About Us
We help your child find hope by providing a place to belong so they can breakthrough, achieve excellence, and make an impact.
WHAT WE DO
Founded in 2013, Empower ME Academy provides a holistic training experience. Student-Leaders develop better basketball skills — and in addition, improve their attitude, commitment, and discipline. Ultimately, our Student-Leaders become well-rounded leaders and adults, successful on the court and in life.
Mission
To prepare each student-athlete for a lifetime of achievement and meaningful impact (on and off the court) by living a life of integrity, purpose, empathy, and love.
Vision
Sports becomes the ultimate magnet to attract ALL kids and young humans, while creating the safe-haven environment that optimally enables the development of leadership skills for life through the process of self-actualization. After graduating, these leaders will carry a framework for being a positive and productive member of society through their own unique expression of what it means to be a good person.
Our culture
EMA’s culture defines us. It is what we stand for and value as an ecosystem of people pursuing a shared mission. It is the powerful force that guides the way we work together, treat each other, and treat those around us.
EMA’s culture is our differentiator, and when it comes to life, it is our competitive advantage.
The following values create EMA’s culture of family—our superpower.
(4) CORE VALUES
Trust
Nothing is more valuable to us than the trust we cultivate with our families, team, and everyone in our ecosystem. We earn this trust through our professionalism, honesty, transparency, excellence in customer service, and asking for feedback.
Relationships
Relationships are the fabric of EMA. We create powerful relationships by cultivating raving fans, not clients, and by treating people better than they expect by exceeding their expectations. If our families, partners, and team are raving about us, then we have achieved our goal. We’ll ALWAYS value people and our relationships over profits.
Integrity
Always tell the truth. We believe that nothing is more important than our reputation—behaving with the highest levels of integrity is fundamental to who we are.
Inclusion
Working with people of different backgrounds, cultures, demographics, and thinking styles helps us grow into better professionals and leaders. We accept people as part of the EMA community when their intentions and heart align with wanting to become a good person and positively promote others' journey. We recognize and acknowledge that people are at different starting points. This means that each person is unique. However, we do not align with malintent or intentional hate that is counter to this intention.
(7) Leadership BEHAVIORS
We Develop L.E.A.D.E.R.S.
Listening
Listen with ears to hear you. Listen with eyes to see you. Listen with heart to connect with you.
Empathetic
Seek genuine connections by understanding the needs of others and being aware of their feelings, thoughts, and body language.
Accountable
Embrace mistakes to become your best version.
Daring
Engage every challenge with courage and enthusiasm by taking risks without fearing failure.
Energy-giving
Raise the confidence of others by making people feel good about themselves—every day.
Resilient
Bounce back stronger from setbacks with hope and optimism.
Self-less
Prioritize WE over me.
(4) EXPERIENCES
Positive outlook
At all levels of the organization, we exemplify our values. What we expect from each other and our students—we see the best in everyone.
Passion
We are grateful that we have a job that feels more like a life’s purpose.
Bold
We embrace going beyond our comfort zone.
Mindfulness
Our ethos gives everyone the enthusiasm and safe space to think — to be present — leading to mental agility, resilience and self-awareness.
Access and Inclusion Story
From the very first day EMA started its operations, the organization has prioritized access and inclusion. Since 2014, EMA has awarded over $500,000 in tuition assistance to over 100 student-athletes’ in need. Currently, 20% of its students receive assistance.
2014
$2,000 awarded
5 students
2015
$40,000 awarded
20 recipients
2016
$76,000 awarded
40 recipients
2017
$110,000 awarded
50 recipients
2018
$120,000 awarded
75 recipients
2019
$80,000 awarded
40 recipients
2020
$50,00 awarded
43 recipients
2021
$36,000 awarded
26 recipients
Our Founder’s Story
Coach Jerome Gumbs leads a healthy lifestyle that revolves around making sure each Student-Athlete gets the support they need to succeed on the court and in life. The responsibility he carries in doing so is his greatest privilege.
READ HIS FULL STORYARE YOU
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Ready to join the
Empower ME Academy?
Awesome. We’re about something bigger than basketball. And we want you to be a part of it.
For our son Maddox, Empower ME has been the best and most important academic or athletic after school program.
Stephen Davis
Father of Maddox Davis
(HS Class of 2021)
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Learn, grow, and grab first dibs on what we offer. Get our Empowering News (E-NEWS) — written by Coach Gumbs and the EMA Team — every month.
🚨BREAKING🚨
We’ve gone LIVE for our silent auction that ends Sunday (August 28th at 3:30 PM).
Description: MVP @stephencurry30 (two trophies), Mix media collage, gallery canvas (H 48 in, W 36 in, D 1.5 in).
Tag ALL of your friends who are the biggest Stephen Curry fan and use the #2022Basketballthon.
Link for auction in bio! ☝️
Silent auction benefits entire program!
Sponsored by: Sara Kissing @ https://kissing.art. 🎨👩🏻🎨🖼
#MondayMoves With moves like these, you’re sure to be successful at our basketball-thon—August 27th and 28th.
Only 12 days left until the best youth basketball event happens.
Register now. Link in BIO! ☝️😊💫⚡🏀
#SundayFunday YES, our #basketballthon DJs (@bigggrusss and @almightycjflash) are more fun than yours. 😊
Don't miss them at the next event in two weeks—Saturday, August 27th & Sunday, August 28th. ⚡🏀
🚨BREAKING🚨
We’ve gone LIVE for our silent auction that ends Sunday (August 28th at 3:30 PM).
Description: MVP @stephencurry30 (two trophies), Mix media collage, gallery canvas (H 48 in, W 36 in, D 1.5 in).
Tag ALL of your friends who are the biggest Stephen Curry fan and use the #2022Basketballthon.
Link for auction in bio! ☝️
Silent auction benefits entire program!
Sponsored by: Sara Kissing @ https://kissing.art. 🎨👩🏻🎨🖼
#MondayMoves With moves like these, you’re sure to be successful at our basketball-thon—August 27th and 28th.
Only 12 days left until the best youth basketball event happens.
Register now. Link in BIO! ☝️😊💫⚡🏀
#SundayFunday YES, our #basketballthon DJs (@bigggrusss and @almightycjflash) are more fun than yours. 😊
Don't miss them at the next event in two weeks—Saturday, August 27th & Sunday, August 28th. ⚡🏀
#SpotlightSaturday to last year's #Basketballthon top student (family) fundraiser.
This year's winner will be gifted two @Warriors tickets in section 103, row 15 (parking pass included). 😱 #warriors
Register NOW for a chance to win these great seats. 🤩
#FlashbackFriday To last year's #Basketballthon silent auction winner of the @stephencurry30 portrait.
This year's portrait is even more🔥because Steph won his first (of many) #finalsMVP for the @warriors. #stephcurry #warriors
Stay tuned for details on when this year's auction goes LIVE. ✨💙💛
#thankfulthursday It gives us great JOY to announce the newest member to EMA’s energy-giving coaching/mentoring Team— @mattdecandio!
Favorite quote: “What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player” – John Wooden
Please show 💌 by commenting below.👇📝
Don't forget to follow him too.
#wishfulwednesday If EMA had one wish, it would be for every child to experience our Basketball-Thon on August 27th and 28th.
Everyone, especially the youth, said it was the BEST event ever. 🌟 💫⚡️🏀
🚨BREAKING🚨
We’ve gone LIVE for our silent auction that ends Sunday (August 28th at 3:30 PM).
Description: MVP @stephencurry30 (two trophies), Mix media collage, gallery canvas (H 48 in, W 36 in, D 1.5 in).
Tag ALL of your friends who are the biggest Stephen Curry fan and use the #2022Basketballthon.
Link for auction in bio! ☝️
Silent auction benefits entire program!
Sponsored by: Sara Kissing @ https://kissing.art. 🎨👩🏻🎨🖼
#MondayMoves With moves like these, you’re sure to be successful at our basketball-thon—August 27th and 28th.
Only 12 days left until the best youth basketball event happens.
Register now. Link in BIO! ☝️😊💫⚡🏀
#SundayFunday YES, our #basketballthon DJs (@bigggrusss and @almightycjflash) are more fun than yours. 😊
Don't miss them at the next event in two weeks—Saturday, August 27th & Sunday, August 28th. ⚡🏀
#SpotlightSaturday to last year's #Basketballthon top student (family) fundraiser.
This year's winner will be gifted two @Warriors tickets in section 103, row 15 (parking pass included). 😱 #warriors
Register NOW for a chance to win these great seats. 🤩
#FlashbackFriday To last year's #Basketballthon silent auction winner of the @stephencurry30 portrait.
This year's portrait is even more🔥because Steph won his first (of many) #finalsMVP for the @warriors. #stephcurry #warriors
Stay tuned for details on when this year's auction goes LIVE. ✨💙💛
#thankfulthursday It gives us great JOY to announce the newest member to EMA’s energy-giving coaching/mentoring Team— @mattdecandio!
Favorite quote: “What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player” – John Wooden
Please show 💌 by commenting below.👇📝
Don't forget to follow him too.
#wishfulwednesday If EMA had one wish, it would be for every child to experience our Basketball-Thon on August 27th and 28th.
Everyone, especially the youth, said it was the BEST event ever. 🌟 💫⚡️🏀
#ThankfulTuesday Through the parents’ eyes of gratitude, they view EMA as a miracle. This is why we teach our students to thank them each day. 💫
🚨BREAKING NEWS!🚨 (again)
6 brand new First Team Storm hoops in transit! 😍
Things just got real. 😳
Thanks, First Team Inc. & Institutional Sports Equipment. 🤩
Be sure to sign up for the Basketball-thon August 27th & 28th and Fall programming to experience all the updates to our facility. 😬
#Sundayfunday NEW courts + NEW HOOPS = EXTRA week of Thanksgiving clinics added to have FUN and get better. 🦃🏀⚡️
Plus, Turkey (or whatever you eat) will taste better after. Promise! 😅
Sign up NOW to reserve your spot. 📝