Role Basketball

Meet JR Gallarza, Owner and Founder of Role Basketball, a business, “Made in Brantford, by people from Brantford, for the people of Brantford.” His passion for the game of basketball seeps through in every word he speaks and despite the many challenges his business has, and is currently, facing during the pandemic his enthusiasm is undaunted and infectious. Born in the Philippines and raised in Brantford, life has always been about basketball for JR. From very early on, regardless of many well intentioned efforts by his parents to get him interested in other activities, basketball is the only sport he has ever wanted to play.

In high school JR was offered a spot on a Philippino/Canadian team out of Toronto and travelled overseas to play 30 games in 35 days, a trip that won him a scholarship to a university of his choice in the Philippines. In a matter of days he went from star and captain of his high school team at St. John’s College to the new rookie in a country thousands of miles from his home. This experience, along with the inherent team nature of basketball taught JR that whatever role you play on a team, your importance and self-confidence is based on effort and commitment to excelling in that role, regardless of what the role is.

It’s this mentality that he carries into his business and teaches to his athletes. Role Basketball was founded in 2016, and began by partnering with local sporting facilities that had gymnasiums, but JR quickly realized that if the business was going to be all that he envisioned it to be then he needed his own space. In 2018 he achieved this goal when he bought a house that had space for a court in the backyard and a weight room in the basement.

When it comes to training athletes, JR’s first question to everyone is, “What do you see my role as your coach being?” He believes that great coaches assist athletes in achieving their goals. During this time of virtual training about eighty percent of his time is spent training athletes on basketball specific skills, the other twenty percent is on strength and conditioning. Additionally, he offers service in creating video highlight reels for athletes to help them market themselves to colleges. But what he misses most are the camps. Representing a large portion of his business basketball camps in the summer and during school holidays have been the thing he loves most and losing that team interaction is a struggle. Many of his athletes that have been training with him since grade 7/8 are now in high school and come back to coach at his camps, giving back to the community that has poured into them over the years.

What JR offers to the basketball community in Brantford is something unique. Someone with an amazing knowledge in training basketball skills, but also someone who has navigated being from a small town where opportunities in the sport are few. At the end of the day playing and teaching basketball is about building up youth, strengthening their bodies, minds and helping them to understand that confidence comes from within.

To stay in touch with all the amazing things JR is doing for the basketball youth of Brantford follow him on his Facebook and Instagram pages.

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