ABOUT

Mission Statement

ESA and HHBA

To effectively equip young men and women with the necessary fundamentals of basketball, while enhancing focal skills, leadership skills and discipline - to achieve success.

About the Director

Known as one of the top high school players to ever play in the city of Tampa, Chris Hockley has made a commitment to helping players realize their dreams. His hard work, heavy research, and countless hours of training, have led to the development of Elite Sports Academy. Watching high school basketball as an adult, he has noticed the obvious lack of fundamentals in the game today and has decided to do something about it. Fundamentals were the staple of his game and he believes that any player, given the right technique and coaching, can excel in the game of basketball. Not known for his physical stature in high school, Hockley was still able to achieve great things and earn a full scholarship to play college basketball, thus showing that skill, a relentless approach to training, a determination to succeed, and a great attitude can overcome any obstacles.

Hockley enjoyed a distinguished playing career while attending Chamberlain High School and went on to compete at the collegiate level. He was named to the All-Western conference team his junior season while also making the All-County and All-Area team. He averaged 18.4 ppg as a junior and was the team leader in 3 -point field goals made and 3-point field goal percentage. At the conclusion of the season, he was voted team MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

During the summer between his junior and senior season, Hockley was fortunate enough to be able to train with Buzz Braman, then the shooting coach for the Orlando Magic. He and his father would make the 1½-hour trip, three times a week to learn from the best. Hours upon hours of shooting drills and fundamental training was exactly what Hockley needed to catapult himself to the county’s elite. His senior season, he was the fourth leading scorer in the state with an average of 28.8 ppg. He was able to break the record for 3-pointers in a game (9) on three separate occasions, while seeing box-and-ones and triangle defenses almost every night. The first time he broke the record, Hockley poured in 39 points in the first three-quarters and then sat out the fourth quarter due to the size of their lead. He led all public schools in scoring and was named to the first team All-Western Conference, All-City, All-Tribune and All Suncoast Teams. He was named the captain and team MVP his senior season. The summer after his senior season, he played on the Team Tampa AAU team and scored 38 points against Team Florida in the semi-finals of the state tournament.

Hockley signed a full scholarship to play at St. Leo University and was a two-year starter at point guard. While at St. Leo, he got a chance to play against Allen Iverson and the Georgetown Hoyas, in a televised game, at the Lakeland Civic Center. Just before his junior season, Hockley transferred to Tiffin University, in Ohio, on a full scholarship. He was the starting two guard for a team that started 12-0 and finished the season 27-5.

Hockley then turned to coaching. He served as the Assistant Varsity coach at Chamberlain High School in 2000-2001, and learned from one of the greatest High School coaches to ever coach in Florida, Doug Aplin. Hockley then served as the Head J.V. coach at Sickles High School in 2004-2005, under the tutelage of Renaldo Garcia and a great staff that has turned a program into a powerhouse in just a few years. After a slow start, his team quickley became a team that was talked about and was able to knock off some of the best teams in the county. Finally, Hockley served as the Head Varsity Coach at Berean Academy in 2006-2007 and led the team to its first ever win, in the first game of the season, and went on to finish 6-6 on the year. Coach Hockley has been sought after by many parents to privately coach thier son/daughter and has a burning desire to see players realize the potential they all have. His drills and methods are what drive his program and any player that enters his academy, leaves a better player and person.

Coach Hockley is active in his church, Idlewild Baptist Church, and has been blessed with a beautiful wife, Stephanie, and is the father of three wonderful daughters, Taylor, Payton, and Beckham.