Ahish Chitneni started playing basketball in 7th grade and ever since then has a passion for the sport and has played basketball consistently over the years. Ahish began his coaching career during his years in high school when he coached and refereed basketball for the local YMCA for multiple seasons. Since then he and the 5 other coaches founded Ballin' Academy which Ahish believes not only instills core fundamentals of the game but also focuses on other aspects of basketball such as sportsmanship and respect that other sports organizations tend to sometimes overlook. Ahish currently attends UC San Diego where he is majoring in Physiology & Neuroscience and hopes to one day work in the healthcare industry.
Steve Kim began playing basketball after watching the greatest point guard of his generation, Steve Nash, play for the Dallas Mavericks. He played organized basketball for a brief period in middle school and then began coaching in high school. Although Steve’s basketball idol was notorious for his lack of defensive ability, Steve likes to emphasize defensive form and alertness throughout the court. Steve attends Boston University studying economics and plans to pursue a double major in international relations. Apart from being a coffee addict at school, Steve is a member of the professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi. He currently has no idea of what he wants to do in the future, but is sure that he loves sleep.
Meet The Founders
Sanchit Gupta has been playing basketball for approximately 11 years. Everyday no matter how busy he was, he would never want to miss a day of playing basketball, whether it was playing at a local school with friends, or the competitive leagues he's participated in. Starting his sophomore year in High School, he started coaching and refereeing all ages for the Northwest YMCA for about 2 years. Throughout this path, he has learned what it takes to become a complete basketball player, on and off the court and he hopes to influence other children out there who are basketball fans. He is currently studying Computer Science at UC Santa Barbara and one day hopes to become a successful entrepreneur.
Sahil Keval born and raised in Bay Area and has played recreational high school basketball over the past several years. His experience includes coaching several teams in various age groups and holding one on one private lessons to improve individual players' skills and abilities. Sahil emphasizes good sportsmanship and intellectual play to get children to play up to the best of their ability regardless of skill level. He is a marketing major studying in the Bay Area and currently works as the Marketing Coordinator at the Asia America MultiTechnology Association of the Silicon Valley. An avid 49ers, Giants, and you guessed it - Wizards fan. Sahil loves watching and attending sporting events in his spare time and hopes to work in the field of Sports Marketing.
Jordan Spence grew up in Sunnyvale, CA, and for as long as he can remember, has loved the game of basketball. Ever since middle school, Jordan has played basketball at a competitive level. He attended the Stanford University basketball camp and played point gaurd and shooting gaurd on the Homestead High School basketball team Jordan has also been a player and a coach at the Matt Lottich Life Skills Basketball Camp. He coached for two years at the YMCA as well, and is used to coaching players of varying ages. Jordan brings years of basketball experience and training to the Ballin' Academy staff and is excited to continue working and progressing with young people interested in improving their level of play.
