 |
| Warrior Class of 2003 |
FCI Warrior Program History
The Warrior AAU organization was founded in 2002 as a competitive travel basketball program for standout high school players in Metro Atlanta. From its very beginning, the objective of the program was to help our players develop as young men and basketball players while at the same time providing exposure in the hopes of landing playing opportunities and scholarships at the college level.
The
Warriors Travel squad, coached by William LoPresti, was first founded in 2002.
Between 2002 and 2005, the program (then known as the Georgia Warriors) established themselves as one of the top high school
aged AAU programs in the Southeast United States. Over a four season span, the
team compiled a long line of accomplishments including deep runs at several
National AAU Championship and shoe sponsored events; being ranked as one of the
nation’s Top 25 Travel/AAU squads by Prep Stars Magazine; and advancing to the
“Final Four” of the National Classic Bracket of the 2005 (17U) AAU National Tournament in
Orlando. Over 95% of players who played in the program during that era went on
to play college basketball; including eleven players at the Division I level. Seven
(7) former players have or are currently playing professional basketball (in
either the NBA or Overseas).
From 2006
through 2009, Coach LoPresti took a four-year hiatus from coaching AAU ball. During
this period, he and his wife Natalie welcomed into the world three of their six
children. It was also during that time where he was heavily involved in working with high
school and college players as well as implementing camps and clinics through
his position as the Director of the Southeast Basketball Academy (SEBA).
In 2010,
the travel program was re-implemented under the new name of the F.C.I. Warriors. The FCI program ("Faith, Courage, Integrity") represented a new direction for the
Warriors. In addition to a focus on basketball development and College promotion,
the FCI program was initiated to provide young men with strong character
development component and help prepare them for success in the game of life.
Over the
past seven years, the FCI Warrior program has been blessed with outstanding success
both on and off the court. This includes strong showings in National and
Regional exposure events, numerous tournament titles, and players earning
scholarships and playing opportunities at the College level. Many of our
players used the platform as a springboard to go on and have standout Senior
seasons where they have been named Region “Players of the Year” and selected
All-State, etc. Most importantly, the program has made a lasting impact on the
lives of its players and has helped prepare young men to make a positive impact
on the world around them.
Program
Alumni not only includes current pro basketball players, but also includes
doctors, teachers, youth ministers, college basketball coaches, entrepreneurs,
non-profit founders, and other professional and community leaders who are all using their God given
talents to change lives.
That is
our true measure of success and together, we are looking forward to continuing
this momentum into a special 2018 travel season!
