Merced Youth Basketball Program Expands to 12+ Offerings in 2025

Cen Cal Drive Confirms 12 Structured Programs for Youth Basketball Players in 2025

Merced, United States – May 8, 2026 / Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports LLC / Cen Cal Drive Youth Foundation /

Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports, the Merced-based youth basketball organization founded by Greg Williams Jr., has announced its full year-round programming calendar for 2025, broadening access to structured basketball development for players throughout the Central Valley through the DDBL league, travel teams, and an expanded camp and coaching schedule.

A Personal Promise That Started on Driveways

Greg Williams Jr. did not set out to build an organization. He made a promise. Growing up in Merced, CA, Williams observed firsthand how limited access to structured, affordable youth sports could quietly alter a young person’s path. When he founded Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports in 2022, the name carried deliberate meaning – “Cen Cal” representing the Central Valley community he grew up in, and “Drive” reflecting the relentless effort he believed every young player deserved the opportunity to develop.

What began with pickup games on neighborhood driveways and local courts has grown into a multi-program organization serving youth basketball Merced CA families across age groups and skill levels. The program runs year-round, a structure Williams built intentionally so that player development would not stall when a season concluded.

The DDBL and a Full Roster of Development Programs

The centerpiece of Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports is the DDBL (Drive Development Basketball League), an in-house competitive league that provides players with regular game experience in a structured environment. The DDBL operates alongside a broader set of offerings that includes Skills and Drills training sessions, competitive travel teams, private coaching, seasonal camps, and dedicated girls’ programs.

The Skills and Drills format targets the fundamental mechanics Williams identified as the most significant gap in youth development – footwork, ball-handling, shooting form, and court awareness. Private coaching sessions extend that work on an individual basis, allowing players at varying levels to progress at their own pace.

The girls’ programs represent a specific priority for the organization. Williams structured them as a parallel track to the boys’ programming rather than an addition, providing the same access to travel competition, skills training, and coaching.

“We are announcing over 12 structured program offerings for 2025, including expanded camp dates and new travel team divisions,” said Greg Williams Jr., Founder of Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports. “When I started this in 2022, I promised the community that every kid who wanted to play would have a real path forward, and that is exactly what we are building.”

Accessibility Built Into the Model

One of the practical challenges Williams encountered early was cost. Youth sports carry financial barriers that keep capable athletes on the sidelines, and Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports addresses this directly through grassroots fundraising efforts connected to specific programs. Rather than transferring the full cost of travel and equipment to families, the organization incorporates fundraising into its operational model so that participation remains within reach for households across income levels.

This approach has shaped how the program is regarded in the region. Youth sports Merced families have responded to the combination of competitive development and practical accessibility – a combination that is less common than it might appear in youth athletics.

Character Development as a Core Metric

Williams has been consistent in stating that wins and losses are secondary measures. The program evaluates itself on how players conduct themselves on and off the court – in school, at home, and in how they treat opponents. That framework is embedded in coaching language, team culture, and the expectations set from the first day a player joins any Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports program.

The year-round calendar reinforces this. When players are engaged in a program for 12 months rather than a single season, coaches have the time and context to build genuine relationships and hold players to consistent standards rather than simply preparing for a tournament.

With the 2025 calendar confirmed and registration open across program tiers, Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports is positioned to reach more youth basketball Merced CA athletes than in any prior year since the organization was founded.

About Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports

Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports is a youth basketball organization based in Merced, CA, founded in 2022 by Greg Williams Jr. The organization operates the DDBL league, travel teams, Skills and Drills training, private coaching, camps, and girls’ programs. Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports is built on year-round programming, character development, and a grassroots fundraising model designed to keep participation accessible for all families in the Central Valley.

Learn more at Cen Cal Drive Youth Sports