Coach Kiwi (Ykealo Araia) is the founder and Head Coach of OTM. A professional who’s played FIBA and National Team basketball, he built the academy to give Ottawa athletes real mentorship, exposure, and a development path to chase their basketball goals.

Hamza is OTM’s Lead Assistant Coach and has coached on the U.S. circuit, including Marquee Hoops and Nike Jr. EYBL. He builds players around defense, effort, and basketball IQ — using film and stats to sharpen how they think the game.

Rico Hall is OTM’s Performance Coach, helping athletes build mental toughness, focus, confidence, and a competitive mindset — preparing them to perform under pressure when it counts.

Coach Alex Loul Syum brings a unique combination of high-level basketball experience, player development, and mental performance expertise. A former collegiate head coach with international coaching and scouting experience, Alex has worked with athletes across North America and abroad. Through his background in mental health and performance development, he helps athletes strengthen their confidence, focus, resilience, and overall approach to competition—developing not only better basketball players, but more prepared and self-aware athletes.