Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Athlete Institute
open-in-new
<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>The institute was founded in September 2010 by colleagues Jesse Tipping and Adam Hoffman. Tipping followed the dreams of his father, James, who wanted to create the best <a href="/facts/Basketball/M5pl4Pzo">basketball</a> facility in Canada.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> Tipping would later compete with the <a href="/facts/Orangeville_A%27s/TVxEI1lr">Brampton A's</a>, an NBL Canada team owned by his family, which had grown rich through the trucking industry.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> The A's relocated to <a href="/facts/Orangeville,_Ontario/Wh4rXTEK">Orangeville</a> and claimed the Athlete Institute as their home arena.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p><p>The Athlete Institute has received praise from several players, including local high school basketball player Jalen Poyser, who said, "I thought it was like an NBA facility when I got here."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> The <i><a href="/facts/Toronto_Star/LL01Epdy">Toronto Star</a></i> credited the institute for attracting top talent from around the world. The newspaper also considered Tipping as one of the "five most important people in Canadian basketball."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p><p>In September 2014, the institute received significant exposure when highly touted <a href="/facts/2016_NBA_draft/nxNv3yhA">2016 NBA draft</a> prospect <a href="/facts/Thon_Maker/VlBElW2k">Thon Maker</a> joined the program; he went on to become the first high schooler to be taken in the first round of an NBA draft since 2005.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="orangeville-prep">Orangeville Prep</h2> <p>Orangeville Prep is the national team at Athlete Institute. They compete in The Grind Session in addition as the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA). In the 2019-20 OSBA season, Orangeville Prep won the championship, and had a 19–0 record in the regular season. </p><p>The team and the school are the subject of the 2021 <a href="/facts/CBC_Television/K8VcSAdJ">CBC Television</a> documentary series <i><a href="/facts/Anyone%27s_Game/trDpM5J1">Anyone's Game</a></i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p> 2020-21 Orangeville Prep Roster<table><tbody><tr><th>Number</th><th>Position</th><th>Name</th><th>Height</th><th>Grad Year</th><th>Hometown</th><th>Post-Secondary Commitment</th></tr><tr><td>0</td><td><a href="/facts/Point_guard/VH9IEqBD">PG</a></td><td>Jalik Dunkley-Distant</td><td>6'3</td><td>2024</td><td><a href="/facts/Stoney_Creek,_Ontario/VKmqYy5G">Stoney Creek, Ontario</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td><a href="/facts/Point_guard/VH9IEqBD">PG</a></td><td>Darius DeAveiro</td><td>5'11</td><td>2021</td><td><a href="/facts/Ottawa/x5FkqX7F">Ottawa</a>, Ontario</td><td><a href="/facts/Valparaiso_Crusaders_men%27s_basketball/2RJEEXjg">Valparaiso</a></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td><a href="/facts/Shooting_guard/depVcahw">SG</a></td><td>Justice Gordon</td><td>6'4</td><td>2022</td><td><a href="/facts/Milton,_Ontario/hr8zmky7">Milton, Ontario</a></td><td>Wayne State</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td><a href="/facts/Small_forward/L3LFKfk6">SF</a></td><td>Khenyan Stirling</td><td>6'5</td><td>2022</td><td><a href="/facts/Toronto/cnXH7881">Toronto</a>, Ontario</td><td>Toronto Metropolitan</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td><a href="/facts/Point_guard/VH9IEqBD">PG</a></td><td>Jefferson Monegro</td><td>6'4</td><td>2022</td><td><a href="/facts/LaSalle,_Quebec/MbNNQ8p0">LaSalle</a>, Quebec</td><td>Western Michigan</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td><a href="/facts/Small_forward/L3LFKfk6">SF</a></td><td>Enoch Kalambay</td><td>6'7</td><td>2022</td><td><a href="/facts/Gatineau/6TracWk2">Gatineau</a>, Quebec</td><td><a href="/facts/Tallahassee_Community_College/pBPvKwD9">Tallahassee CC</a></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td><a href="/facts/Basketball_positions/eSkB2Dg1">G</a></td><td>Wilson Dubinsky</td><td>6'2</td><td>2021</td><td><a href="/facts/Ottawa/x5FkqX7F">Ottawa</a>, Ontario</td><td>Seward County CC</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td><a href="/facts/Small_forward/L3LFKfk6">SF</a></td><td>Justin Chase</td><td>6'6</td><td>2023</td><td><a href="/facts/Toronto/cnXH7881">Toronto</a>, Ontario</td><td>UNB</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td><a href="/facts/Basketball_positions/eSkB2Dg1">G</a></td><td>Jahnai Dunkley-Distant</td><td>6'5</td><td>2024</td><td><a href="/facts/Stoney_Creek,_Ontario/VKmqYy5G">Stoney Creek, Ontario</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td><a href="/facts/Small_forward/L3LFKfk6">SF</a></td><td>Majambu Mbikay</td><td>6'8</td><td>2022</td><td><a href="/facts/Ch%C3%A2teauguay/CQAduL8o">Châteauguay</a>, Quebec</td><td>Florida Southwestern CC</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td><a href="/facts/Basketball_positions/eSkB2Dg1">G</a></td><td>Aaron Aboonabi</td><td>6'2</td><td>2023</td><td><a href="/facts/Guelph/kPgkX3Vy">Guelph</a>, Ontario</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td><a href="/facts/Basketball_positions/eSkB2Dg1">G</a></td><td>Jayden Samarasekera</td><td>6'0</td><td>2023</td><td><a href="/facts/Hong_Kong/4nAf3mqQ">Hong Kong</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td><a href="/facts/Power_forward_(basketball)/KAe9vHPr">PF</a></td><td>Rory Stewart</td><td>6'9</td><td>2022</td><td><a href="/facts/London/KozCCsy9">London</a>, <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom/kuPAILt2">United Kingdom</a></td><td>Rhode Island</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td><a href="/facts/Basketball_positions/eSkB2Dg1">G</a></td><td>Izan Rooke Mora</td><td>6'0</td><td>2024</td><td><a href="/facts/Madrid/B63nL2DB">Madrid</a>, <a href="/facts/Spain/bIyrB8EY">Spain</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td><a href="/facts/Center_(basketball)/5L3DreEl">C</a></td><td>Mustafo Vanjov</td><td>7'0</td><td>2022</td><td><a href="/facts/Tajikistan/xLLXqHEJ">Tajikistan</a></td><td>Curry College</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td><a href="/facts/Basketball_positions/eSkB2Dg1">G</a></td><td>Alberto Menendez</td><td>6'2</td><td>2022</td><td><a href="/facts/Waterloo,_Ontario/pWzUEmIH">Waterloo, Ontario</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td><a href="/facts/Basketball_positions/eSkB2Dg1">G</a></td><td>Tristan Louka</td><td>6'1</td><td>2023</td><td><a href="/facts/Richmond_Hill,_Ontario/3Q7TEHjS">Richmond Hill, Ontario</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>33</td><td><a href="/facts/Basketball_positions/eSkB2Dg1">G</a></td><td>Jonathan Gaspard</td><td>5'11</td><td>2024</td><td><a href="/facts/Nepean,_Ontario/k6sDwSTh">Nepean, Ontario</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>35</td><td><a href="/facts/Basketball_positions/eSkB2Dg1">G</a></td><td>Nishaan Singh</td><td>5'11</td><td>2025</td><td><a href="/facts/Oakville,_Ontario/0dhmYUKP">Oakville, Ontario</a></td></tr><tr><td>-</td><td><a href="/facts/Head_coach/GN2xQv2j">Head coach</a></td><td>Tony McIntyre</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>-</td><td>Assistant coach</td><td>Olivier Jean-Charles</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>-</td><td>Assistant coach</td><td>John Sedore</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>-</td><td>Assistant coach</td><td>Koven Padayachee</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>-</td><td>Strength & conditioning coach</td><td>Tyler Schneider</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="notable-alumni">Notable alumni</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Kyle_Alexander/2EswQsk1">Kyle Alexander</a> (born 1996), basketball player for <a href="/facts/Hapoel_Tel_Aviv_B.C./C0IgocJw">Hapoel Tel Aviv</a> of the <a href="/facts/Israeli_Basketball_Premier_League/hHKJ8fcK">Israeli Basketball Premier League</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Ignas_Brazdeikis/2lq21Pew">Ignas Brazdeikis</a>, professional basketball player for <a href="/facts/Olympiacos_B.C./k7qfr5LR">Olympiacos</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Oshae_Brissett/S28qQM4o">Oshae Brissett</a>, professional basketball player for the <a href="/facts/Boston_Celtics/kAm5yWCJ">Boston Celtics</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Luguentz_Dort/5rVRLRQS">Luguentz Dort</a>, professional basketball player for the <a href="/facts/Oklahoma_City_Thunder/c5bpcUML">Oklahoma City Thunder</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Matur_Maker/CxWCYysu">Matur Maker</a>, professional basketball player for the <a href="/facts/Nelson_Giants/l8AaRrCg">Nelson Giants</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Thon_Maker/VlBElW2k">Thon Maker</a>, professional basketball player for the <a href="/facts/Fujian_Sturgeons/rh4Eset4">Fujian Sturgeons</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Jamal_Murray/TlpGtBwR">Jamal Murray</a>, professional basketball player for the <a href="/facts/Denver_Nuggets/yWM1jcyG">Denver Nuggets</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Howard_Washington/Sl3RNl4l">Howard Washington</a>, professional basketball player for the <a href="/facts/Buffalo_eXtreme/0W9w2p0o">Buffalo eXtreme</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.athleteinstitute.ca/">Official website</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"About". AthleteInstitute.ca. Retrieved 11 November 2015. <a href="http://www.athleteinstitute.ca/about/" target="_blank">http://www.athleteinstitute.ca/about/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Staff Members". AthleteInstitute.ca. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042637/http://www.athleteinstitute.ca/bears-staff-1/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042637/http://www.athleteinstitute.ca/bears-staff-1/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Friesen, Joe. "Ontario program aims to keep Canada's basketball talent at home". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 11 November 2015. <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/basketball/ontario-program-aims-to-keep-canadas-basketball-talent-at-home/article15819820/" target="_blank">https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/basketball/ontario-program-aims-to-keep-canadas-basketball-talent-at-home/article15819820/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Pro basketball coming to Orangeville". The Orangeville Citizen. Retrieved 11 November 2015. <a href="http://citizen.on.ca/?p=4524" target="_blank">http://citizen.on.ca/?p=4524</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Friesen, Joe. "Ontario program aims to keep Canada's basketball talent at home". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 11 November 2015. <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/basketball/ontario-program-aims-to-keep-canadas-basketball-talent-at-home/article15819820/" target="_blank">https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/basketball/ontario-program-aims-to-keep-canadas-basketball-talent-at-home/article15819820/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Top five most important people in Canadian basketball". Toronto Star. Retrieved 11 November 2015. <a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/2015/01/01/top_five_most_important_people_in_canadian_basketball.html" target="_blank">https://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/2015/01/01/top_five_most_important_people_in_canadian_basketball.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Biancardi, Paul (September 5, 2014). "Thon Maker heading to Canada". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 19, 2016. <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/story/_/id/11472092/thon-maker-nation-top-rated-recruit-enroll-athlete-institute-canada" target="_blank">https://www.espn.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/story/_/id/11472092/thon-maker-nation-top-rated-recruit-enroll-athlete-institute-canada</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Debra Yeo, "CBC's fall slate includes a series about an Orangeville basketball school". Toronto Star, May 27, 2020. <a href="https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2020/05/27/cbcs-fall-slate-includes-a-series-about-an-orangeville-basketball-school.html" target="_blank">https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2020/05/27/cbcs-fall-slate-includes-a-series-about-an-orangeville-basketball-school.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>