ELITE TRAINING & TRAVEL BALL

ELITE TRAINING

Crossover Mission Elite Training Program serves student athletes from Middle School to High School who have advanced athletic skills and aspirations for collegiate level sports. This program has been in development for more than five years at Crossover Mission and consists of three important and growing divisions.

  1. Advanced Athlete Development & Sports Training
  2. Competitive Travel Basketball
  3. Pathways to Collegiate Sports & Recruitment

The Elite Training Program develops the top student athletes who exemplify achievement and are role models and leaders for the rest of the Crossover population. Our elite high school varsity and college student athletes serve as mentors and help run special events and summer training programs.  These elite student athletes and active alumni form one of the most powerful forces for success within Crossover Mission.

The Need and the Why 

For many Crossover students and families, the chance to play sports in college is a source of hope and a lifelong dream.  Though research shows that most high school athletes aspire to play at the collegiate level, the majority have not adequately prepared for the rigor of college-level performance. Because many of our Crossover Mission families are the “first in family” to attend college or even to graduate high school, most do not have experience applying to college and athletic recruitment. It is disheartening to see the number of natural athletes in our community who miss high-level athletics opportunities due to lack of resources, transportation, proper guidance, and misinformation.  Through Crossover’s College and Career Readiness Program, we are helping our families plan for post-secondary direction beginning in 8th grade.

Over the last decade nationally, only 7% of high school athletes have gone on to play a varsity sport in college. Yet, the evolution and rise of junior college feeders and D2 and D3 programs has created wider opportunities for playing collegiate-level sports with 1,300+ basketball teams nationwide. Nearly 100% of Crossover participants express their dream of playing sports in college or professionally at their initial registration interview.

It is essential to prepare our Crossover college-bound student-athletes by helping them understand the significance of investing in themselves. The Crossover Elite Training program emphasizes proper rest, better eating habits, avoiding chemical dependencies, and becoming stronger mentally and physically.

We have developed a rigorous year-round training schedule that focuses on improvement while identifying strengths and weaknesses in fundamentals. Students learn to track and measure their progress through self-evaluations. This program provides a dose of adversity through a fun and impactful learning experience, highlighting the societal benefits of high athletic achievement. Studies show that college athletes are more likely to succeed in life due to their ability to balance academics, athletics, and friendships within a supportive team and community.

COMPETITIVE TRAVEL BALL – Crossover Kings & Queens

There are currently five competitive travel basketball teams at Crossover Mission, which is supported by Crossover staff providing transportation to some events. Through Travel Ball, student athletes develop key skills that are essential both on and off the court:

Time Management: Our athletes learn to juggle rigorous training schedules with academic responsibilities, mastering the art of using time efficiently.

Prioritization: Balancing the demands of sports and academics teaches effective prioritization, a critical skill for future success.

Self-Discipline: The commitment required for year-round play fosters a strong sense of discipline, focus, and determination.

Crossover’s approach to year-round play keeps our athletes consistently engaged, with monthly tournaments scheduled. This regular competition instills a continuous drive for goal setting and improvement, and maintains a high level of engagement. Whether student athletes make their school teams or not, Crossover ensures that their basketball journey continues, helping them build invaluable skills and confidence.

The program is bigger than basketball. The skills and dedication developed through year-round play will instill self-discipline, a quality that will make participants stand out in any field they choose. We focus on the four A’s: Attitude, Academics, Athletics, and Attendance. Our coaches and academic team collaborate closely to ensure the selection process is fair, transparent, and aligned with our mission to develop well-rounded student athletes.

For more information about Crossover’s Travel Ball program, contact  Antoine Jennings, Crossover’s Co-Founder and Head Coach, at ajennings@crossovermission.com. 

To learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact our Development Office at 772.257.5400