Coaching Staff Bios
16U BOYS
Head Coach: Michael Day
Michael Day is a long-time resident of Alexandria, Virginia. He has been coaching basketball for more than 30 years. He started coaching middle school teams while he attended Temple University in Philadelphia. Most recently, Michael has coached CYO basketball and travel basketball for Lee Mt Vernon Sports Club (LMVSC) in Alexandria, VA.
After attending Temple and playing rugby for two years, he transferred to Elon University. He played basketball for two years for the Phoenix. Before his time in college, he played for Fort Hunt High School (now West Potomac) where he was All-District and named one of the Top 100 players in the Washington DC Metro area.
Michael graduated from Elon with a BA in Mass Communications and earned his MBA in Business Administration from Marymount University in Arlington, VA. He is married with 3 boys.
Michael is excited to join the CTAB family. His coaching approach aligns well with the organization’s philosophy. He emphasizes an up-tempo style, stressing defense and teamwork.
Assistant Coach: Zach Ford
Zac is a 2001 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy. While at the academy he played football for the Bears. After graduating and receiving his commission he spent the next 23 years in the United States Coast Guard before retiring in 2024. He and his wife Kate have two boys, Will and Teddy.
17U GIRLS GOLD
Head Coach: Jason Kirby
Jason Kirby is entering his second season as a coach for the CTAB Elite AAU program, coaching 16U in 2019. He is also an Assistant Coach of the Hayfield Secondary School Girls Varsity Basketball team.
Jason is a native Washington DC, with most of his childhood spent in Fort Washington, Maryland. He would begin his journey through sports at the age at 10, playing multiple sports for the Oxon Hill Boys & Girls Club. This would lead to standout high school career at Riverdale Baptist School, graduating in 1996.
Prior to joining the CTAB ELITE organization, Jason coached 17U Girls for the B.L.A.S.T. AAU program during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. As a member of the SYC Youth Organization, he coached the 2016 10U Boys county team and the 2015 14U Girls summer team. Between 2011 – 2014, Jason coached multiple teams for the Maryland Lady Heat and Team Takeover girls AAU organizations. In 2003, he founded the Fort Washington FORTRESS, a sports and learning organization focused on at-risk male youth throughout the DMV region. Jason began his coaching career as a volunteer for the Oxon Hill Boys & Girls Club from 2000 – 2008, coaching multiple boys and girls youth teams.
15U BOYS
Head Coach: Daryl Towe
Associate Head Coach: Donnie Bullock
Coach Bullock is a native of Portsmouth,VA and has been coaching basketball for over 20years. He has experience at high school as well as AAU levels with 2 National Championship Teams. He is an active coach with USA basketball and volunteers regularly with USA basketball Youth clinics. He has worked with CTAB for the last 3 years and is extremely supportive of the organizations philosophy. Coach Bullock has an MBA from the University of Texas and has a degree in Chemistry from University of Maryland. He is married with 2 boys.
14U BOYS
Head Coach: Connor Joransen
Connor is a native of Alexandria, Virginia, who went on to graduate from Gonzaga College High School, where he played basketball and baseball. After Gonzaga, Connor graduated with a BA in Political Science from Marquette University.
He is a USA Basketball Certified Youth Developmental Coach who has been coaching ever since senior year of high school, the end of his playing career, when he took over as the head 8th grade coach of Blessed Sacrament Middle School. He has since been the head JV Coach at John Paul the Great High School, and is currently the Freshman Coach at Bishop Ireton High School.
Assistant Coach: Pamela Kirby
Pamela Payne began her love for basketball career at the age of 10. She continued feeding her passion in high school, leading her school to state and national championships. Pamela graduated high school as a conference MVP, tournament MVP, school scoring leader, and as a Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention player. After high school, Pamela decided not to continue a career in basketball.
Pamela received a B.S. in Telecommunication from Morgan State University and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore. During her college career, Pamela played for various intramural leagues and coached boys-n-girls club teams. In 2018, Pamela was inducted into Riverdale Baptist School’s Basketball Hall of Fame for her contributions to the schools’ basketball program.
Pamela joined the Hayfield Secondary School (Alexandria, VA) girls’ basketball program during the 2019-2020 as the Assistant JV Coach; where the team had a winning season.Pamela has over 17 years of experience in youth programming, mentoring, and coaching. She also has 13 years of service with the Federal Government. Pamela has a passion for mentoring and coaching youth. She has served as an AmeriCorps Member in Baltimore City Police Athletic Leagues Centers, Baltimore City Public Schools, and as a Youth Coordinator for local faith-based ministries. For the last seven years, Pamela has served as a Program Coordinator for College Bound, a program that prepares middle and high school students to enter college or vocational programs.
Pamela has a passion for coaching youth and through her previous experiences has the unique ability to tap into the players and help them develop and reach their goals. This is her second year with CTAB and she enjoys coaching with the organization because she is able to teach players more than the game of
basketball.
17U GIRLS BLACK
Head Coach: Kayla Ramsey
Coach Kay was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in the spring of 1999. Growing up she was very active and wanted to play any sport that was introduced to her. It wasn’t until middle school that she realized her love for basketball. During her middle school days, her school unfortunately didn’t have an organized team but they did offer after school activities which included basketball. When she first showed up, she was the only girl out of a whole gym of boys. After a while, the boys not only accepted her but they would constantly ask if she would come to afterschool. This is where the love of the game started to grow.
Moving onto high school, Kay , as a freshmen made the Varsity Team at John R Lewis high school (formerly known as Robert E. Lee high school). Towards the end of her freshman season she began to start games and then from sophomore year until her senior year she was the captain. From the 4 years spent at John R Lewis her team made it to the final four 2 years in a row. During this time Kay kept up with her grades, earning herself A-B honor, student athlete awards and an athletic and academic scholarship to play basketball in college.
Succeeding high school, Kay attended New England College which for 4 years she
played basketball, rugby and graduated with a major in health science with a minor in chemistry. During her 4 years she was a part of the deans list multiple times and won 2 conference championships for basketball in a row. If the COVID pandemic hadn’t happened she believes her team could have won another one.
Currently Kay works as a Vet Technician for the PGSPCA and an animal hospital in
Woodbridge Virginia. Alongside that she also plays Rugby for NOVA ( travel team, not the community college) and in her spare time goes to help young athletes improve their game so they can make it to the next level. She explains that she is able to connect with the athletes because Coach Leia Towe and Coach Daryl Towe invited her into their family.
Head Coach: Terry Pate
16U GIRLS GOLD
Assistant Coach: Floyd Edwards
Coach Edwards enter his 2nd season at CTAB. Coach Edwards has been in the coaching and training field for approximately 20 years (Fort Belvoir boys/girls Youth Basketball). He is a retired Army veteran who has over 25 years of military service. He is currently the Head basketball coach for Hayfield High School Girls JV team. During his years in the coaching field, he has developed his coaching philosophy which is centered around his core principles of commitment, selflessness, and team unity. His core value is focused on being honest and open with his players while holding them accountable for their efforts. Coach Edwards focus is on the process of growth, which entail the need for his players to focus on getting fundamentally better every day.
16U GIRLS BLACK
Head Coach: Edward Barfield
Coach Ed Barfield is a 30-year United States Navy retiree who has dedicated
nearly 40 years plus to coaching youth basketball. He is a student of the
game that stays current and up-to-speed on the finer points of training
required for mastering his craft as a coach. Since the start of his naval career
as a player coach for his shipboard teams in intramural play to his current
coaching position as Girls Junior Varsity Coach for Hayfield Secondary
School, Coach Barfield has been a strong advocate for “giving back to the
community” by instilling in youth - young men and women - a sense of drive
and confidence to be better on and off the court. He is a longtime volunteer
coach – 14 years - for the Ft Belvoir Youth Sports and Fitness organization
where he has coached and trained elementary to high school students in all
aspects of basketball, with a heavy emphasis on player development and
fundamentals. He recently joined the CTAB organization as member of the
coaching staff for the girls, 8 th -10 th grade, developmental group that improved
immensely in their pursuit and readiness to play at the next level.
15U GIRLS
Head Coach: James Watson
With over 25 years of coaching experience, Coach James Watson firmly believes that preparation, determination, and hard work are the keys to success on and off the court. He focuses on player growth and development and wants every player to achieve their maximum potential.
Coach Watson's coaching experience includes 10 years coaching high school basketball, 12 years coaching girls and boys AAU teams, and 15 years coaching in the Fairfax County Youth League (FCYBL). He has been able to create opportunities for his AAU players to compete on the national level, with his AAU Girls 13U basketball team finishing 11th in Nationals (D2) and his AAU Boys 13U Team finishing 4th in Nationals (D3).
Coach Watson has also helped pave the way for his players' future success. More than 10 former players from his girls' teams have played at the collegiate level, with schools such as UConn, Georgetown, Longwood, Mary Washington, Eastern Mennonite, Emory, and Randolph College. His focus on individual player development is reflected in the fact that 90% of his Youth League players have gone on to play high school ball.
He was previously Associate Head Coach of Osbourn High School’s boys’ basketball program and, for the past two seasons, has served as the Varsity Head Coach of Unity Reed High School’s girls basketball team, where his focus has been on rebuilding a successful program.
Assistant Coach: Theresa Cano
Theresa Cano has a vested interest in helping players work at their highest potential while also building the confidence and love for the game they need. Theresa was raised in Annapolis Maryland but moved here to play volleyball and lacrosse at Marymount University. She was a captain of her volleyball team her junior and senior years and received all conference recognition.
She has focused the last three years on coaching her daughter and son’s basketball teams for BRYC and ABGC. Theresa has also worked at some
Clinics to help build fundamental skills and has helped to organize middle school basketball in the Mason district region.
She hopes that with Coach Watson they can individually improve the girls skills while also building a powerhouse team.
Assistant Coach: Lucious Hires
Loucious Hires is a native of Roberta, Georgia, and brings a wealth of experience and passion to his role as a basketball coach.
Loucious’s journey in basketball began with a standout high school career, where he was a key player on two state championship teams, establishing himself as a proven winner. Over his 20-year military career, he played at all levels of competitive basketball, honing his skills and deepening his understanding of the game.
As an experienced coach, Loucious has successfully coached at the house basketball level and with the Springfield Youth Club (SYC), focusing on developing young athletes both on and off the court. His coaching philosophy centers on teaching the fundamentals, instilling discipline, and helping players maximize their unique talents.
In addition to his coaching credentials, Loucious is a Certified Christian Counselor with the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a graduate of Troy University and holds Graduate Certifications from Harvard University and Georgetown University. Furthermore, he is a retired Army Veteran and Retired Senior Executive from the United States Secret Service. With decades of leadership experience in organizational culture and inclusion, he brings a unique ability to connect with and inspire players, emphasizing teamwork, respect, and accountability.
Coach Loucious is passionate about developing well-rounded athletes who excel not just in basketball, but in life. His goal is to prepare players for the next level by instilling confidence, work ethic, and a deep love for the game.
13U GIRLS
Head Coach: Keyhana Wakefield
Keyhana Wakefield is a Delaware State University graduate with a bachelor's degree in Accounting. She was initially recruited by George Mason University, where she played the first two years of her college career before transferring to Delaware State University.After graduating, Keyhana worked for the Department of Defense for over 10 years, became a basketball referee at the High School Collegiate level, and competed in local basketball leagues and tournaemnts. Most recently, she was part of the semi-pro women's team, D.C. Cyclones, that won the 2023 Women's American Basketball Association Championship. In addition to basketball, Keyhana is passionate about real estate, traveling abroad, and fitness.
Assistant Coach: Hisham Rahmi
Played at Penn State (Delco)
Assistant Men's Basketball Coach-Penn State (Delco)
Coach in Prince Georges County Public Schools
Coach (JV) Prince William County Public Schools
Coach (JV) Fairfax County Public Schools