Our society loves the game of basketball.  Unfortunately, a trend is starting to appear at all levels of this great game.  Even though players are bigger, faster, and stronger than ever before, the overall skill level of basketball players has taken a dramatic dip.  The fundamentals of the game are being over looked.  Proper footwork, shooting mechanics, triple threat position, and passing angles have taken a backseat to slam dunking, one-on-one play, and poor shooting percentages.  The game of basketball has become an athletic contest and skill levels are grossly neglected.  Lack of the fundamentals is the primary reason JAMM Stars is in existence. 

JAMM Stars was founded as an ongoing youth skills camp to help kids learn the fundamentals of basketball, strengthen their skills and enhance their love for the game.  We focus on small group and individual sessions to offer personalized assessments and promote team play.

Athletes will receive their training from James Mason.  Coach Mason is one of Tampa’s up and coming premier basketball trainers.  With over 10 years of coaching experience, Coach Mason has an eye for talent and can easily identify strength and weaknesses, and can help your son or daughter build on and improve the fundamental skills necessary for competitive basketball.

Coach Mason brings coaching experience from a variety of levels, but his main focus are athletes between the ages of 5 to 18.  He began his coaching career in 2002 as a girl’s assistant varsity basketball coach at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, MD.  Serving as an assistant basketball coach for Bishop McNamara from 2002 - 2006, Coach Mason was responsible for developing the skills of perimeter players, implementing defensive strategies, and helping with day-to-day operations of practices and games.  During his tenure, the Lady Mustangs were three time WCAC Conference Champs.  He helped Bishop McNamara become a power house in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area and as a result, the Lady Mustangs were recognized No. 3 nationally by USA Today.  Coached Mason assisted in producing 11 student-athletes who received Division I scholarships.

After several successful seasons as an assistant coach, Coach Mason was promoted to head coach of the girl’s Nike Elite Summer Travel Team.  As coach for the Nike Elite for 4 years, he was able to develop fundamental drills, skill development exercises and game winning strategies to lead his team to back-to-back championships. 

In 2008, Coach Mason moved his family to the Tampa area where he made a name for himself in the local i9 Sports youth arena.  It was here, where he was able to take average players and turn them into champions.  He was able to produce 6 consecutive trips to the i9 Championship game, winning 4 of them back-to-back.  It was on this level, where he was determined to change the look of basketball in the Tampa area.  Coach Mason realized that the local youth were not being shown the proper way to play basketball. 

In 2009, Coach Mason became the founder and lead instructor of JAMM Stars, a local youth basketball skills organization created to teach athletes the proper fundamentals of basketball.  Through JAMM Stars, Coach Mason continues to reach out to and give back to the community by taking the time to teach the fundamental skills of basketball.

In 2010, Coach Mason became the boy’s varsity assistant coach at Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel, FL.  He coached, trained, and motivated athlete’s to consistently give maximum efforts.  As a result, he assisted the Bulls in winning its first District 4A Championship in school history.

Beyond his record of success, what marks Coach Mason as a superior coach is his commitment to helping his players improve both on and off the court.  He deeply values the integrity and discipline that the game of basketball can teach young men and women.  Through positive reinforcement and constant encouragement, players under his guidance are pushed to their maximum potential.