About NOW
Nothing outweighs work
isn't a slogan. It's the
entry fee.
Coach AJ Valenti. A decade on the AAU circuit, a Section IX title, and eight years developing athletes from age five to the NBA level.
Why NOW started
NOW Basketball is built on one simple belief. Nothing outweighs work.
Are you willing to sacrifice? Are you willing to do what it takes? Are you willing to put in the work? These are questions I ask myself and my athletes every day. Talent can open doors, but reaching the next level requires more. It requires consistency, discipline, sacrifice, and a willingness to put in work when no one is watching.
NOW Basketball helps athletes take that next step — not only by sharpening their skillset, but by developing the mindset and work ethic to reach their goals.
The time is NOW.
Meet Coach AJ
Basketball has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. I spent a decade playing on the AAU circuit and was a Section IX Champion at S.S. Seward Institute in 2017. Those experiences shaped my understanding of the game and sparked my passion for player development.
The move from player to coach came from wanting to help the next generation of hoopers reach their full potential.
Over the last eight years I've coached AAU basketball and trained athletes at every level — from five-year-olds to athletes at the NBA level. That range has taught me that development isn't the same for every athlete. Everyone has their own strengths, weaknesses, ways of learning, and goals.
My goal isn't to put athletes through copy-and-pasted drills. It's to understand each player individually — helping them maximize their strengths, improve their weaknesses, build confidence, and develop habits that translate to games.
That approach is what NOW Basketball is built around. Detailed, consistent training that translates to the court.
The name
N.O.W.
The letters aren't decoration. They're the whole standard, and the sand doesn't care how talented you are.
- NothingNo shortcut, no hot streak, no growth spurt, and no amount of natural ability.
- OutweighsPuts more on the scale. When it's close — and it's always close — this is what tips it.
- WorkThe reps nobody's watching. The extra hour, the weak hand, the day you didn't feel like it.
Standards
How every session runs
Honest assessment
Athletes get told the truth about their game. Kindly, but clearly — you can't fix what nobody names.
Game translation
If a rep only works in an empty gym, it hasn't earned its place. Everything gets pressured before it counts.
Ownership
Athletes leave knowing what to work on alone. The goal is a player who doesn't need a trainer to keep improving.
Start training
The time is now
Tell me the athlete, the level, and when you're free. You'll get times back that fit — usually inside a day.