Caleb London Hoops

In the spirit of Black History Month, I reflect on the giants who stood tall when the world tried to bend them low & icons who carried the weight of truth when it would have been easier to look away. I admire Malcolm X, whose voice thundered for justice without apology, reminding us that “if you give people a thorough understanding of what confronts them... they’ll create their own program, and when the people create a program, you get action.” Rosa Parks, whose quiet refusal ignited a movement, showing that one person's stand can shift the course of history. Their courage echoes in every decision to protect the vulnerable, to speak when silence feels safer.

As a man here in Conway, Arkansas, I've poured my soul into giving back & mentoring our youth; Black kids, White kids, every kid who steps onto my court dreaming bigger than the moment.
I've literally given the shoes off my feet , and the hoodie off my back for my guys. Those moments were not gestures; they were promises. Promises that I would show up & that I would sacrifice to help the achieve their overall goal/dream.

4 months ago, that promise led me to stand up for OUR student-athletes who trusted me with their concern: a coach had dropped the n-word in their huddle, multiple times treating it like casual talk. They were afraid to speak afraid nothing would change, afraid of retaliation. So I asked for a follow up anonymously, for it had already been reported a week prior by another coach. I asked for a follow up because shielding those young hearts and minds mattered more than my comfort. The investigation was thorough; the coach was fired. Justice, right?

But justice came with a price. My name leaked through FOIA. Two school board members harassing me , one calling me "boy", & flooding my inbox with threats: demands to confess lies in the newspaper, vows to "tell every person I interact with what you did, count on it." My training home at Peak Performance Academy? Where myself played/trained and shed blood, sweat, and tears when I moved here in 2017. The gym where I helped lead tto a national Nike EYBL championship ? CLLHoops Banner taken down, "no longer welcomed" , income/business gutted all because they "disagreed" with holding someone accountable. Come to find out the other school board member I mentioned is part owner of the facility. Figures.

Why me? I will let you be the judge of that. I am just a private citizen that followed up on an issue that I would not want my future son/daughter to have to go through. An issue that none of our son/daughters should have to go through despite the context. That is what creates a Community.

Yet, through every tearful night and every lost dollar, one truth held firm..... I would do it again. For all my kids. Because as trainers, coaches, mentors, professionals, ADULTS our sacred duty is to empower the next generation, to lift them when they stumble, to speak for them when their voices shake. We don't get to pick which child deserves protection; we protect them all, or we protect none. I want to thank my former coach Joey Moon for allowing me to provide a team meal to the guys and allowing me to speak with them. It meant a lot during that time.

Black History Month isn't just remembrance it's a call to live the legacy. To rise when fear says sit. To stand when power says bow. To every young person reading this Your dreams are sacred. Your voice matters, even when the world tries to silence it. CLLHoops endures because you endure. We rise together. The work continues. The images below are not to cause a stir , or bring drama, it is simply to show that issues such as these that involves accountability... Well I will let you be the judge.

Happy Black History Month & Let's make EVERY month a testament to courage, love, and unbreakable resolve. Thank you to those in the community for your continued support, this has not been easy and the fight is far from over.

To my CLLHoops family, past players, parents, and everyone who has ever stepped on a court with me,
I’ve been quiet for weeks because I’ve been trying to process something really heavy. A lot of you have texted asking when training is coming back, and a lot of my guys have told me they miss the gym, the work, and the talks we used to have after sessions. I miss y’all too, more than you know.

Here’s the truth:
I stood up for OUR kids, some high school basketball players when I was told a coach used the n-word in practice. Five different kids and another coach confirmed it to me. I asked for an update on it because I couldn’t stay silent while young Black athletes were disrespected in a place that’s supposed to be safe. I asked to stay anonymous so nobody would get retaliated against, especially the kids.

After an investigation by school officials and school board members, all agreed (with the exception of two), it was best for the school and kids that he be terminated. That should have been the end of It.

Instead, I have been blamed, my name was released along with false statements made about me, I received threatening messages from a school board member telling me to publicly confess to lying or they would “tell every person I interact with what you did,” my banner was taken down at the facility I trained out of for years, and I was told I’m no longer welcome to train kids there, all because they didn’t agree with the coach being fired.

I lost my main training home. I lost business. I lost the daily joy of watching y’all get better. And honestly, for a while, I lost a lot of peace.

I’m not posting this for drama or to argue with anyone. I’m posting it because some of you deserve to know why CLLHoops suddenly stopped, why I haven’t been posting workouts, and why I haven’t been as visible. I’m still the same coach who loves this game and loves y’all. I’m just working through some things right now with people who can help me get back to doing what I love, safely and fully.

To every kid who ever texted me “Coach, when are we getting in the gym?”
I hear you. I see you. I’m fighting to get back to you.

To every parent who trusted me with your child, thank you. Your support and your kids’ hugs are what keep me going.

I’ll be back stronger.

Love y’all,
Coach Caleb

We see you P3

2029 Paris London III was all over the court🏀

Only thing changing is the location , we put work in wherever !!

🔥🔥🔥

Wow, what an incredible day yesterday with CLL's first team of 5th graders at group basketball training! These kids brought ENERGY , worked HARD, and pushed through every challenge with grit and determination! So proud of their effort and spirit! Big shoutout to Coach Corey for trusting me and getting some work in! Let’s keep the momentum going and continue building skills, teamwork, and heart! DM us to join the family! #ConwayHornets #BasketballTraining #FutureStars

TBT

These state tournaments are full of young men and women from the program. The state as a whole has tons of talent which is a testament to the development and time the high school, middle school, and elementary coaches are spending with the student athletes. This makes it easy to do what we do as a grass roots organization. From Woodz Elite, Thank you to all who invest. Congrats to these guys, started the tradition of the program and embodies what it means to be WoodzElite.