there — on tired legs, because that is when it counts.
what 90 minutes looks like
the drills change with the week’s pillar. the structure never does: warm-up → block training → constraint-led drills → competition → conclusion.
the details
- format — two 90-minute small-group sessions, both nights of one week
- ages — 7–14, placed by skill, not age
- time — 5:30–7:00 pm, doors 5:15
- available weeks — sep 9 + 11 · sep 14 + 16 · sep 21 + 23 · sep 28 + 30
- why a friday — labor day falls monday, september 7, so the gym is dark and week one runs wednesday + friday
- location — ATLAS Hoops, 6560 spencer street, suite 145, las vegas, nv 89119
- capacity — 30 athletes phase-wide, across both labs. not 30 each.
the ways to train in september
every lane gets the same coaching on the floor. only the full month unlocks the homework lab, the leaderboard and award eligibility. september has three mondays and four wednesdays, so the two day passes are not the same size — the price follows the session count.
here
weekly
drop-in
day pass
the full month
what’s included — and what isn’t
included
- both sessions of your chosen week
- full lab placement on night one — same as full members
- the week’s complete pillar, coached start to finish
- a coach’s note — one thing your athlete did well, one thing to work on
full-month only
- the at-home homework lab — 10 graded drills
- leaderboard points and ranking
- award eligibility — the standard, the breakthrough award, triple double award, the connector, completion certificate
- the full eight-session arc these weeks are built on
want your athlete in the homework lab? the full month is open until monday, september 7 at 12pm pt.
before your athlete steps on the court: every athlete must complete a general liability waiver. you can also scan the qr code at the lobby desk on arrival. no waiver, no participation. no exceptions.
questions parents ask
why does week one run wednesday and friday?
labor day falls on monday, september 7, so the gym is dark and week one opens wednesday the 9th. to keep it a full two sessions, the second runs friday, september 11. every other week is the usual monday and wednesday.
september teaches defense — will my athlete actually play?
yes. you cannot teach defense without an offense — every rep has somebody on the other end trying to score. athletes get both ends of the floor. what changes in september is which end we grade.
can we register for more than one week?
yes. add each week you want — they stack, and the pillars are built to compound. an athlete who takes all four covers one full possession: guard him, help him, claim it, sprint back.
which week should we pick if we only do one?
pick the gap, not the strength. if your athlete gets beat off the dribble, take week 1. if they guard their own man well and nobody else’s, week 2. if they get a hand on everything and come down with nothing, week 3. if they stop running when the ball changes hands, week 4. not sure? dm us and we’ll tell you straight.
my child has never played basketball — is this okay?
yes. the rookie lab is built for beginners — every drill is broken down to age-appropriate distances and progressions. your athlete will be challenged, not overwhelmed.
what if my athlete is more advanced?
placement is by skill, not age. the rotation lab handles athletes ready for game-speed reads. coaches assess on arrival and place your athlete where they will be challenged.
what should we bring?
court shoes, a water bottle, comfortable athletic clothing, and a basketball if you have one — we provide balls if not. doors open at 5:15, which is time enough to get loose and get placed before 5:30.
what if we have to miss one of the two sessions?
pass terms are confirmed at checkout. tell us before the session and we will do our best to slot your athlete into another night in the same phase. we plan coaching and lab placement around your reservation, so a no-show takes a spot another family could have used.
session rules
- online registration recommended — limited walk-in availability
- game-speed reps, high energy, high focus
- athletes are expected to compete, communicate, and stay engaged
- no disruptive behavior or unsafe play
- coaches may adjust drills or intensity to keep the session safe and productive
📩 questions? atlashoops702@gmail.com · 702-948-8937
