"Get 1% BETTER every day."
CHOOSE YOUR WORKOUT
1
(Player Development Grades 4-8)
3
(1:1 & Group)
2
(Player Development Grades 9-adult)
4
Camps & Clinics
SUCCESS STORIES
"I am an ex-professional athlete who has had the pleasure of playing with some of the greatest athletes and for some of the most heralded coaches in the game of basketball. I am currently a player development coach and basketball operations assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA. Before I had the pleasure of personally meeting Coach Donovan Blythe myself, I heard his name mentioned in various circles as a trusted, capable, and sought-after skills coach for high school, college, and professional athletes. When my own voice became redundant for my eldest son who was- at the time- entering college, it was Coach Blythe who I trusted to train, motivate, and elevate my son's skillset. I was not disappointed. Coach Blythe is far more than a skills coach. I have since had the honor of watching his practices to see how he demands and gets the most out of each player, every minute of every practice. I have watched Coach Blythe command the sidelines during games and was able to see how his practice plans translate into game time wins, including two California State Championships that I personally witnessed from the stands. Coach Donovan Blythe is a living icon and is your favorite coach's favorite coach. China's gain is our loss - any country, any player, any program - would be lucky to have him."
Larry Abney
Player Development/ Basketball Operations Assistant
LA Clippers
"I have been blessed to work with Coach Donovan since the 8th grade and he has been a pivotal part in making me the player I am today. His basketball knowledge and ability to push me to great lengths prepared me to excel at the division 1 level and beyond. My dreams have been accomplished with the help and guidance of him, I am forever grateful!"
IImar'i Thomas
University of Cincinnati '17-'21
University of California Los Angeles '21-'22
Parent of Blythe's Academy student
"The Blythe's Academy has been tremendous for Izzy. I can see improvements in his skills and knowledge with the steady participation. The staff and instruction are top notch and Coach Blythe, Coach Anna, all the coaches are great motivators pushing the kids to get better."
September 2017
"Before I met Coach Donovan I was struggling on the basketball court. During my freshman year of junior college, I averaged 5 points and 4 rebounds per game and lacked the confidence that I needed to be successful. After meeting Coach during the off season and working with him all summer, my skill level grew leaps and bounds. My game grew so much that during my sophomore year of college I averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game. Next year I will be joining the UC Davis basketball team. None of this would have been possible without Coach Donovan's help. He helped make me into the player that I only could have dreamed of becoming a year ago."
Jonah Underwood
May 2017
"Just awesome, the perfect way to go out! This is a girl you helped develop since she was 8 yrs old...great ending!!"
Parents of Maddy Holland
Archbishop Mitty Class of '17
St. Mary's College Class of '22
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Donovan Blythe dating back to my youth. I am now 41 years old and an Assistant Coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Donovan has played an instrumental role in my success over the years. Being a young basketball player from the Bay Area Donovan was always a great mentor to me on and off the court. His ability to connect with athletes and help them realize their potential was and still is a rare and sincere trait.
His knowledge, passion and dedication to the game helped me play basketball at all levels (Div 1 College, NBA and Europe). He possesses a great mind when it comes to training and making players better. His approach and work ethic sets the tone for any players in his program. Donovan has been a main stay in California for years, many trainers have come and gone but decades later he is still at the top of the game and continuing his work making players and athletes better on and off the court.
I would absolutely recommend any athletes desiring to raise their game to higher levels to train with Donovan Blythe. Professional and First Class!"
Phil Handy
Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development Los Angeles Lakers - '19 - Present
Cleveland Cavaliers Assistant Coach - '13-'19
Toronto Raptors Assistant Coach - '18-'19
"Blythe Basketball has been an amazing experience! In just the first year of training, my 8 year old son's basketball skills have grown leaps and bounds. Coach Donovan's focus on footwork, dribbling and other fundamental basketball skills has been invaluable. As a former collegiate athlete who understands the importance of fundamental skills training, I highly recommend Blythe Basketball for youth of all ages."
Kevin Lee, JD
Father and Former NCAA D1 Athlete
Donovan Blythe
ABOUT ME
Considered to be one of the best talent scouts, shooting instructors, player development coaches and trainers in the business, Donovan Blythe has brought his basketball expertise to helping kids and pros become superstars in their own right for more than thirty years.
Donovan came to the United States from Jamaica, moving to Chicago as a 14-year-old. Although never having touched a basketball before, he quickly fell in love with the game. Through hours of study and physical training, he single-handedly turned himself into a college prospect in only two years. He studied at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside where he earned a basketball scholarship and studied Business Management.
After college, Donovan moved to the Bay Area and ran a group home for boys as a full-time live-in counselor. Coach Blythe also ran numerous camps and leagues throughout the Bay. His NIKE Spring Basketball League attracted the top high school players in Northern California, including future NBA Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd.
In 1991 Donovan was hired as a trainer, consultant and assistant coach at Emery High School (Emeryville, CA) to develop a raw 6-9 freshman named Darnell Robinson. Three years later, Robinson was a McDonald's All-American and left high school as the all-time leading scorer in California prep history. Donovan coached Emery to it's only state title (1994) and later that summer he took a team of California all-stars that included Baron Davis (Warriors/Clippers), Paul Pierce (Celtics/Clippers) Tayshaun Prince (Pistons), the Collins twins (Stanford/NBA), and Robinson to the Boston Shootout, which they won.
After coaching at San Mateo High School and at the JC level, Donovan stepped away from team coaching in order to train his daughter, Britney, who earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Colorado. With Britney away in college, Donovan came out of retirement to coach the girl’s varsity team at Eastside College Prep (East Palo Alto, CA), where he is currently head coach. In his first season, Donovan was named the Northern California Coach of the Year (NorCal Preps) after leading the Eastside Panthers to a 32-2 record and the Northern California D-V finals. Since 2015, the Panthers have won three NorCal Championships and back-to-back D-V California State Championships (2016 & 2017) under Donovan's leadership.
Emphasizing the importance of fundamentals, technique, and player development, Donovan has designed and directed basketball camps for Yi Jianlian and the Nike RISE clinics for Kobe Bryant in China. His organization Blythe's Basketball offers personal and group training for players of all levels, corporate team building activities, strength and conditioning services, and health and wellness consultations. In addition to his basketball exploits, Donovan is a mentor and life coach for many of his current and former students. It's bigger than basketball.
Donovan Blythe
Director