A free shot to learn the game

George Albanez had convinced himself he didn't want to coach basketball anymore.

He started bad-mouthing the profession and complaining about all of its problems.

But it was really just a psychological ploy to ease his pain.

Albanez still loved coaching, but he knew he didn't have the resources to keep his program running.

Albanez is the director of 805 Basketball, a coed youth basketball club that he started 14 years ago.

After Albanez was laid off from his job at the Page Youth Center in Santa Barbara last year, the program no longer had a home or any funding to keep it running.

Albanez couldn't afford to pay for it on his own. He was being evicted from his apartment and struggling to put food on the table.

But just when Albanez had given up hope, a good Samaritan provided the money to keep 805 Basketball going.

Albanez has moved the organization's headquarters from Santa Barbara to Ventura this year, and is operating three teams: a second-, third- and fourth-grade boys' team, a seventh- and eighth-grade girls' team, and a high school boys' recruitment team.

The youth teams are in the midst of league play, and the high school team will be formed once the high school season ends.

The cost to participate is absolutely free.

"I am so excited to coach people who are passionate about basketball," Albanez said. "This community is so invested in basketball, and to be able to offer a program where it is not going to cost you a house mortgage to play is huge."

Albanez, the father of Buena High guard Keani Albanez, has previous experience working with local players. His 805 Basketball teams have featured Ventura County products such as Omondi Amoke, B.J. Ward, Nick Jones and Nick Larson.

"I have wonderful memories of playing for the 805 team," said Ward, a Santa Clara High graduate who earned a scholarship to play at UC Santa Barbara. "As a younger kid having the opportunities to travel and play against some of the better players in the state and the country was great for my development. Having George complement what I learned from Coach (Lou) Cvijanovich at Santa Clara was a major asset."

Albanez thought the chance to give future players the same opportunity was gone until 805 Basketball received a lifeline last October. One of Albanez's mentors, who wishes to remain anonymous, provided the program with an $80,000 grant.

Albanez originally met with his mentor to ask for help finding a job. But after Albanez told him what happened with 805 Basketball, he asked Albanez to write a budget proposal for the club.

Albanez returned a few weeks later with a 14-page draft.

"I had never asked him for anything before, but basically I was going to be homeless in about a month and I wanted him to pass around my résumé or have him hire me to pick grapes at his vineyard," Albanez said. "In no way did I expect him to do what he did. But he said, ‘George, coaching kids is what you do and I want you to still be able to do that.' "

Albanez is the product of a single-parent home and his mother couldn't afford to pay for club sports. He spent most of his time at the Carpinteria Boys & Girls Club.

"I never had a father in my life, and was basically raised on a basketball court," Albanez said. "I was very lucky to have some great coaches and mentors to help me along the way and some friendships that have lasted all my life."

Since moving 805 Basketball to Ventura, Albanez has encountered a group of players receptive to his coaching.

"It's been a breath of fresh air to work with these kids. They are so competitive and they want to be motivated and challenged," Albanez said. "They will do everything you say. All you need to do is find the right buttons to push because they all want to be the best."

Oxnard's Kevin Tate Jr., 8, can't wait to get home from practice each night and tell his father what he learned.

"He loves it and it's exciting for me to have him find something he likes so much at his age," Tate's father, Kevin Sr., said. "George is doing a great job with those kids. He has a group that is eager to learn and they are there every day going through drills."

Although Albanez teaches the fundamentals of the game, his mission is for 805 Basketball to provide players with much more.

He requires them to maintain at least a C average to play and frequently assigns homework to complete.

"I use basketball as a vehicle to teach life skills," Albanez said. "I want to teach these kids accountability and discipline and to play with their heart. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if you become a star basketball player as long as you become a better person."