Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Hobbs.
Hi Tony, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, my name is Tony Hobbs. I started Bridge Basketball Academy in March of 2012. Prior to starting Bridge Basketball, I own and ran a construction company while helping my cousin Corey Dudley coach a youth basketball team with my cousin Corey Dudley called The Jaguars and I was in charge of the player development for about 3 years. After a few years, my son was beginning to play basketball and I saw he needed to improve his skills so I started working with him at home I would from time to time have some of his youth basketball team players come by the house and work with us. In the winter of 2011, it was too cold to work outside and we needed a gym to work out of my friend Lee suggested we go talk with a buddy of his name Kieth Howell at Bob Knight Fieldhouse. I gave Keith a call and he said no problem since your son is so young just be done working him out before my peak hours start at 5 pm. So, we would get there every day at 3:45 and work out until 4:45. While I was in there working out my son, it was a lady in the gym as well working with her daughter that had seen me and my son in their daily, and she asked if I could work her daughter out because the guy, she uses is all over the place and not consistent. I said no ma’am I’m just working my son out and I do construction for a living. She said Ok thanks. She would later see us again and ask again and I gave her the same answer No. Now to take you back to 2004 I was on a construction project that was tough and I was super stressful I remember praying to ask the Lord to give me something I truly love to do and at the time I was watching the TV show Extreme Home Makeover and I thought I could use my resources and do something like that putting smiles on people faces. Well, that wasn’t in the plan. Back in 2011, we are in the gym again and the woman ask me again now this is 3 times, and this time I heard a voice say this is what you were praying for. I ask ma’am how much do you pay for training. She said the guy I use charges $250; I said I will charge you $251 and she laugh but I was dead serious. She asked what’s the $1 for I said because I’m going to pay attention to the small details and not let your daughter go through the motions just to take your money. See in construction if you off a centimeter it could cost you thousands to correct the issue so my attention to detail is what she was paying for not the training, but I love that, and I’m in the gym working with my son.
After working with Jalen for several months, a light bulb with off that said this could be a profitable business. I and my boy Lee Smith were coaching a team at their time which I really had no passion for because I didn’t like to see the kids sad or parents upset from not getting equal playing time. So, I and Lee decided we would start a player development company. We came up with the name Bridge because I already knew this was going to be big and we needed a name that could represent growth. Whenever you’re building a Bridge, the first thing you need is a strong foundation to support the structure. I always say Jalen was my angel in disguise because I have not seen her or her mom since. It’s now Jan of 2012 I have sold my construction company to go all in on Bridge. I was told I was crazy from walking from construction money to help kids; people are not going to play you I heard it all. My CPA even told me I wouldn’t start a business in the southern sector I will get a return on my investment. Me being such a competitor, I had to show him and everyone else.
That’s how Bridge started.
It’s now March 2012, and I was given the opportunity to showcase Bridge brand at the OCBF youth basketball league. This is the league where all the young players play. So, me being a businessman, I partner with OBCF Youth League that year, and I set up a booth in the gym. I was the only person to ever do that, and it was a success. That year along we signed up over 100 new players to our academy. I mean it blew up overnight without evening trying. After I saw that the business could sustain itself, I invested over 80k in branding, marketing, innovative technology, custom Bridge equipment, etc.; over the last 10 years, Bridge has had over 2900 players come through Bridge Basketball Academy with 200+ earning basketball scholarships. We have players in all Power 5 conferences from Duke, Texas, and Baylor, Kansas to name a few. I have done basketball camps in the Bahamas, Canada, New Zealand, and Spain along with camps in the US. I always say that Jalen was an angel in disguise because I have not seen or heard from her or her mom. They help push me into the Basketball player development world
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has been smooth because this was my passion. I will say early on, while growing the business, I had to overcome the fact I didn’t play college basketball, and that was one of the first things parents would ask me when they would inquire about player development for their child. I didn’t play college basketball because of my skill set it was more so a mindset. I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, and I was always in trouble and flunking my classes to stay on the basketball court. That along derailed me from pursuing my dreams of playing basketball. I would play at the local gym and pro-am, and people would ask dam, where do you play young fellow you got something and I would just put my head down because I would be embarrassed. So, to overcome that at Bridge, I had to outwork everyone by producing results and getting players better.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Bridge Basketball Academy?
Bridge Basketball Is a player development; I’m the owner
What do you do, what do you specialize in / what are you known for? We do basketball player development and are known for helping players earn basketball scholarships
What sets you apart from others? Passion, consistency, structure, professional, player development environment that you talk about.
What are you most proud of brand-wise? When you see kids all over the DFW Metro wearing Bridge clothing brand and that we are a business that stood the test of time.
What do you want our readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc.? That we do what we do for passion, not money. I love saying, “When we produce the results you are looking for in your child, you will want to pay us.”
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The basketball player development industry is in good shape. When I first started, it wasn’t any time out there like Bridge in the DFW area, and now it’s a new trainer everywhere you turn. Basketball player development has become a business that’s not going anywhere as long as you have kids chasing their dreams of playing college & pro basketball.
Contact Info:
- Website: Bridgebasketballacademy.com
- Instagram: @bridgebball
- Facebook: Bridge Basketball Academy
- Twitter: @bridgebball
- Youtube: Bridge Basketball Academy
