Islands Best Prep Academy

Our Mission

Islands Best Prep Academy provides educational and athletic opportunities for the development of inner-city, under-served elite student athletes. Our approach is simple; we emphasize personal, mental and physical growth and development to be the best of the best, on the field, in the community and in the classroom. With the help of donors, families and the local community, we expose a different kind of team mentality to our students. Whether our students are on the same club team or not, we are one team on campus. These kinds of opportunities would not otherwise be available to this demographic. Our work with the student body is unique; passion, persistence and positivity are instilled throughout daily activities. Whether practicing Mindful Training, working in one of the Goal Groups or hosting a speaker for our Career Building lectures, our focus is on servicing these kids with what would generally be unavailable to them due to their socioeconomic backgrounds and geography.

Our History

Islands Best Foundation was born out of necessity. The need to facilitate educational goals while focusing on individualized training for the students’ sport of interest was not readily available to the inner-city youth located in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles, California. Under the educational guidance of Tasha Skipps and Erica Mahan, our learning center was created in 2019.

Academics

Tasha Skipps, the Head of the Learning Center, brings an extensive background of working with troubled youth in the Utah justice system. She also has several years’ experience and has held management positions in post-secondary education where she has been focused on educating under-served young adults. In addition to this, she is currently working on her Bachelors in Educational Studies.  This experience makes Tasha our Team Coach and Head Cheerleader!

Here at Islands Best, Tasha works with the students in small group settings in the classroom to help them stay on track and even offers one-on-one tutoring for those who need it. Acting as a partner with our parents, Tasha regularly assists the students in staying motivated and working on developing the study habits that they need to know to be successful. She also runs our Life Skills class which is where the class follows and discusses important life lessons from Justin Su'a's podcast, "Increase Your Impact." This is where the students work on character building and focus on how to be a better student, athlete, and overall person. 

Strength & Conditioning

9 am – 10:30 am $30/session

Life Skills

10:30 am – 12 pm $30/session

Weight Training 

12:45 pm – 2 pm $30/session

Study Sessions

2 pm - 3:15 pm $30/session