Top Gun Basketball Academy, San Diego

It's always basketball season at Top Gun Basketball Academy. Backed by decorated careers as players and instructors, the coaches here develop young basketball players as both students and athletes. They accomplish that goal with a year-round slate of hoops activities, including:

• Camps: Fun and fast-paced camps invite kids to learn the game in a positive environment. They feature the latest technology and even drills used by Team USA, which bombards international competition every few years with superior skills and surprisingly vast knowledge of the metric system.

• Tournaments: Top Gun's tournaments typically feature three-game guarantees, social media coverage, and teams from all around the region. There's a tournament for every season, too, from the Spring Open to the WInter Challenge.

• Leagues: The academy organizes leagues throughout the year, allowing participants to compete against similarly skilled players with A, B, and C levels. League schedules typically include eight games, and scores and schedules are posted online.