About Us
Mission & Vision
Our Mission
To be the world’s standard of excellence at inspiring and developing youth who are academically, socially, and athletically balanced.
Our Vision
To execute our mission we will develop elite basketball players focusing on fundamentals and teamwork. We will cultivate social awareness through volunteering in the community. Further, we will foster academic excellence through leadership development emphasizing accountability.
Meet Our Coaches
Coach Nate Barfield
Coach Nate is an entrepreneur who grew up in the Prince William County area. He is a graduate of Norfolk State University. Coach Nate is President of a federal consulting firm focused on accounting and financial management. Coach Nate has three children, Nathaniel, Garrison, and Macy. He has been a mentor to young adults through his fraternity (Alpha Phi Alpha) and has coached and mentored at the Boys & Girls Club for over five years.
Coach Demetrius "Horse" Doss
Coach Horse, as he is known, has been coaching boys basketball in Prince William County, VA, since 2014. He is a graduate of Marshall University where he played wide-receiver for the Thundering Herd from 1999-2002. Coach Horse is a financial advisor in Tysons Corner, VA, and also Regional Director for The College Funding Coach. Coach Horse is married to Kelli Doss, and has two sons, Dominion and Dajon.
Coach Brian Hall
Coach Brian was born and raised in Alexandria, VA, and graduated from Annandale High School. Brian has been working in the Hospitality & Purchasing fields since 2000. He currently holds a Director of Purchasing position with one of our Major Sports teams in the Greater Washington DC area. He has been coaching with members of the Maximum Effort Team in the Manassas area since 2015. Brian and Nathalie are the parents of Brandon Hall, who has played multiple sports in the Manassas area. Brandon has played under both Coach Nate and Coach Horse in basketball programs at the Boys & Girls Club, and United Revolution. Brian has a passion for working with kids to build their confidence and teach them responsibility through sports.
Coach Earnest Hogan
Coach Hogan is a native of West Point, MS, and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi Valley State University. He has resided in the state of Virginia for fourteen years along with his wife Karla Hogan and their two sons Earnest Jr. (EJ) and Ethan. He is the owner of Hogan Home Care and Handyman Services, LLC that specializes in home improvements. Prior to becoming self employed, he worked for Fairfax County Public Schools at Ormond Stone Middle School where he started The Men of Stone mentoring group for young men. He has served as a coach and mentor to young athletes for three years at the Boys and Girls Club in Manassas, VA. Coach Hogan sees basketball as an opportunity to continue to mentor young minds. He believes in developing strong leadership skills and teamwork with a strong emphasis on academic achievements.
Coach Max Sarpong
Coach Max grew up in Fairfax, VA. He graduated from Hampton University with a B.S. in Business Management. Coach Max currently serves as the Director of Administration & Finance with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and he's also a Real Estate Agent with Long & Foster. He has mentored and served youth for over five years. In addition, he has coached at the Boys and Girls Club as well as I9 Sports. Coach Max is married to Gloria Sarpong, and has two sons, Gabriel and Zachary.
frequently asked questions
Maximum Effort Institute (MEI) is definitely more than just a basketball program. We use basketball as an avenue to mentor and teach life skills to our players. As it reads in our vision and mission statements, we aim to inspire and support our student athletes to achieve success academically, socially, and athletically.
One year ago, five men with like minds founded Maximum Effort looking to make a difference in the lives of student athletes within the community.
We currently have four teams. We will be adding additional teams for the upcoming season as the growing number of members demands us to do so.
We are seeking young men between the ages of 8-12 and young women between the ages of 11-13.
The first goal is to develop great student athletes…..with high integrity, accountability, and perseverance. These traits will help these young men and women excel academically and become pillars of their communities. The second goal is to develop fundamentally sound basketball players and put each of them in the best position possible to be successful whether academically, athletically or both. We believe teaching these behaviors in the early stages of life increases the opportunity for success.
The next stage in our growth development is to add a female travel team to accommodate the female talent that played co-ed our first year. (Please see tryout dates in the News and Announcements.)
Absolutely! Maximum Effort Institute is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. We accept all contributions that support the mission and vision of MEI. All monetary and physical contributions are tax deductible. Utilizing the resources of the surrounding communities in Prince William County and beyond is one way we offset the cost for membership. For donation inquiries please email info@maxeffortball.org, with the subject line “donation inquiry”.
All our practices are in Manassas, VA. We will provide the practice locations and schedules upon registration according to the athletes’ age group and their assigned team.
As we grow, so will the need for our coaching staff. We are always looking for high quality coaches that share the same vision and mission as we do. Integrity must be first on our coaches list of priorities. Each member of our coaching staff must register with AAU in order to coach and must pass the AAU administered background check. Interested candidates can submit inquiries at info@maxeffortball.org.
We not only want a spirited audience, we encourage it. However, we ask our fans to support their player in a tactful and respectful manner. Maximum Effort asks our parents/guardians to complete a conduct form. We have all heard or witnessed incidents at a youth sporting event that did not shine a positive light on neither the parent, the athlete, nor the organization. We truly believe that when parents and coaches collaborate and exemplify model behavior, it makes for a more positive experience for the young men and women. So please cheer and cheer loudly; but please do not be offensive to others sharing the stands.
Our coaches remain active in the lives of our student athletes long after the season has ended. We support our players when they are involved in other sports. We attend events at their schools or perhaps a program where they attend church. We recognize them on their birthdays and frequently attend non basketball outings to keep the support and bond strong. Each of our players understands the level of commitment that we expect from them when it comes to their effort in school, on the basketball court and beyond. Our staff knows the importance of matching their efforts by being committed to our roles and always giving Maximum Effort in all that we do.