This isn’t just a team, these girls seem like angels from all over the world that have come together, winging down in one spot of LA, near Silver Lake.
I guess that’s where the Archangel Gabriel placed some pearly gates this year!
Ribet kind of reminds me of the United Nations. Why? Two reasons. They’re ambassadors to the game, showing through grace, grit, and skill simply that this is how the game should be played.
My guy Shareef O’Neal, stands 6-9, dunks hard, and has almost half a dozen teammates with him at Crossroads High that are over 6 feet tall. No big deal in terms of height you say?
Ha, it is for the Ribet Academy girls team. They have their own 6-9 player Andrea Aquino that dunks hard, and has four other teammates that are 6 feet tall or over rolling with her into state playoffs.
Girls like Rosemary Odebunmi and Lola Pendande that are almost as tall as your humble writer E-Woods who stands 6-5. Those two girls are so athletic and cut, you just shake your head in amazement.
If you translated that height over to the boys, Shareef would need to be like 7-4, rolling with half a doz 6-9 ballers. Now do you see?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4yAey6Fge-8
It’s not the height, bulging muscles, speed, or skill that impresses me most. What stays with you upon meeting these girls and what will stay in your heart, it’s their 8 foot tall desire to prove themselves.
What’s the second reason, E-Woods, that Ribet reminds you of the United Nations?
They come from all these diverse countries such as Spain, Nigeria, Italy, Canada, El Salvador, a couple different spots in South America, and St. Martinique of the Caribbean.
Throw in some American girls with Asian ancestry and a few dope Mexican-American local products from Los Angeles area. What does that make?
There’s probably not another team in the country or world that has that level of diversity. This fusion of talent has combined to make a team that was ranked in the top 25 or better nationally this year.
That’s right up there with local power girls' teams like Sierra Canyon, Mater Dei, and Windward.
But get this, this particular set of girls at Ribet have only been together less than a year. Don’t get the title of this article twisted. These girls aren’t only about beating the best so as to be known as the best team in the world.
They’re too humble, these girls, but they’re trying to beat a hard cold world that is traditionally tough on girls. Society is inequitable to women around the world.
These girls are “World Beaters," as the title suggests, because moving to America they are trying to beat the odds that usually hold disadvantaged girls down around the world.
You think you have problems? Some of these girls have overcome rough situations like human trafficking, poverty, and 3rd world lack of nutrition & opportunities.
These hard-working girls are trying to make good on their god given talent. They seem like angels to me with their sweet mannerisms, and from knowing them they’ll always, always have a special place in my heart.
I bet if you go out and watch them, then possibly they’ll find a way in your heart as well I predict. 100.
Why such high praise E-Woods?
“Driven, humble, hungry." These words describe these girls who are unlike any set of ballers I’ve ever encountered. You look in their eyes and see determination full blown in their pupils. This opportunity to better themselves is their chance of a lifetime to get a 1st rate education and 1st rate coaching.
80% of the girls in this program will go on to a strong D1 hoop program, 20% might go on to a D-II or JC, but 100% will leave Ribet with intense friendships, breathtaking academics, and memories to last a lifetime.
What makes me an expert to judge their talent?
I’m always being invited to the NBA’s Basketball without Borders in Africa, or recently to the Philippines because I’ve been around so many overseas ballers in my life.
Like my guy Mamadou from Senegal and Austin from the Congo. I remember them talking about their guys back home. I pick up a phone, call a Pac-12 coach, a I-20 form is arranged to get going, scholarship offer is set. I know talent.
But unfortunately, I’ve met despicable agents from Europe that sign a 12 year old kid to a 10 year contract. We’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.
Overseas kids trust me, maybe because I’ve been a grade school teacher for 22 years. I make my own bread, I don’t need to exploit kids. I’d trust the Ribet coaches with my own daughter Giselle.
I saw this high profile team from a decade ago. Sadly they were just out to make money off of kids. Worse yet, and I’ll never forget a hopeful 16 year old Antonio from Serbia, that in 2004 landed in San Jose, Ca. He was brought in by a real estate developer and AAU coach out to get a quick start for his travel team.
Antonio broke his hand on his 2nd day in the US, and was back on a plane to his home country by his 4th day, dude was just a piece of meat.
Some travel team coaches just disgust you, like when I met this local LA AAU coach that brought in a bunch of kids from Africa and said, “I better get a couple NBA kids out of this, and if they don’t do exactly what I say, I’m sending their asses back to Africa.”
Well, Ribet is paradise in a mad world of overseas kids being exploited. I just feel this needs to be said and this story as good a place as any to relate that.
I can’t say it enough, go out and see these girls. They will amaze you, they’ll melt your heart.
Example? Yurizel Funes, a 5-9 shifty guard from El Salvador. She’s from the same country and city as my wife is from. Yuri has sharp all around skills, and a strong desire to pursue medicine or sports in college. I’m 100% sure she’ll achieve her dreams.
How can I be sure? My wife, only a couple years older than Yuri was when migrating here, had that same fierce look in her eyes to succeed. How far did my wife go in education? Nearly finished her PhD program.
Most overseas kids who come to America, it’s all about the work ethic, ambition, opportunity.
Yuri will be the only girl I detail here in part 1.
But I felt so moved by ALL these girls, that I’m going to have part 2 come out where every girl from Ribet’s team who wants to speak on it will get to share their goals, experiences, and dreams.
The vibe I got when visiting the Ribet girls is like Johnny Nash’s reggae smash hit, I Can See Clearly Now. These lyrics rep the girls’ pure hearts:
“I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FscIgtDJFXg
Basketball wise, nearly each girl was “the woman" back in their home country. Most are on their national team as mere prep players.
But now? They push that rock, score shots, sweat on D, in a whole new way. They see that there are other girls who are also “the woman” and have as much height and skill as them.
These girls can see clearly now that being with the best, brings out the best in YOU.
It’s funny, the Ribet mascot is the fighting frog. Get it, frog tongue in and out, “ri-bet, ri-bet.”
How dope is this team to me? There was a system 8 Kobe sneaker a few years ago off the special animal pack called the “poison dart frog.” That’s what this Ribet team should really be called, the “Fighting poison dart frogs.”
Why? They signed up to compete in the toughest level of state playoffs, the uber competitive Open Division. They are 25-5 as a team this season and will host La Costa Canyon Wednesday, March 7th in a Southern Regional playoff game.
Only having 400 kids at their school, competing with powerhouse schools that have either been around forever as traditional powerhouses or boast 5,000 of kids to draw upon. Impressive.
What else impressed me about Ribet?
Its dean of academics, Ronald Dauzat, a lawyer who has this incredible passion for academics, analytically thinking about how to help his student body achieve. He’s ablaze with energy, to see kids succeed.
Ribet has 95% of its kids go on to 4 year colleges, ranks high scholastically, and is considered as one of the top academic prep schools in the state, on par with places like Oaks Christian or Harvard Westlake.
What is the cost of ignorance? Everything. How does one value a great start in life in the transition of high school? How do you put a value on being around others that are reaching for the brass ring?: Priceless.
The coach for Ribet is Nelson Wong, who is also a teacher there. He’s a dope and mellow guy who used to coach for years in the Pasadena area.
He said this about bringing all these girls together on the court to play as one this season, “It is pure fun to coach these awesome individuals. They came together and gave it their all, but the challenge was to see our 3 alpha mentality girls coalesce. My goal is to do more team building activities right away next year.
“We had a late start on team building this year, as some of the girls trickled in a few at a time after school started. But we have big plans for next year, to build a great program. Making a difference in their lives is what it’s about.”
It was word of mouth that had all these girls attracted to come to Ribet. Now it will be word of mouth that spreads their legend.
If anyone asks me the dopest team I saw this year: Ribet Academy. Fosho 100.
