About Us
Starting 5ive has been of existence since 2005 when a young group of 7th graders asked to form a Dynasty. With the help of some home town parents and dedicated players, the Starting 5ive program was well on it’s way to a successfull launch.
We are here to promote a winning attitude, but most importantly encourage players to work hard in every drill and everything that they encounter. We do not recruit players, however we take pride in training and promoting our players to be successfull on and off of the court. Everyone WINS when our players get accepted into the college of their choice or even better…a SCHOLARSHIP.
It is our responsibility to stay up to date with the latest training methods and coaching techniques.We achieve this by attending seminars and doing our own research during the off-season.
Our Coaches
Tarik Beasley
Tarik Beasley
Coach Tarik Beasley played High School basketball at Montclair High, where he was an outstanding player becoming a top 100 college prospect and later attending North Carolina A&T State University. There, he averaged 15 /ppg and 3.9 rebounds with 2 NCAA Tournament appearances playing against such notable players as Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) and Matt Harpring (Utah Jazz). Tarik was called in 1998 by the Philadelphia 76ers for training camp.
Plagued by injuries, Tarik was unable to fulfill his dreams of making it to the NBA, but was a 2-time all-star in the EBA with several offers overseas. Tarik is now here to teach our future stars what he has learned throughout his career, and what it takes to become successful in playing basketball.
Shawn Wilkins
Shawn Wilkins
- Background & Experience: Coach Shawn Wilkins is an experienced New Jersey basketball coach and mentor specializing in player development and youth leadership.
- Recent Coaching Roles: He most recently served as the Head Varsity Basketball Coach at Morristown Beard School (2023–2025). Prior to that, he was the Lead Assistant Coach at Newark Academy (2020–2022) and the JV/Freshman Head Coach at Pope John XXIII Regional High School (2019–2020), alongside extensive AAU coaching experience.
- Coaching Philosophy: His approach focuses on character building, discipline, teamwork, and instilling life lessons to help young athletes succeed both on the court and beyond.
Will Thompson
Will Thompson
Coach Will, a dedicated and passionate player and coach has experience coaching youth of all ages and skill levels from beginners new to the sport or players looking to fine tune their skills. From coaching at the varsity level with East Stroudsburg North boys’ program (PA) as well as Morristown Beard girls’ program (NJ) Coach will bring a energizing approach and dynamic to the Starting 5 coaching staff.