The Play Hard Play Smart Basketball program strives to develop student athletes into successful students, athletes and leaders with character and a passion for excellence, both on the court and in life, by focusing on core principles: educational development, athletic development, teamwork, competition, sportsmanship, respect and leadership.

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EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT - We believe educational development is one of the most important aspects of a student athlete. Our role as a program is to assist each student athlete in developing their own potential and learning styles. We strive to assist student athletes with hands-on learning, cooperative learning, projects, themes, and individual work that can engage and activate learning.

                  

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT - We strive to develop fundamental basketball skills and knowledge of the game to enable each player to reach their full athletic potential.
We seek to develop players physically, technically, mentally, and emotionally. We emphasize teaching not only proper mechanics, but the mindset necessary to succeed in the game of basketball, where patience and perseverance often prevail over passion. No two players are alike and our coaches tailor their coaching to suit each player’s natural ability and skill set.

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TEAMWORK - We stress the importance of teamwork and building strong, lasting bonds/relationships among players and coaches. Teamwork remains a core fundamental for every successful team and is the baseline for all planning and preparation. We strive to teach teamwork in all elements of the game and stress that each player on the team and each position on the court have a role in achieving team success.  But teamwork is not just about execution--part of teamwork is supporting your teammates and picking them up when they have an off day or make a mistake.  We fundamentally believe that players only reach their full potential when teammates are both well-drilled in their roles and basketball skills and are encouraging and supporting of each other.
    
COMPETITION - We provide the opportunity for players to compete at the highest levels of basketball. Competition is the fuel that drives athletes and sports, but "competing" is not a one dimensional concept. Being competitive means winning basketball games, but also means giving maximum effort while applying fundamental skills.

SPORTSMANSHIP AND RESPECT - We strive to build character, honor good sportsmanship, and teach respect for the game of basketball, coaches, teammates, opponents, officials, and family. Sportsmanship and respect are at the center of all of our basketball-related activities. PHPS Basketball program believes in playing the game of basketball with the right attitude and appreciation for the elements of the game. We believe in playing the game hard and aggressively while never compromising our principles for the sake of winning. Poor sportsmanship by players, coaches, or parents will not be tolerated. It is a privilege to wear the PHPS uniform and compete at the highest level. Our actions represent not only our teammates, coaches, and parents, but all of PHPS and the city of Sacramento..

LEADERSHIP – Our goal is to develop young athletes into leaders on their team and in their community. We believe in instilling qualities in our players that help them succeed not only on the basketball court, but in their community and most importantly the classroom.  We choose to lead by example and never allow the intensity of the game diminish that standard. Building character and leadership traits in our players not only maximizes our success on the court but in life, long after our playing days are over.