Historic Oakland Soldiers Amateur Athletic Union basketball team officially launches new Central Coast Chapter in Santa Barbara, California
• The highly successful amateur basketball organization that participates in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) will add a Central Coast Region squad to its growing list of franchises throughout California.
• Established in 1990, the Soldiers organization has helped produce nearly 70 NBA players, such as LeBron James, Aaron Gordon, Chauncey Billups and Kendrick Perkins. The organization has also supported the development of hundreds of international professional players and Division 1 student-athletes, including a number of former UCSB men’s basketball players.
• The new Central Coast Soldiers will send local players to regional AAU tournaments across the West Coast and the very best athletes will have the opportunity to play with the Oakland Soldiers on the national level.
• The chapter is organized under the umbrella of the California Non-Profit, Prospects Basketball Association. This group runs the LevelUp Basketball Skills Development Program and sends PRO/SPECTS competition teams to local tournaments in and around Santa Barbara.
• We are currently assembling the Central Coast Soldiers Winter Season Teams. This season runs December 2025 – March 2026. Visit us at www.prospectsbasketball.org to find out more about our organization and register for evaluations.
Evaluation Schedule:
3rd/4th Grade: Wednesday, November 5th. 5-6pm
5th/6th Grade: Wednesday, November 5th. 6-7pm
7th/8th Grade: Tuesday, November 4th. 6-7pm
• We will announce the Winter Teams on Monday, November 10.