At the Maryland Invitational Coach Charles Pittman AKA turned in one of the best coaching jobs of the season. He guided his Fairfax Stars 13U team to the Elite 8 while also leading his 14U squad to the Final Four.
BS: How long have you been coaching and why did you enter the AAU game?
CP: I have been coaching basketball for 7 years. I entered AAU basketball because I wanted a better brand of and more competitive basketball for my son Chauncey.
BS: Give me breakdown of some of your program success?
CP: Last season we won the Potomac Valley 13U championship and finished ranked #12 at the AAU Nationals. We also have a long list of tournament titles and deep tournament runs.
BS: What is the purpose of your program?
CP: The motivating philosophy of the Fairfax Stars AAU basketball program is a commitment to provide fundamental skill development instruction and to teach the elements of the game of basketball itself for young student-athletes in our community ( boys & girls ) who have a desire to compete at a high level of AAU basketball competition.
Our program and all of our coaches are committed to providing an opportunity for players to expand their skill...their knowledge…and their love for the game of basketball…in an environment of positive reinforcement that teaches about respect, discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship, commitment and hard work. The Fairfax Stars program also stresses the need for strong academics to achieve the true standing of a successful student-athlete.
The goal is to always strive for excellence…both on and off the court!
BS: I’ve seen you in action, how do you explain your passion for coaching?
CP My coaching philosophy is deeply connected to one word, “Enthusiasm”. This one word fuels the fire of our team to play with excitement, inspiration, motivation and a pinch of creativity. I feel like no one out there loves this game more than me and the kids that I coach and that is why our motto is and will continue to be Triple A -“Anybody, Any Place, at Any Time”.
BS: Who are some of the top players your program that we need to know about?
CP: There are handful: Tyvez Monroe, Marcus Adkison, Carlos Thrash, Jason Remy, Michael Janowski and the list goes on-we are still building……….
BS: You made your Spotlight debut coaching at the Super Showcase; how was that experience?
CP: It was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed every moment. I was going to keep it light at first, but once I started coaching the games my competitive juices started flowing and it was business as usual for me. It was a pleasure coaching such talented players like Rakym “The Bedstuy Bully” Felder and Anthony “Mister” Cowan.
BS: Your next stop was the Grand Finale with your 13U squad; what did you think about that event?
CP: The event was well run and the bump was official- we got it in with Team Scan, MABC and New Heights. That’s a full course meal and we enjoyed every bite!!!!!!!
BS: What are the plans for the Fairfax Stars this season?
CP: Our plan is to continue to play in the highest level of tournaments in the country.
CP: The 13s will continue to play in the most competitive 13U tournaments in the country. For this team, special things are on the horizon. If we can play consistently like we did in last weekends MIT, we should do well this season and most importantly, at 13U AAU Nationals in Memphis, Tenn.
The 14s will do some Showcase tournaments as well as play 15s in a number of tournaments. Other than that, we will continue to play in the most competitive 14U tournaments in the country. We want to win the Potomac Valley District again this year and we feel we have 11 spots to go to cut down the nets at 14U AAU Nationals in Orlando, FL.
BS: In May you are slated to come to the MDC; is there anyone you look forward to playing against?
CP: For the 13s, we want to see everybody! We need the work, we are still building but feel we have the right pieces to knuckle up with anyone.
For the 14s, we would like to see the CITY-they beat us twice last year and Team Scan-just beat us in the final 4 in the MIT. BUT MY 1ST CHOICE IS TEAM FINAL-WE WANT THAT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
