About
Northwest Magic Basketball offers basketball player development that includes weekly practices, offensive and defensive skills training, shooting sessions, agility training, and strength training programs. Players also take part in tournament play, mini camps, weeklong pro-style training camps, and team-building activities.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Founded in 2007, Northwest Magic Basketball has been preparing basketball players for the next level for over 20 seasons and has operated for nearly two decades. The program follows a Basketball Path Model with phases called Playing for Fun, Playing for T-Shirts and learning what it means to compete, Playing for Scholarships, and Playing to Go Pro. It offers a comprehensive college development program that includes skill development, tournament exposure, player growth, and academic and character development.
Northwest Magic Basketball’s leadership team includes Coach Vanessa Selden-McClendon as Founder and Director of Northwest Magic, Head Coach of Nike Jr EYBL Team Maxwell 14U, Head Coach of NW Magic Boys 8th Purple (MADE HOOPS CIRCUIT TEAM), and Head Coach of Nike Jr EYBL Team Tiarra 13U. Coach Gerald McClendon serves as Co-Owner and Director of the Boys Program. Coach Edwina Martin-Arnold is Co-Founder, Strategic Development lead, and CFO, as well as Associate Head Coach for Girls Nike Jr EYBL 14U, Head Coach for High School (Elite 40 and EYCL Future), and Director of the Boys Side. Coach Kevin Strozier is Coaching Director, Associate Head Coach for Girls Nike Jr EYBL 14U, and Head Coach for Girls Elite 40 High School.
Coach Vanessa Selden-McClendon is a former University of Oregon standout and professional basketball player, a University of Oregon Women’s Basketball alum, and was inducted into the Antioch High School Hall of Fame in October 2012; she is also recognized as one of the top trainers in Washington State and is an inactive Family Therapist. Coach Gerald McClendon has over 20 years of playing, training, and coaching experience and is a 20-year retired U.S. Army veteran. Coach Edwina Martin-Arnold has over 40 years of coaching experience beginning through the Catholic Youth Organization and the Rainier Beach Recreation Center, is a former Varsity Head Coach at Rainier Beach High School, an attorney, a best-selling romance author, and an Inclusion Advisor for the City of Seattle, and she was honored as Coach of the Year for the 2025 season. Coach Kevin Strozier has over 17 years of high school coaching experience, was a three-sport athlete at Flint Central High School in Michigan, earned All-State Honorable Mention in high school while averaging 23.5 points per game, was a two-time Conference Player of the Year at Mott Community College, a Junior College All-American, and a national JUCO All-Star, played on full scholarship at St. Louis University where he started every game, earned All-Metro honors, and was voted Team MVP, and as head coach at Lincoln High School (Tacoma) from 2001–2007 he captured back-to-back Narrows League titles, was named Coach of the Year in 2006, won a district championship, and led the team to the state tournament with a 25–3 record.
Northwest Magic Basketball is a member of the Elite 40, a national league that spotlights top programs and players across the country. On the girls’ side, teams participate in the Nike EYCL Championship League (15U), Nike Junior EYBL (7th and 8th grade), MADE Hoops Circuit, Elite 40 Circuit, and NE2K Circuits. On the boys’ side, teams participate in the MADE Hoops Circuit, Super 24 Circuit, and Elite 40 Boys National Circuits. Team divisions include Headstart (K–3rd), Competitive and Regional Teams (4th–8th), Legacy Teams, and Elite Teams, with year-round training that includes weekly practices and specialized skills sessions, as well as mini camps and weeklong pro-style training camps prior to NCAA viewing period events.
Northwest Magic Basketball was founded by two women with a stated passion for basketball and community impact, and Coach Edwina Martin-Arnold has guided countless young athletes throughout the Puget Sound area through her long coaching involvement. The program states that staff selection criteria emphasize integrity, appearance, demeanor, and interaction with children, and that all coaches are described as experienced, knowledgeable professionals with a proven ability to teach and develop young athletes. The program’s mission is described as developing college-ready players by nurturing talent, creating opportunity, and preparing athletes for the next level through skill development, tournament exposure, player growth, and academic and character development. Testimonials from the coaching staff state that player development is “bigger than basketball — it’s about preparing young people for life,” that “discipline, energy, and teamwork” are described as “the building blocks of Magic success,” and that sports are described as building “confident, capable young people ready to thrive in life.”
Last updated December 19, 2025.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Founded in 2007, Northwest Magic Basketball has been preparing basketball players for the next level for over 20 seasons and has operated for nearly two decades. The program follows a Basketball Path Model with phases called Playing for Fun, Playing for T-Shirts and learning what it means to compete, Playing for Scholarships, and Playing to Go Pro. It offers a comprehensive college development program that includes skill development, tournament exposure, player growth, and academic and character development.
Northwest Magic Basketball’s leadership team includes Coach Vanessa Selden-McClendon as Founder and Director of Northwest Magic, Head Coach of Nike Jr EYBL Team Maxwell 14U, Head Coach of NW Magic Boys 8th Purple (MADE HOOPS CIRCUIT TEAM), and Head Coach of Nike Jr EYBL Team Tiarra 13U. Coach Gerald McClendon serves as Co-Owner and Director of the Boys Program. Coach Edwina Martin-Arnold is Co-Founder, Strategic Development lead, and CFO, as well as Associate Head Coach for Girls Nike Jr EYBL 14U, Head Coach for High School (Elite 40 and EYCL Future), and Director of the Boys Side. Coach Kevin Strozier is Coaching Director, Associate Head Coach for Girls Nike Jr EYBL 14U, and Head Coach for Girls Elite 40 High School.
Coach Vanessa Selden-McClendon is a former University of Oregon standout and professional basketball player, a University of Oregon Women’s Basketball alum, and was inducted into the Antioch High School Hall of Fame in October 2012; she is also recognized as one of the top trainers in Washington State and is an inactive Family Therapist. Coach Gerald McClendon has over 20 years of playing, training, and coaching experience and is a 20-year retired U.S. Army veteran. Coach Edwina Martin-Arnold has over 40 years of coaching experience beginning through the Catholic Youth Organization and the Rainier Beach Recreation Center, is a former Varsity Head Coach at Rainier Beach High School, an attorney, a best-selling romance author, and an Inclusion Advisor for the City of Seattle, and she was honored as Coach of the Year for the 2025 season. Coach Kevin Strozier has over 17 years of high school coaching experience, was a three-sport athlete at Flint Central High School in Michigan, earned All-State Honorable Mention in high school while averaging 23.5 points per game, was a two-time Conference Player of the Year at Mott Community College, a Junior College All-American, and a national JUCO All-Star, played on full scholarship at St. Louis University where he started every game, earned All-Metro honors, and was voted Team MVP, and as head coach at Lincoln High School (Tacoma) from 2001–2007 he captured back-to-back Narrows League titles, was named Coach of the Year in 2006, won a district championship, and led the team to the state tournament with a 25–3 record.
Northwest Magic Basketball is a member of the Elite 40, a national league that spotlights top programs and players across the country. On the girls’ side, teams participate in the Nike EYCL Championship League (15U), Nike Junior EYBL (7th and 8th grade), MADE Hoops Circuit, Elite 40 Circuit, and NE2K Circuits. On the boys’ side, teams participate in the MADE Hoops Circuit, Super 24 Circuit, and Elite 40 Boys National Circuits. Team divisions include Headstart (K–3rd), Competitive and Regional Teams (4th–8th), Legacy Teams, and Elite Teams, with year-round training that includes weekly practices and specialized skills sessions, as well as mini camps and weeklong pro-style training camps prior to NCAA viewing period events.
Northwest Magic Basketball was founded by two women with a stated passion for basketball and community impact, and Coach Edwina Martin-Arnold has guided countless young athletes throughout the Puget Sound area through her long coaching involvement. The program states that staff selection criteria emphasize integrity, appearance, demeanor, and interaction with children, and that all coaches are described as experienced, knowledgeable professionals with a proven ability to teach and develop young athletes. The program’s mission is described as developing college-ready players by nurturing talent, creating opportunity, and preparing athletes for the next level through skill development, tournament exposure, player growth, and academic and character development. Testimonials from the coaching staff state that player development is “bigger than basketball — it’s about preparing young people for life,” that “discipline, energy, and teamwork” are described as “the building blocks of Magic success,” and that sports are described as building “confident, capable young people ready to thrive in life.”
Last updated December 19, 2025.
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