Nothing but us

Passion describes lives, creates communities and writes history. It breaks the mould, it shakes you from the inside out to create something unique. Nothing but us. BASKETBALL TRAINING ACADEMY ... has been creating emotions since 1980.  BTA Family: behind each face, a passion. Behind each life, a story. Fascinating characters who all have one thing in common: a self-confessed unconditional love for basketball. BTA since 1980 has been telling stories of passion, of victories and challenges that glide across the basketball court and land in the depths of the soul.

TESTIMONIALS

'Friends are the family you choose.' Great Friends are reliable and loyal. They are unique and we love them. They are always there when we need them. We believe our Guys shouldn’t be 'here today, gone tomorrow'. Much like a great Friend, they become part of the family. A combination of real-life stories, and testimonials that creates BTA Storytelling ... aspiration and belief in something which will never be compromised. The reason why we exist. Read the full stories


OUR HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS

Timeline BTA 1980-2025

1980 - ENJOY THE JOURNEY YOU ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN

We never talk about basketball, we talk about life. We believe that basketball is life and the playing field is an extension of one's existence. How to improve your game. There is no path to competence, competence is the path. It is a state of mind achieved through a daily, consistent, and high-level conscious practice, in one's sport or other activity. The journey is often a thousand miles or more, but it begins with a single first step of high-quality conscious preparation. Focusing only on this single act is considered a step towards competence and that movement must be repeated over and over again until you feel it is time to move on. More times does not mean hours, it takes only two minutes for the brain to understand. The repetition must be long over time, not daily. Mastery means 'time in the saddle', consistent, gradual, continuous, and conscious preparation. However, this can only be achieved when there is love, passion, and joy for the work you do. When these elements are present, the sky is the only limit, and that is when you experience competence, mastery.

1983 - WE WIN THE FIRST TITLE

We win our first championship by building an unwavering team identity. Of course, the best was yet to come in the following seasons.

1985 - MEETING 'A WAY OF BEING' - USA COACHING LEGEND

We build our world from small pieces. As in real life, we depict, with great fidelity, a multitude of details that occur simultaneously. It becomes impossible to identify all the 'figures' and life scenes with the naked eye; one would need to live within it to fully grasp its essence, to capture the particular atmosphere of each 'season'. It is the small details that combine to immediately create a fascinating whole. The greatest satisfaction is having been able to fulfill our lifelong dream: to make our creativity our strong point, as well as our very personal language to communicate with others. More than defeats, we have had to face many challenges, but it is precisely in challenges that we have always found, and continue to find, the drive and energy to never settle, to learn even more, and to achieve new goals.

1987 - THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE. A JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF USA BASKETBALL

In the spirit of 'coaching'. We learn that 'coaching' is a human effort, that of creating healthy, enthusiastic, and passionate Athletes and Teams.

1993 - TRADITIONS DEEPENED AND EVOLVED

BTA - Basketball Training Academy is committed to making a difference in the lives of the families in our Community. Our areas of support include education, health, fitness, camps, and assistance.

1996 - THE 'GYM & BOOK CLUB' IS BORN

A meeting place, with a gym, to exchange ideas and build relationships, shape dreams, and discuss some of the world's most beloved books.

2008 - OPEN MIND, RECEPTIVE HEART. GATHERING STORIES

We give life to some of the kids' dreams. Young people have unlimited potential, but their ability to explore that potential is limited due to barriers beyond their control. BTA - Basketball Training Academy aims to level the playing field, eliminate those barriers, invest in change, and, most importantly, give young people the opportunity to dream big.

2013 - THE PROGRAMS HAVE EXPANDED

From a single location to the structure known today, composed of 4 locations worldwide. We believe that the best stories are those that showcase the world's diversities and reflect our community. In the world, emotions are too under-represented.

2014 - 'MUSIC STUDIO' IS BORN

Music takes you away from reality, from everyday life, to make you intimately enjoy the emotions that only it can give you. Among unique and indescribable moments, alone or with your dearest friends, music creates a magical atmosphere that deserves to be lived in the best possible way. A music room created for kids, simple beauty, a sincere smile, and a soundtrack to tie words and emotions in the background.

2015 - THE ATHLETES EXCELLED

BTA trains top-level Athletes also in Italy. (since 2012) BTA Elite Training, a world-class basketball school for freedom-seekers, go-getters, adventurers, rule-breakers, those who 'want more', who are looking for a comprehensive solution that allows their dreams to become reality.

2016 - YOU CAN BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM THE ORDINARY

We give life to some of the kids' dreams. We like to call ourselves the artisans of a new kind of basketball. It is just a simple evolution of our being, our seeing and our perceiving, our way of life.

2020 - 40TH ANNIVERSARY

We produce our small book 'Unreal Court' to commemorate our first 40 years in business.

2021 - 'UNIVERSITY FOR PARENTS' IS BORN

Suitable for parents who want to support their child's development. Help your children develop high-level basketball skills even if you have ZERO playing or coaching experience. An exclusive series of trainings for adults - men and women - aged 18 and over, of any skill level and technical expertise who want to start with high-quality teaching at a BTA training facility.

2024 - NBA

Our approach with the NBA, with the aim of exchanging thoughts and ideas with Erik Brucker. The cultural sector is, in many ways, a dynamic and undisciplined presence in our societies. It takes on multiple forms, spans across time zones, and creeps into unexpected aspects of our daily lives. It also provides an alternative space that can accommodate multitudes, despite our differences, and, in turn, inspire us.

2024/2025 - WE PRESENT 'BASKETBALL REAWAKENING'

Some people dedicate themselves to street basketball because it's a passion, others use it to vent emotions, and still others see it as a way to convey a message, but for 'me', Street Basketball is as essential and natural as breathing. Street Basketball teaches 'art' and passion to children and adolescents who have difficulty expressing their feelings with words.

2025 - THE POWER OF MINDSET

We have always believed that basketball is also played in the mind. This year we share it more directly with a dedicated page of tips, reflections, and practical exercises - concrete insights for personal growth to strengthen the mind alongside the game.

We have so, so much more to learn and many miles to go before we rest.


BRAND STORYTELLING

Authenticity (the foundation of trust) and Transparency (the key to building trust)


Our 1980s brand slogan, ‘We think differently', remains inspiring, rooting us in an approach to design that embraces risk and experimentation. We don't work from technology. We always work from the idea. We tell you how human experience always guides the development of new exercises, new techniques.


BTA Timeline

WE SIMPLY TRAIN DIFFERENTLY

True 'beauty' comes from within, and we truly shape it. That’s why we watch, create, listen, think, develop ... simply to give you a place where you can perfect your game. We have come a long way since 1980. We have evolved and will continue to do so. Changing is right, but there are some things we will never 'let go' of. Things like our identity, what we represent, and the kind of organization we will become when we 'grow up'. Preserving our Culture and Values ensures that we stay true to who we are and respects those who 'live it', our kids, our community.

COMPETE WITH HEART

Responsibility and trust. Responsibility means learning and applying, learning and applying new skills. It becomes imperative to hold yourself and your teammates accountable. Trust is a choice. In fact, it’s two choices. 1) Competence creates trust. First, choose to become more competent. Focus on practicing every day. Improve every day. 2) Focus trust on your performance, not the result. Second, choose to be focused and confident in every performance.

LEADERSHIP CULTURE

The formative experience. Players need to understand why they win or lose before moving forward. We achieve our goals because we build cohesion, never I, never They — while we are on the court it is Us, Together. 1) In Italy, coaches win games and players lose them. In the BTA and NBA world, players win on the court and coaches lose on the court. 2) Always be yourself as you have a voice that travels; use your voice, don’t whisper, respect your voice. 3) Be yourself, be constructive but learn. 4) Keep an open mind. Take what you like and add it to what you believe. Can you learn it? Then learn how to win. Players who excel are innovators and love taking risks. Don’t be afraid to be different. Being different makes you the best player on your team. Never be afraid to fall as a player.

VISUAL & MENTAL GAME

Focus. Focus is just a thought. Focus is controllable. Focus is a choice; it’s where you choose to concentrate, it’s how you choose what to filter. You make the choice, you take control. Focus is much more than simple concentration; Focus is the key to great performance. Focus is confidence, focus is trust. Focus is a fundamental athletic skill, perhaps the most fundamental. Thinking the right way is a skill, and like all skills, it can be learned.

MINDFULNESS

Awareness. Attention is your brain’s highlighter. Using your executive functions, your mind processes information from multiple sources, whether sound, touch, smell, sight, or internal thoughts and feelings. When you pay attention, you direct your conscious mind to one of these information sources. In class, you might focus on the teacher. Or, if boring, you might focus on social media. Concentration is how you direct your attention. It involves filtering out noise and processing one of the multiple stimuli affecting you. When you focus on something, you are thinking about it intensely. So if you listen carefully to your teacher, you are concentrating on the lesson. You devote your mental energy to learning. Focus is about discipline and, to some extent, willpower. It involves choosing a single point to direct your attention rather than succumbing to the whims of external forces.