Tom Emory has been a basketball coach and trainer for over 24 years, mentoring athletes in the Spokane community from ages 5 to 25. Tom comes from a family that is deeply involved in the game of basketball – his dad, wife, and daughter all played college basketball. His dad was a High School Championship coach in Colorado Springs, Colorado and his daughter is currently the varsity girls’ basketball coach at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane. Below are some of the highlights of Tom’s career:
Tony Skinner moved to Spokane, WA in 2002 to continue his basketball career. He went on to play for Gonzaga University from 2002-2004. He graduated from Gonzaga with a Bachelors in Sociology. After graduation, Tony went on to play professionally in Germany after which he returned to Spokane and started to embrace what Spokane and the basketball world have in common – a real love for the game.
In 2007, Tony began his coaching career with a fellow teammate, and has since coached for several youth programs, teams, and organizations.
Tony loves the passion Spokane has for basketball and does as much as he can to continue to give back. With 3 children of his own, his focus is on the fundamentals of the game. This includes not only teaching proper form and technique, but truly teaching the game the right way.
With an impressive 11 yers of basketball experience under his belt, Garrett’s journey is a testament to his unwavering dedication and love for the game. Garrett’s basketball odyssey began at Northwest Nazarene University, continued through Southwest Oregon Community College, and led him to Multnomah and Portland Bible Colleges, where his faith and basketball talents beautifully intertwined.
Known for his versatile shooting skills and ability to score from all three levels, Garrett’s impact extends beyond the court and into the hearts of the Spokane community. For the past four yers he has been the Elementary Director at Life Center, earning respect for his commitment to uplifting others.
Guided by unwavering faith, Garrett attributes his success to a higher power and strives to lead both on and off the court, embodying values like hard work, faith, and community. His journey from Nampa to Spokane is a remarkable story of faith and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence. His faith, dedication, and passion for the game and community make him a valuable addition to our team.
Bogdan Blyzniuk hails from Lutsk, Ukraine.
Humility in action, precision in coaching, and compassion in every session, former Big Sky Conference Player of the Year and EWU all-time leading scorer, Bogdan is a fantastic part of our training team.
After graduating from EWU, he played professionally in Ukraine on Beni Herzliya, Kyiv-Basket, BC Budivelnyk, and Cholet Basket teams. He represented Ukraine in FIBA competitions and made the Ukraine National team in 2018. We re so pleased to have him available to our ITZ members for one-on-one training or to lead our classes.
Will is one our newest performance trainers on the team. He was born and raised in Coeur d’Alene Idaho and recently moved to Spokane Valley to begin his coaching journey at ITZ.
Will graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Bachelor’s Degree in exercise science emphasizing in sports performance and is an NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist. He has been involved with the game of basketball for over a decade and is an experienced performance coach, having worked with a multitude of different athletes in various sports to improve their abilities.
Will’s passion for coaching is unparalleled. He has found his purpose in life in coaching, and truly loves the journey that he gets to embark upon when working with his clients. He genuinely cares about each one of his clients and helping them meet their goals and realize their dreams.
Will embodies the values of perseverance, dedication, and determination. His journey to get to this point in his career was not the prototypical path and he credits his growth mindset in overcoming the adversity he has faced along the way.
When Will is not in the gym you can find him enjoying the great outdoors. He spends his free time with friends and family playing golf, disc golf, camping, floating, and hiking.
Bio coming soon
The newest addition to our staff is Elle Borland. Her resume is impressive. As a high school basketball player at East Valley High School in Spokane, Elle was the starting point guard all 4 years. She was a first team all league player her first three years then was the MVP her senior year.
She went on to play at the collegiate level as the starting point guard for Holy Names University.
Since college she has been the Northwest Blazers Montana Head Coach of the 2023 summer AAU season and has been providing 1-on-1 basketball training in Kalispell, MT for the past three years for 30-35 athletes. She has worked with boys and girls from 5th grade to college age.
We are excited to have Elle as part of the ITZ Family!
Austin Vansant is the ITZ General Manager. A Spokane Valley native, he epitomizes the journey from adversity to inspiration. As a student from East Valley High School, he embraced both football and basketball, transcending a challenging upbringing.
Basketball carried Austin to Yakima Valley Community College, where he pursued his passion and nurtured his talent. However, an ACL injury and tibia fracture redirected his path, leading to a business degree from Texas Christian University.
Professionally, Austin has a strong commitment to youth development, particularly through the Spokane community. He credits basketball with saving him and attributes his success to faith. Austin’s heart belongs to Spokane, where his mission is to empower kids, instilling in them the belief that anything is achievable. His story embodies resilience, faith, and a profound commitment to inspiring the community.
Keylan IS the ITZ Front Desk. When you see Keylan, you see ITZ. He is the heart and soul of the front desk and the go-to for a warm smile and expert assistance. His love for basketball is infectious. When he’s not at the desk, you might see him helping out with camps or classes. He’s versatile and an awesome asset to ITZ.
