A Message From P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy Jamaica: We Sent 50 of Our Own to the World Stage

To our families, our supporters, and everyone who loves Jamaican basketball —

We want to tell you what we just did, because we're proud of it, and because we believe it matters for our whole country.

This summer, P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy Jamaica is putting 50 athletes and coaches on the MADE Hoops LIVE Circuit in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Fifty of our own — boys and girls, ages 13 to 19. Many are among the top high school players in Jamaica, and they're joined by elite prospects of Jamaican descent from the United States and Canada. A true P.H.A.S.E. 1 family, coming together to carry our flag onto one of the biggest youth basketball stages in the world.

And we want to be honest with you about how it happened.

We did this ourselves

We did it with no help from local government. No corporate sponsor. Not one.

Our staff, our parents, and our athletes raised nearly US$80,000 — approximately J$12.6 million — entirely on our own. Flights. Housing. Meals. Visas. Tournament fees. Uniforms. Every single dollar came from inside this academy and these families.

We don't say that to complain. We say it because we're proud of it. That number isn't a grant or a budget — it's ordinary Jamaican families deciding their children's potential was worth their own sacrifice, and then backing that belief with everything they had. That is who we are at P.H.A.S.E. 1. That is how serious we are about our kids.

Why we chose the hard road

This was a decision, and our Global Director, Wayne Dawkins, made it on purpose.

It would have been easier to keep our talented kids at home. Cheaper. Safer. But development doesn't happen where it's comfortable — it happens where the competition is real. So we chose to put our young players in front of the best in North America, so they can learn exactly where they stand and exactly what it takes to rise.

That's the same road AJ Dybantsa told our athletes he walked on the MADE Hoops circuit — losing games, learning from them, and using that fire to become the 2026 #1 overall NBA Draft pick. We built our program around that lesson. We don't send our kids to be comfortable. We send them to find out how good they can really be.

Why this matters for all of Jamaica

We won't pretend the timing isn't pointed. This week, our senior men's national team was eliminated from 2027 FIBA World Cup contention, finishing bottom of their group. It's a painful result — and we think it should start a conversation this country has needed for a long time.

You cannot fix the senior team at the senior level. Every serious basketball nation builds from the ground up: they invest in 13-, 14-, and 15-year-olds, expose them early to elite competition, and grow a deep pipeline over a decade. That's not our opinion — it's how the whole world does it.

What we just did, entirely on our own, is that model. Fifty young Jamaicans are getting the international exposure that builds future national team talent — right now, while it still shapes who they become. This is what the future of Jamaican basketball is supposed to look like.

What we're asking of you

We're not asking for a handout. We've already shown you exactly what we're willing to do ourselves. We're asking you to recognize a movement that is already moving — and to help it move faster and reach further.

To corporate Jamaica: these are your future brand ambassadors, your future national team, your proof that Jamaican youth can compete with anyone. Standing with us isn't charity. It's an investment in the game and in the country.

To the diaspora: this is your island's next generation carrying the flag onto the world stage. Help us keep them there.

To everyone who loves this game: follow these athletes. Share their story. Show them Jamaica is watching.

Fifty athletes. One academy. One mission. This is P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy Jamaica — and this is only the beginning.

Meet our athletes and support the journey: www.phase1academy.com/p1a-2026-rosters

Wayne Dawkins Global Director, P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy Jamaica Journey Of An Elite 1