The Chico Rage, at its core, is all
about “taking it to the next level.” Everything that we do is guided by
the principle goal of continual improvement. The centerpiece of our
activities is our competitive basketball team which is designed to
provide player development opportunities for high school, college, and
young professional players. We provide exposure and a high caliber of
game for the players, fans and sponsors. The bulk of the Rage’s
competitive schedule begins in the fall and runs through June,
concluding prior to the beginning of both the NBA summer program (July)
and European professional leagues (August/September). Our schedule is
designed to provide the coaching staff and players with sufficient time
and opportunity to work on the specific areas of the player's game that
were identified in the assessment process conducted when they first
joined the program. The schedule also provides ample opportunities for
players to display their talents and potentially secure substantial
contracts to play in other professional leagues, not just in the United
States, but throughout the world.
The NBA has about 500 players
and brings in about 60 players each season, did you know that
approximately every three years the NBA turns over half of the league,
and statistically speaking every six years it turns over entirely (360
players). This means that there are a lot of very high caliber players
(there are approximately 6000 NCAA Division I players alone each season)
that are in need of a place to continue playing high-level, competitive
basketball and continue to develop their skills.
The Chico Rage actively
participates as a traveling team in the American Basketball Association
(ABA), a professional basketball league that has over 55 teams in the
United States, Canada , Mexico and China. It is the largest professional
sports league in the country and is also the most diversified
professional sports league in history as over 70% of its teams are owned
by African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and/or women.
For the players, the
significant and continued growth in the worldwide popularity of the game
that was sparked by the U.S. Olympic "Dream Team" nearly two decades
ago, has significantly improved the prospects of earning a sufficient
income playing the game. While this growth in participants has actually
made the chances of making it to the highest level (still the NBA) much
smaller, it has increased the number of quality players that want to
continue playing beyond the end of their armature careers (whether for
the mere love of the game or the potential to make a decent living
playing the game). Providing the opportunity to those players with
the desire and motivation to continually to improve their skills is a
significant element of the Chico Rage's vision. It is our belief that a
love of the game and a true desire and determination to continually
learn and improve are critical to attaining the highest rewards the game
of basketball has to offer. For those individuals we can provide high
quality instruction, and valuable experiences competing with and against
outstanding players and in front of professional scouts and coaches.
The Chico Rage coaching staff provides knowledge and expertise that is
derived from more than just their significant playing and coaching
experience. They are true students of the game who also have real-world
experience in virtually every aspect of the sport from game operations
such as stat-keeping & scoreboard operations, refereeing, and radio
play-by-play & color commentating, to professional scouting and
player evaluations, and general sports business management (player
contracts/negotiations, marketing, sales, promotions, etc.). But even
though the opportunities worldwide for basketball players to literally
"take their game to the next level" are increasing, the odds of making
it to the highest levels are still very small. Unfortunately possessing
the skills is still typically not enough, as the windows of opportunity
usually open and close very quickly, and come and go without much (if
any) public notice. In such an environment, being "connected" to those
who open and close those windows of opportunity is obviously a huge
advantage. And we are very proud that, as a result of their extensive
experiences, the Chico Rage staff has collectively developed an
impressive network of personal relationships with outstanding basketball
professionals throughout the world (especially in Europe and Asia -
basketball's fastest growing markets) and at literally every level of
the game from AAU to the NBA.
For the fans the Chico Rage
provides several indisputable benefits: three additional months of
basketball games, scheduled so they do not conflict with area high
schools, colleges, or televised games; the opportunity to see an
abundance of talent playing at a professional level; and an extremely
affordable, family friendly, entertaining experience as the ABA utilizes
a unique set of rules that necessitates a high level of play at a
consistently fast-paced tempo. We are certain that the high flying
action will exceed your expectations. So come on out and be a part
of taking the game to the next level!