Athlete Institute Explained

Stadium Name:Athlete Institute
Location:207321 Highway 9,
Mono, Ontario, Canada
L9W 6J2
Coordinates:43.9321°N -80.0431°W
Opened:September 2010
Owner:Jesse Tipping
Operator:Jesse Tipping
Tenants:Orangeville A's (NBLC) (2015–2017)
Athlete Institute Prep (Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association) (2012–present)
Orangeville Prep (Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association) (2010–present)
Athlete Institute Red (Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association) (2018–present)
Athlete Institute Black (Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association) (2018–present)

The Athlete Institute is an athletic centre located in Mono, Ontario. It is made up of three facilities, the training centre, residence and the fieldhouse. The Institute is home to The Orangeville Prep Basketball Academy, who compete in the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA).[1] Orangeville District Secondary School provides academic instruction for the institute's students. As well as home to By Design Learning Centre, CrossFit Orangeville, Purple Owl Pilates and Athlete Institute Football Club. (AIFC) It was formerly home to the Orangeville A's of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC).

History

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 basketball facility in Canada.[2] Tipping would later compete with the Brampton A's, an NBL Canada team owned by his family, which had grown rich through the trucking industry. The A's relocated to Orangeville and claimed the Athlete Institute as their home arena.[3]

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."[4] The Toronto Star 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."[5]

In September 2014, the institute received significant exposure when highly touted 2016 NBA draft prospect Thon Maker 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.[6]

Orangeville Prep

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.

The team and the school are the subject of the 2021 CBC Television documentary series Anyone's Game.[7]

2020-21 Orangeville Prep Roster!Number!Position!Name!Height!Grad Year!Hometown!Post-Secondary Commitment
0PGJalik Dunkley-Distant6'32024Stoney Creek, Ontario
1PGDarius DeAveiro5'112021Ottawa, OntarioValparaiso
2SGJustice Gordon6'42022Milton, OntarioWayne State
3SFKhenyan Stirling6'52022Toronto, OntarioToronto Metropolitan
4PGJefferson Monegro6'42022LaSalle, QuebecWestern Michigan
5SFEnoch Kalambay6'72022Gatineau, QuebecTallahassee CC
6GWilson Dubinsky6'22021Ottawa, OntarioSeward County CC
8SFJustin Chase6'62023Toronto, OntarioUNB
10GJahnai Dunkley-Distant6'52024Stoney Creek, Ontario
11SFMajambu Mbikay6'82022Châteauguay, QuebecFlorida Southwestern CC
12GAaron Aboonabi6'22023Guelph, Ontario
13GJayden Samarasekera6'02023Hong Kong
15PFRory Stewart6'92022London, United KingdomRhode Island
21GIzan Rooke Mora6'02024Madrid, Spain
24CMustafo Vanjov7'02022TajikistanCurry College
25GAlberto Menendez6'22022Waterloo, Ontario
30GTristan Louka6'12023Richmond Hill, Ontario
33GJonathan Gaspard5'112024Nepean, Ontario
35GNishaan Singh5'112025Oakville, Ontario
-Head coachTony McIntyre
-Assistant coachOlivier Jean-Charles
-Assistant coachJohn Sedore
-Assistant coachKoven Padayachee
-Strength & conditioning coachTyler Schneider

Notable alumni

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About. AthleteInstitute.ca. 11 November 2015.
  2. Web site: Staff Members. AthleteInstitute.ca. 11 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042637/http://www.athleteinstitute.ca/bears-staff-1/. 4 March 2016. dead.
  3. Web site: Pro basketball coming to Orangeville. The Orangeville Citizen. 11 November 2015.
  4. Web site: Friesen. Joe. Ontario program aims to keep Canada's basketball talent at home. The Globe and Mail. 11 November 2015.
  5. Web site: Top five most important people in Canadian basketball. Toronto Star. 11 November 2015.
  6. Web site: Biancardi. Paul. Thon Maker heading to Canada . ESPN.com . September 5, 2014 . April 19, 2016.
  7. Debra Yeo, "CBC's fall slate includes a series about an Orangeville basketball school". Toronto Star, May 27, 2020.