NIKE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
We are excited to be invited to the first ever annual Nike Tournament of Champions West in Las Vegas, Nevada on the 11th-14th July. It is the perfect start to our July trip, and offers west coast programs, coaches, and recruiters an opportunity to watch the best talent from around the globe.
The second tournament is Nike’s flagship girls basketball event – the Tournament of Champions and Nike Nationals in Chicago on July 18, 19, 20, and 21, 2025.
Unlike other events which are forced to combine leagues, shoe companies, and sponsors, Chicago showcases just one brand and the two best events in the world. There is little doubt that Nike’s iconic Tournament of Champions (est. 1999) is the most prestigious and competitive club basketball event in existence; combined with Nike Nationals (est. 2005) – which is the culmination of the Portland, Oregon based apparel company’s Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) – it has transformed Chicago into a mecca for girls’ basketball and the #1 stop for the nation’s most elite youth teams and the college coaches following them.
The combined tournaments – which will play together for the seventh time – have generated as much buzz for their off-court excitement as the on court heroics. In 2025 the events will occupy more than 1 million square feet inside the largest convention center in the Western Hemisphere, and together they will host elite teams from all 50 States, every Canadian province, and international teams from around the world, including all 32 Nike EYBL programs and the majority of the best club basketball teams in the nation.
Chicago itself is one of the top tourist destinations in the world and has just been voted the Best Big City in the U.S. for an unprecedented eight years in a row by readers of Condé Nast Traveler. In the 35-year history of the prestigious award, no other city has won more than three times.
About the trip.
We already have a number of Australian and state level representative players attending.
Pre tournament weekend training camps at pride Performance Sunshine Coast Qld.
All flights included.
Accomodation (3/4 star hotels)
*Tournament entries.
*Pride Pathways college promotion work which includes 12 months of direct college promotion to over 1000 college and universities.
Parents can attend for a reduced cost. Make contact for pricing details.
Note - Playing uniforms, standard trip insurance, and food is not included.
How Pride Pathways Started
Josh and I noticed a troubling trend: many young athletes were being exploited by other USA recruitment programs. These programs often focused solely on profit, providing little to no personalised support for the athletes. Families were paying over $15,000 for a basic trip, yet their children received no meaningful guidance or connections to USA colleges.
These programs made false promises, accepting anyone who could pay—even those who were not at USA college level—without considering the athlete’s actual potential. We decided to take a different approach, building our foundation on honesty, integrity, and a genuine focus on the individual athlete.
Our Program
Pride Pathways identifies elite talent from Pride Performance and across the country, offering athletes a tailored pathway to explore opportunities with USA college and university basketball programs.
Our mission is to secure full scholarships (or as close to this as possible) for these athletes. Over the years, we’ve cultivated strong relationships with college coaches and recruiters, enabling us to provide unparalleled support.
Key features of our program include:
A dedicated Pride Pathways team app, where athletes’ profiles are built.
These profiles showcase:
• Highlight videos
• Full game footage
• Workout videos
• Academic records
• Sports science data
• Athletic performance metrics
• These profiles are shared with college programs months / years in advance, helping coaches invest in the athletes’ development before they attend in-person recruitment trips.
We dedicate countless hours to promoting players and finding the right programs for them. Remarkably, we currently provide this service at no cost to athletes, as we are passionate about helping underprivileged boys and girls access opportunities to study, play, and grow into impactful young adults. The athlete payment essentially covers the trip only.
We help athletes select school subjects that will suit a certified USA GPA score crossover that means colleges understand their level of academics. By understanding which subjects to pick and which subjects they are good at / interested in, we maximise this opportunity.
Why It Matters
In Australia, there is no established pathway for young athletes to achieve this level of opportunity. Pride Pathways is filling that gap, offering a structured, transparent, and athlete-focused program that prioritises the individual over profit.