About
Our Mission
Our mission is to help young men and women strive for greatness on the court, in the classroom, at home, and in the community.
In addition to teaching our young people the basketball skills needed to win on the court, we also discuss, model, and reinforce virtues that develop the character needed to win in life. Basketball, when coached for the purpose of edification, is an effective vehicle to drive home the importance of teamwork, work-ethic, sacrifice, perseverance, goal-setting, and commitment. When our young people are done with basketball, they will be able to take what they learned through our program to the next phase of career preparation. They will also understand the importance of being helpful and giving back.
About Ephraim Smiley III
One can't understand Character & Skills Basketball without knowing about its founder, Ephraim Smiley III. And it would be impossible to understand Coach Smiley (as he is commonly referred to) without knowing about his parents, Ephraim Jr. and Marsha Smiley. Coach had terrific parents who helped him circumvent the potential pitfalls prevalent in the neighborhood he grew up in on Ft. Wayne’s southeast side.
Forty years ago, Ephraim Smiley Jr. started a garden to grow fresh vegetables for in-need residents of Ft. Wayne. That “garden” is active today. https://www.smileysgardenangels.com/about-us
At the age of 18, Coach Smiley knew that he would be following in his parents footsteps, and devote his life to serving others. Coach played basketball at South Side High School, and then at Taylor University, where he had great success and was the recipient of numerous academic and athletic honors.
After graduation from Taylor, Coach returned to Ft. Wayne where he has taught at Title I schools, and created and facilitated programs for underserved youth for the last 24 years. Currently, Coach is the City Life Director for Youth for Christ of Northern Indiana.
CSB started as a grassroots effort to empower youth in response to a rash of violence that took place in Fort Wayne in 2007. In its early years, CSB offered free camps at McMillen Park, small group workouts, and leagues that brought together several youth organizations and charter schools. Today, as its name implies, it serves to teach and instill character into our youth by using basketball.
Smiley is happily married to his beautiful wife Aisha, and is the proud father of four children: Isaac, Malila, Amiliya, and Ephraim.
