With each basketball season comes a new time to watch players grow on the floor and teams come together to make a name for themselves. 

Founded during the summer of 2014 in Chandler, Arizona, the Arizona Gremlins offers youth basketball programs that compete in year-round tournaments and leagues for both Boys and Girls basketball ranging from Kindergarten to High School Varsity level. Yet it’s the unique team name borrowed from the 80’s comedy-horror movie and the creative customized uniforms by Wooter Apparel that has equally drawn attention from the start.  

“We decided the team needed a new name and identity. Various cliché names were thrown out. Finally, after one late practice, I tossed out an obscure 80s reference,” said Lamont Brush, who serves as head coach of the Gremlins and has helped shape the program.

“A parent blurted out ‘Gremlins’, to which I latched on and declared it our team name for the coming season. It stuck...a lot of planning and homework went into forming the Arizona Gremlins.”

What followed was the design and creation of something special that helped the team standout apart from their competition, complete with sublimation printed claw marks and Arizona Gremlins logo.

For the Gremlins, the game goes beyond just basketball. The overall mission: to develop fundamentally sound young athletes through teamwork, top tier competition, and timely community service. In the last six years alone, the Gremlins have helped give back by cleaning and repairing the Chandler First Church of the Nazarene after flooding damaged the church in 2015, volunteered with Feed My Starving Children, and participated in Operation Christmas Child among other outreach efforts. 

“Our measurement for success will not be defined in wins and losses, but by the life lessons, we’ve tried to instill in each player that comes into our program,” added Coach Brush.

In addition to playing in local leagues with the YMCA Jr Suns, Inspire Courts, and Just4Hoopin over the course of the season, nine Arizona Gremlins teams also represented the program by competing at the recent year-end State Championship tournament in Tucson, Arizona. Closing out their Winter season, the Arizona Gremlins now look ahead to Spring and Summer hoops by taking part in individual workouts and training sessions while navigating the Covid-19 epidemic and gym closures in the area.

The Arizona Gremlins just keeping finding ways to grow their name and their game.