‘Player of the Month,’ PTP Youth Basketball Announces New Award Program
Jan 23, 2025 09:30AM ● By Shamaya Sutton
Prince Training Players (PTP) Youth Basketball Program in Yuba City just recently announced a new “player of the month” award series. Photo courtesy of PTP Youth Basketball
YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - The Prince Training Players (PTP) Youth Basketball Program in Yuba City recently announced a new “Player of the Month” award series starting in December.
Javeyon Brown from Marysville High School and Torrence Harter from Sutter Union High School were named Prince Training Players’ first Players of the Month. Both have maintained an average GPA of 3.5 and received high accolades from their respective coaches.
“We’re looking at not just the athlete on the floor but also into their academics: the student-athlete,” said Gerrard Prince, Prince Training Players’ founder and head coach. “It's about their all-around character.”
Prince has led Prince Training Players for about six years now and said he is always looking for ways to inspire young athletes. His love for basketball developed in Los Angeles while growing up in what he called a particularly rough neighborhood.
“Basketball was an outlet that I felt kept me on a straight and narrow path,” said Prince. “As the son of a single mom, it was everything to me.”
Through basketball, Prince received the opportunity to play for Yuba College between 1987 and 1989, but at age 23, was diagnosed with a severe case of Rheumatoid arthritis. No longer able to play, Prince said, he was consumed with depressive thoughts and wasn’t sure what to do next. He again focused on basketball, this time focusing his efforts on coaching.
“I had a son and I decided I wanted to start training him,” explained Prince. “He went on to become two-time Player of the Year in this area and also Player of the Year in MaxPreps his senior year.”
Prince’s son is Keenan Prince, a local basketball legend who, after many accolades, now is an educator in Sacramento. His “Player of the Year” titles inspired Gerrard Prince in part to start up his own version.
“It's about building better players and better people,” said Prince. “The impact I make on a child's life far beyond when they stop playing for me means far more than the wins and losses.”
The skills one builds in a team sport such as basketball easily translates to the real world, according to Prince. These skills include time management, arriving early, consistency, drive and preparedness.
“In basketball, you’ll be playing with a lot of people from different economic backgrounds and working with lots of different people on one goal,” said Prince. “You may not get along but you gotta figure it out because at the end of the day, you gotta make it work for the operation and the team you’re a part of.”
Prince Training Players will announce its next two Players of the Month for January in the coming weeks. There will be one more award series in February before shifting over to “Player of the Year.” Prince anticipates this honor will go to one of the six previous Players of the Month.
Eligible players are selected from area high schools, one boy and one girl from a varsity team.
Player of the month awards typically include a gift card, headphones or speaker, and a custom water bottle in addition to an honorary speech. Player of the Year awards look to elevate that prize and incentive even further.
“What I have in mind for player of the year is going to be mind-blowing,” added Prince.
Prince is seeking additional sponsors for his Player of the Year award and expects to be announcing the recipient within the second week of February.
To learn more about Prince Training Players and how to get involved with one of their youth programs, call Prince at 530-301-0316 or email [email protected].